BajaNomad

crossing otay w windows

tecatero - 11-20-2013 at 04:51 AM

Hi nomads,
Im crossing otay with $3000 worth of vinyl windows, receipt to prove.......I have some additonal used furniture to fill the trailer. Question is, how strict has la aduanas been lately on importing limits ?? I know $3000 is the limit before needing a customs broker..........also, are aduanas open early as I want to cross at 6:00 AM.....thx

GET

captkw - 11-20-2013 at 04:54 AM

I would go early as possible and pray !!......Wish you luck !!!

tecatero - 11-20-2013 at 07:07 AM

Hope so too,,,,,,,,,,I made an entire house thru about 5 years ago, the aduana guy just waved me thru,,,,,times have changed

larryC - 11-20-2013 at 08:05 AM

You didn't say where you will be crossing but in my experience at San Ysidro and Otay you will be pulled over and searched almost every time. At Tecate if you get the green light (which most do) then you will drive on through. I crossed at 5:45 am and had no problem with a truck full of stuff. Good luck on your crossing.
Larry
Oops, you did say where you were crossing. You most likely will get searched at Otay. Go Tecate, not that much farther and could save you some bucks.

tecatero - 11-20-2013 at 08:12 AM

Thx Larry,,,,,,,
I thought you could only cross at Otay when bringing declared goods, I was turned around once at TJ border when I had 4 2x6's and some pvc and had to go to OTay,,,,,,,,,,,,5 years ago

larryC - 11-20-2013 at 08:25 AM

You can declare at Tecate also. If they look at your stuff they will just charge you the 16%, but if you get the green light then it is all free. They are very relaxed there. If it was me I would just try it. If I was pulled over I would just show them the receipts and pay the duty, telling them you have never been through at Tecate before and didn't see the "to declare" line. If you try lying to them about what you have and the value that is when you get in trouble.
Good luck, and welcome to the board.
Larry

Loretana - 11-20-2013 at 08:50 AM

If you are the "Tecatero" then you know what to do.......:yes:


have some paperwork in hand, and

Welcome to the Baja Nomad Forum.......

LaTijereta - 11-20-2013 at 09:11 AM

X3.. Cross early at Tecate (6am).. They don't even like to come out of the office until after 7am..
Take off any new packing on the windows, to eliminate that "new" look..
Have your paperwork ready.. Even a simple manifesto showing you paid "$X" for the windows will help with having to pay any Adunda due..

Happy Trails..

tecatero - 11-20-2013 at 09:34 AM

funny u should mention that.......JeldWen stickers and hardware long gone,,,,,,Tecate it is, Ill give it a shot Sunday 6 Am, I will report back with the outcome....thx

durrelllrobert - 11-20-2013 at 10:29 AM

If you have a Residente Permanente card you are allowed a $150 USD per person exemption for goods not considered as luggage instead of the usual $75. How many people can you fit in your vehicle?

Welcome aboard BN.

DavidE - 11-20-2013 at 10:50 AM

Ever since the movie actress and her husband started living in Los pinos, things have tightened up. I would not try "running" the border through the green light with household fixtures anymore.

I pull over at the secondary, get out, smile shake hands gently, Buenas Dias, and then arch my eyebrows. Nine times out of ten the just wave me on.

The penalty for smuggling can be incredibly harsh. I wouldn't want to play the part of guinea pig. The aduaneros are looking for large loads, multiple flat screen TV's, desktop computers toys clothing etc. They way they see it someone running Aduana is trying to cuckold them. Your windows are small potatoes, most probably insigificant unless they are smuggled.

rhintransit - 11-20-2013 at 11:12 AM

tj…green light is no guarantee of passing un-inspected. they can and do wave you over after that. happened to me a month or so again, and have heard from others that this is common.

DavidE - 11-20-2013 at 01:27 PM

All the time with me rhintransit...

The guy stands beyond the booth and then when I pass with the green light, he will motion for traffic to stop to my right and then point to the canopy. Meanwhile the Aduaneros under the canopy are watching. I did not pull into secondaria voluntarily.

Once, when crossing at km 21 in Sonora, the guy was not there but as I drove slowly forward I heard whistles and shouts to my right but I acted like I did not hear any of it. About three hundred feet later I pulled onto a wide shoulder and proceeded to stick the hologram on the windshield. A Blue and Silver car and pickup rolled up behind me with the lights flashing. I pointed at my ear and said "sordo (deaf)". They gave the inside of the camper a two second inspection and waved me on.

The law is simple, it -allows- the aduaneros to issue an on-the-spot administrative fine if they wish. They figure out what the illegal items are worth in pesos. No receipts? They'll guess. Then that figure is applied as a fine. Three thousand dollars worth of windows? Nine thousand dollars worth of pesos as a fine. The fine is only payable at a Banjercito window. Then, they keep the merchandise. You get your pickup back. It was confiscated until you paid the fine.

This law could have changed since I read it out of their book in 2006. I wish someone would check and see.

Yeah people have been raked over the coals with this law. The only extremely well documented case happened I have read happened in Nogales, Sonora to an American. He and crew were returning from Tucson to Mazatlan with a load of repair parts for their sailboat. They did not declare. The Aduaneros seized their motor vehicle. They had to pay in excess of fifteen thousand dollars in cash (someone had to return to Tucson and make hasty arrangements). Aduana kept the parts, but allowed pickup and personal items to proceed. This appeared in the "letters" section of Latitude 38, sailing magazine.

I know I have seen unoccupied cars and trucks parked at Aduana secondary. When I asked the aduanero where the people were, he would make a grabbing motion with his fist. All were Mexican cars.

Like the Kitto incident with car insurance, it takes reading about or seeing real-life experience to get to know the downside of offending Mexican law.

I don't ever want to learn the hard way.

gnukid - 11-20-2013 at 01:56 PM

Repair/replacement parts for yachts/boats with TIP in Mex are exempt from duties, but you do need a copy of the valid TIP.

DavidE - 11-20-2013 at 03:04 PM

Exactly. But the following is also necessary:A notarized letter from the Harbormaster who in turn contacts Aduana who furnishes a letter that must be shown to Aduana at the border. When in doubt check with the aduaneros. Mexico is extremely bureaucratic and if all the I's are not punched then there's going to be delays.

monoloco - 11-20-2013 at 03:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
You can declare at Tecate also. If they look at your stuff they will just charge you the 16%, but if you get the green light then it is all free. They are very relaxed there. If it was me I would just try it. If I was pulled over I would just show them the receipts and pay the duty, telling them you have never been through at Tecate before and didn't see the "to declare" line. If you try lying to them about what you have and the value that is when you get in trouble.
Good luck, and welcome to the board.
Larry
The green light at Tecate means nothing, if you are pulling a trailer they will want to check it. You can usually get the place you bought the windows from to make you up an invoice for less, then void it in their system.

fandango - 11-20-2013 at 03:45 PM

tecatero:
Good luck with your crossing.
Post your route and the results so we know how it went.
Thanks.