When talking about packaging requirements for Mexico, we can’t avoid talking about NOM-024, since it will be our guide carved in stone, with clear steps to follow to unlock the importation of products without violating any regulations.
What is NOM-024?
Well, basically we can summarize it as being the official Mexican standard that regulates commercial information, user instructions and guarantees for electronic and electrical products and household appliances from local and foreign manufacturers.
What products need to comply with NOM-024?
Basically, all electronic and electrical products that will be commercialized in Mexico need to comply with this NOM. Since it is one of the requirements that is always confirmed by customs in the entry of the product, the compliance to this NOM is very important.
Are there exemptions to NOM-024?
It is possible to exempt the need of a NOM-024 certificate for a product that is not intended to be commercialized to general public, for example industrial machines that are only intended to be used in factories. To prove that a product is subject to an exemption, and out of the NOM-024 scope, we would need the following requirements that may be required at customs as well:
- Copy of the contract that includes commercial, warranty and installation information (Mandatory)
- Opinion letter issued by a CB stating that under their analysis the product doesn’t fall into the scope of the NOM-024 (Voluntary but highly suggested to avoid problems at customs)
What are the requirements for NOM-024?
To get a NOM-024 certificate we need to have at least the following items:
- Warranty in Spanish from the Mexican company that will cover it before the customer.
- User Guide in Spanish
- Label
- Package artwork that shows brand and model (since the rest of the information will be in the NOM-024 label that will be affixed on the package, it is not necessary to repeat this information)
Each of these items needs to show some minimum information to be accepted, that we will detail in the following points.
User Guide
As mentioned previously, the manual must be in Spanish for it to be accepted by the certifying body in Mexico that will analyze the NOM-024 requirements. The manual can have other languages for global compliance purposes, but it must have a Spanish version at least detailing the following information to be compliant:
- Clear use instructions
- Warnings (if applies)
- Importer information (full company name, RFC that is equivalent to their tax number, address and contact information)
- Brand
- Model
- Nominal Tension
- Invitation to read the manual.
Label
For the label most of the information from the previous point will be repeated. For it to be accepted by the certifying body, it needs to show at least the following information:
- Model
- Product description in Spanish
- Nominal Tension
- Importer information such as full legal name, RFC number and address
- Country of Origin
- Warnings (if applies)
- •nvitation to read the manual in case you don’t put this information in the manual.
- Brand Name
Warranty
From our experience with global compliance services, we have seen that this can be one of the most complicated requirements for manufacturers to provide, since writing the warranty can be very challenging and often at the moment of the NOM-024 analysis, the warranty is not yet finalized. Due to this we want to share with you the main requirements to help you successfully draft your warranty for the Mexico Market. The warranty document needs to clearly show the following information:
- Brand
- Model
- Information with regards to where the customer can activate the warranty in Mexico.
- Validity of the warranty
- Scope of the Warranty
- Procedure of fulfilling the warranty.
- Importer information such as full legal name, RFC number, contact information and address.
Also, to facilitate the process of creating your NOM-024 warranty, please find an example template below. By filling the blank spaces with your information, you should be ready to go and enter the world of NOM-024 compliance.
POLIZA DE GARANTIA
Marca:
Modelo:
Periodo de garantia:
Importador:
RFC del importador:
Direccion del importador:
Número de teléfono del importador:
La presente garantía ampara al producto y también todas las piezas y componentes del producto, e incluye la mano de obra.
El importador en caso de declararse procedente la devolución, se encuentra obligado a reemplazar cualquier pieza o componente defectuoso sin costo adicional para el consumidor.
La presente garantía cubrirá los gastos de transportación del producto que deriven de su cumplimiento, dentro de su red de servicio.
La presente póliza de garantía no es aplicable en ninguno de los siguientes casos:
a) cuando el producto se hubiese utilizado en condiciones distintas a las normales;
b) cuando el producto no hubiese sido operado de acuerdo con el instructivo de uso que se le acompaña;
c) cuando el producto hubiese sido alterado o reparado por personas no autorizadas por el fabricante nacional o importador respectivo.
Para poder hacer valida la garantía, el producto defectuoso deberá ser devuelto a la dirección del importador declarada anteriormente, acompañado de la presente póliza de garantía debidamente sellada por el ente comercializador que lo vendió.
Fecha de compra:
Sello de garantía:
Before wrapping up, we would like to share the answers to the most common questions we have had regarding NOM-024:
Is it required for me to provide hard copies of all these documents?
Yes, during importation it is required that the product packaging includes paper versions of all the information declared previously.
Do I need to publish this information online?
It is not required that you provide this information online, the only requirement is that the documentation is provided physically during importation and to the final customer.
What happens if I have more than one importer?
Like most of the NOMs in Mexico, it is required that each importer and/or distributor has its own unique NOM-024 certificate, where the importer’s company information can be verified.
Is it mandatory to have an importer in Mexico?
The answer to this question is yes, it is an essential requirement, since the Mexican regulation requires to have a local representative that can answer for any failure in the equipment and that can be the representative of the equipment before the consumer.
HOW TO APPLY FOR NOM-024
Okay I know that you might be thinking, all this sounds great, and I have several groups of products piling up in a warehouse waiting to be imported, but how can I start?
If you do not have prior experience, we strongly encourage you to seek the assistance of a consulting company (like ourselves) that specializes in the complex world of Mexican regulatory compliance and bringing your electronic products to the global market efficiently and cost-effectively.
