On April 2nd, Mexico’s Ministry of Economy announced a new requirement for importers to submit a new form for bringing aluminum goods into the country: the Automatic Import Notice for Aluminum Products (AAIPA). Starting May 25th, submitting the AAIPA will be mandatory for all aluminum importers.
The AAIPA is a federal initiative to regulate the aluminum trade and ensure the integrity of Mexican production. In short, it is an official declaration for every aluminum product that must include, among other things, the country of smelting, the country of casting, and the country of origin.
The following guide contains all the information currently available about the AAIPA, its requirements, and its functions.
What is the AAIPA?
The AAIPA is the Automatic Import Notice for Aluminum Products, an official requirement of the Mexican government for all importers bringing aluminum products into the country. It is a digital format submitted through the Mexican Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEM)—the same platform used to submit the Electronic Value Declaration.
It should be emphasized that the AAIPA is an official requirement for importing products. Failure to submit it could result in complications during the customs clearance process and even fines for non-compliance. The greatest risk of not submitting the AAIPA will be:
Which products are subject to the AAIPA?
The official notice from the federal government states that products belonging to 89 tariff classifications must have the AAIPA to enter the country. The tariff classifications in question are the following:
Tariff Classification / NICO
Description
Note
7601.10.02
Unalloyed aluminum.
01
Aluminum ingots with a minimum purity of 99.7% aluminum, containing by weight: 0.010 to 0.025% boron, 0.04 to 0.08% silicon, and 0.13 to 0.18% iron, identifiable as intended for the manufacture of electrical conductors.
99
Other.
7601.20.02
Aluminum alloys.
01
In any form, with a content equal to or greater than: 5% titanium and 1% boron; or 10% strontium, except—in both cases—with a circular cross-section of a diameter equal to or greater than 50 mm.
99
Other.
7604.10.01
With a minimum purity of 99.5%, diameter of 9 mm or greater, for the manufacture of electrical conductors.
00
With a minimum purity of 99.5%, diameter of 9 mm or greater, for the manufacture of electrical conductors.
7604.10.02
Profiles.
00
Profiles.
7604.10.99
Other.
00
Other.
7604.21.01
Hollow profiles.
00
Hollow profiles.
7604.29.01
Aluminum bars, containing: iron 0.7%, silicon 0.4% or more but less than or equal to 0.8%, copper 0.15% or more but less than or equal to 0.40%, magnesium 0.8% or more but less than or equal to 1.2%, chromium 0.04% or more but less than or equal to 0.35%, plus other elements, by weight.
00
Aluminum bars, containing: iron 0.7%, silicon 0.4% or more but 0.8% or less, copper 0.15% or more but 0.40% or less, magnesium 0.8% or more but 1.2% or less, chromium 0.04% or more but 0.35% or less, plus other elements, by weight.
7604.29.02
Profiles.
00
Profiles.
7604.29.99
Other.
00
Other.
7605.11.01
Of aluminum with a purity of 99.5% or more and a diameter of 9 mm or more, for the manufacture of electrical conductors.
00
Of aluminum with a purity of 99.5% or greater and a diameter of 9 mm or greater, for the manufacture of electrical conductors.
7605.11.99
Other.
00
Other.
7605.19.99
Other.
00
Other.
7605.21.01
Containing: iron 0.7%, silicon 0.4% or greater but 0.8% or less, copper 0.15% or greater but 0.40% or less, magnesium 0.8% or greater but 1.2% or less, chromium 0.04% or greater but 0.35% or less, in addition to other elements, by weight.
00
With a content of: iron 0.7%, silicon greater than or equal to 0.4% but less than or equal to 0.8%, copper greater than or equal to 0.15% but less than or equal to 0.40%, magnesium greater than or equal to 0.8% but less than or equal to 1.2%, chromium greater than or equal to 0.04% but less than or equal to 0.35%, in addition to other elements, by weight.
7605.21.02
Of alloy 5056.
00
Of alloy 5056.
7605.21.99
Other.
00
Other.
7605.29.01
With a content of: iron 0.7%, silicon greater than or equal to 0.4% but less than or equal to 0.8%, copper greater than or equal to 0.15% but less than or equal to 0.40%, magnesium greater than or equal to 0.8% but less than or equal to 1.2%,