Clothing manufacturer in Bangladesh for Mexican brands

Duty: the 2026 tariff reform

A presidential decree published in Mexico’s official gazette on 19 December 2024 raised the duty to 35% on 138 tariff lines of finished clothing, including t-shirts, blouses, shirts, trousers, denim, skirts, dresses, underwear, socks, jackets and coats, and to 15% on 17 lines of textiles, for countries without a Mexican trade agreement. A wider reform of the General Import and Export Tax Law (LIGIE) followed from 1 January 2026, raising duties to between 10% and 50% on 1,463 tariff lines from the same countries, textiles and apparel among them.

Bangladesh has no trade agreement with Mexico, so its garments pay these rates. The exact duty depends on the eight-digit Mexican tariff line and the rules have changed twice in two years, so have your customs broker (agente aduanal) confirm the current rate for each style before you price your range.

Register before the first shipment

Mexico controls textile and apparel imports through its importer registry. To import goods from chapters 50 to 63 you must first be in the general importers’ registry (Padrón de Importadores) and then in Sector 11, “Textil y Confección”, of the registry of specific sectors. That requires an active tax registration (RFC), a valid e.firma and being up to date with tax obligations, and the tax authority (SAT) has up to 15 business days to respond.

Goods arriving before the registration is in place cannot be cleared, so start it while samples are still being made, not when the bulk order ships.

Labels in Spanish: NOM-004-SE-2021

Clothing sold in Mexico must be labelled under NOM-004-SE-2021, in force since 15 January 2023, which applies to textile products with at least 50% textile content by mass. The label must carry, in Spanish, the fibre composition with percentages and generic fibre names, care instructions, size, country of origin, and the name and tax details of the manufacturer or importer.

We produce the permanent labels to your approved artwork in the factory, so send the Spanish text and your importer details with the tech pack and the garments arrive ready for sale.

Landed cost and IVA

Mexican import charges are calculated in cascade. Duty (IGI) is charged on the customs value. The customs processing fee (DTA) is generally 0.8% of the customs value. IVA at 16% is then charged on the customs value plus the duty and the DTA. For a registered business IVA is recoverable, but it is a real cash-flow line at the border.

When Bangladesh still makes sense

At 35% duty, Bangladesh competes on equal terms with the other large origins that have no Mexican agreement, including China and India, which pay the same rates. It is at a disadvantage against suppliers that qualify for a Mexican trade agreement: USMCA partners, and members of agreements such as the CPTPP where the product meets the agreement’s origin rules.

Bangladesh still wins where its price advantage is larger than the duty gap: cotton knitwear, basics and denim in volume. For small, fashion-led or fast-replenishment ranges, the 35% plus the long sea route usually point elsewhere, and we will tell you so.

Shipping

Mexican orders ship by sea from Chattogram with transshipment, usually to a Pacific port such as Manzanillo, with a long transit that needs planning well before the season. Ask us for FOB and DDP side by side, and remember that under DDP the importer of record still has to be registered in Sector 11.