Checklist for your first import

Phase 1 · Before buying (weeks -4 to -2)

• Verify the tariff code of your product with a customs broker: it defines duties, permits and restrictions. Everything else depends on it.
• Confirm regulations and prior permits (sanitary rules, labeling, certifications). Some permits take longer than the whole transit.
• Register in the importers' registry (Mexico) or your local equivalent before the cargo sails, not once it has arrived.
• Agree the incoterm in writing with your supplier (recommended: FOB for ocean).
• Quote the total landed cost (product + freight + insurance + duties + handling + delivery), not just the supplier's price.

Phase 2 · Documents to ship (weeks -2 to 0)

• Commercial invoice — with a real description of the goods, unit values and incoterm. Vague descriptions ("spare parts") stop shipments at customs.
• Packing list — exact packages, weights and dimensions. It's the reference for handling and inspections.
• Bill of Lading (ocean) or Air Waybill (air) — check consignee and notify party before it's issued; correcting it later costs time and money.
• Certificate of origin — if your product qualifies under a trade agreement (USMCA, Chile–China FTA…), this paper can bring your duties to zero.
• Cargo insurance policy — carrier liability is capped by law and doesn't cover the real value of your goods.

Phase 3 · Transit and arrival

• Monitor the ETA weekly — vessel changes and transshipments are normal; what matters is finding out in time (on the Nowports platform you see it live).
• Prepare the duty payment before arrival — every day of clearance delay generates storage and demurrage that add up fast.
• Coordinate final delivery in advance — appointment at your warehouse, unloading and returning the empty container within the free time.

The 4 mistakes that cost first-timers the most

1. Underestimating timelines: an Asia–LATAM ocean import takes 35-50 days door to door, not "3 weeks".
2. Not insuring the cargo "because nothing ever happens" — until it does.
3. Inconsistent descriptions and values across invoice, packing list and BL: the #1 cause of customs holds.
4. Leaving clearance to the end: the customs broker should review your documents before departure, not on arrival.