She sent me the tracking number, so I saw that it was in Mexico City on June 3rd. From there, the daily updates have read "clearance delay".
Late last week, I got a phone call from DHL, stating that Mike (as the package is addressed to him) had to fill out a document and get an additional document from Cofepris, before DHL would release the package.
When the DHL man emailed the document, I emailed back asking "what's Cofepris?". He gave me their website. And told me that if the Cofepris process is too difficult, we can either have the toys "destroyed OR marked/painted and released as samples".
Apparently, Cofepris is a Mexican government agency. www.cofepris.gob.mx
Their English portion of their website states:
"The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) is a decentralized organ of the Department of Health with technical, administrative and operational autonomy, whose mission is to protect the population against sanitary risks, through sanitary regulation, control and promotion under a single command, which provides unity and homogeneity to the policies which are determined."
So, after getting no where with Cofepris' website, I called them, spoke to someone in English and was directed to a 16 page document. From there, he told me to go to page 12, section 3 and follow the instructions.
These are the instructions:
3. IMPORTACIÓN:
HOMOCLAVE COFEPRIS-01-006
NOMBRE, MODALIDAD Y GUÍA RÁPIDA DE LLENADO
Aviso Sanitario de Importación de Productos
(Bebidas no alcohólicas, cerámica y loza vidriada, juguetes y artículos escolares).
CAMPOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 14 y para juguetes, 1 2 3 4 artículos escolares, cerámica y loza vidriada 8
además 21 y 22
REQUISITOS DOCUMENTALES
␣ Para juguetes, cerámica destinada a contener alimentos; y artículos escolares: Constancia Sanitaria o Certificado de Libre Venta o Análisis de laboratorio.
␣ Para el resto de los productos: Constancia Sanitaria o Certificado de Libre Venta. Para todos los productos el trámite deberá presentarse anualmente y será válido para todos los embarques dentro de esté período.
The above instructions make no sense to me. But, he told me to follow them, then bring my document into Cofepris, for their approval.
At this point, I have emailed DHL back to ask them if I agree to allow them to paint/mark the toys, will they be released TO ME. Their previous email just said "released as samples".
So, if they agree to release the painted toys to me...I can only imagine what color Thomas the Train will be!
Hi Jill,
ReplyDeleteI recently discovered your blog, and really enjoy reading it. As a fellow Polanco-dweller, and someone who has gone through all sorts of issues sending and receiving packages from the US, I thought I might shed some light on what (I think) happened to your package.
When your mother in law sent the package, the toys were probably in their original packaging and I'm assuming she filled out the price she paid for them on the shipping slip, in the field labeled "Commercial value". So, when the package reached Mexican Customs, it was assumed that you planned to resell the toys in Mexico, thus labeling you as a “toy importer” and sending your file to Cofepris.
Cofepris is the Mexican equivalent of the FDA. When someone intends to import toys into Mexico, Cofepris demands proof that the toys pose no sanitary risk, usually a lab analysis that states that the toys contain no harmful toxins. Since you are now considered a toy importer, at this point the only way to get around this is by having your toys labeled as samples and damaged (painted or marked) just enough so that they cannot be resold. Once this is done, the toys will be released to you, after you pay the import duties.
But before you agree to this I would suggest asking the people at DHL how much the import duties will be. Depending on where the toys were made, this can vary wildly. For example, Mexico imposes tariffs of nearly 1000% (yes, one thousand) on toys made in China, and lower but equally insane tariffs on those produced in some countries of Southeast Asia. So you might have to pay up to ten times the original price to receive damaged toys, in which case you might be better off having them destroyed.
In the future, you should advise anyone sending you toys to take them out of their original packaging, and label the package as “Used Toys” with a commercial value of $0. This, of course, is no guarantee: if the package is large enough, it might still raise someone’s suspicions at customs, but if it’s just a few toys you should be fine.
Best,
D
Hi Daniel! Thanks for your insight into my DHL dilemma! After reading your comment, I emailed my contact at DHL, who told me that the tax for the toys (2 little wooden puzzles and a Thomas the Train starter set) would be $900 pesos - definitely more than the toys cost.
ReplyDeleteThe DHL guy also emailed me back to tell me that two of the outfits in the package were made in China, and would require an additional tax.
OR, they would make a 5 cm "mutilation" (cut) on the back of the outfits.
As what I expect happens to a lot of people, I finally said "just do it". So, hopefully the painted toys and mutilated clothing will arrive tomorrow.
I will be posting photos, I am sure! Thanks again for your help...and for reading my blog!
Hi Annabelle,
ReplyDeletethanks for all info. I probably got same problem as bought a toy from amazon US and shipped to Mexico. The item is now in "clearance delay" status and DHL contacted my brother to have the info you mentioned, so it looks like the process is still the same. how did end up with your toys?