Key takeaways
- Clothing is more than half of what Mexico buys from India in our categories: US$163 million of US$302 million in 2025, led by men's woven shirts and T-shirts (UN Comtrade).
- NOM-004-SE-2021 applies to textiles, clothing and household linen before they enter Mexico, so the Spanish labels have to be sewn in or attached at the factory in India.
- Leather footwear and leather goods follow NOM-020-SCFI-1997: a permanent Spanish marking of the maker or importer, the country of origin and the material.
- India has no trade agreement with Mexico, and a decree in force from 1 January 2026 raised Mexico's general duties on apparel, home textiles, rugs, bags, footwear and furniture. A shipment rejected after landing costs more than it did.
What Mexico buys from India
India reported exports to Mexico of US$302 million in 2025 across the categories Clear To Load inspects, 16% less than in 2024. Clothing carries the market. Home textiles come next, and most of that is cotton terry towelling.
| Category (HS) | 2025, US$ million |
|---|---|
| Woven apparel (62), of which men's shirts (6205) 31, women's suits, dresses and trousers (6204) 26, blouses (6206) 16 | 90 |
| Knitted apparel (61), of which T-shirts (6109) 28, men's knitted shirts (6105) 16 | 73 |
| Home textiles (6301–6304), of which terry toilet and kitchen linen (6302.60) 21 | 36 |
| Footwear (64), of which leather uppers (6403) 14 | 22 |
| Bags and cases (4202) | 11 |
| Worked stone (68) | 10 |
| Rugs and carpets (57) | 9 |
Two things the headline hides. Most of the seating figure (US$16 million of US$18 million under 9401) is parts of seats, not finished furniture; furniture under 9403 was only US$6 million. And ceramic tiles, outside our basket, halved from US$104 million in 2024 to US$49 million in 2025. These figures predate the 2026 duty change described below.
Where Mexico's orders are made in India
Shirts and blouses come mostly from Delhi NCR, where Gurgaon and Noida are Towns of Export Excellence for apparel and Faridabad was added in the Foreign Trade Policy 2023. T-shirts and knit shirts come from Tirupur, the Town of Export Excellence for hosiery. See woven shirt inspection and T-shirt and knit top inspection.
Terry towels are made in Solapur, which holds a geographical indication for terry towels, and in Karur, a Town of Export Excellence for handlooms; see bath towel inspection. Leather shoes come from Agra, Kanpur and Ambur, the Towns of Export Excellence for leather products (leather shoe inspection). Tiles come from Morbi in Gujarat, listed for ceramic tiles and sanitaryware (vitrified and porcelain tile inspection).
NOM-004: Spanish labels before the goods enter Mexico
NOM-004-SE-2021, in force since 14 January 2023, covers textiles, clothing, accessories and household linen. Its scope clause applies it to these goods antes de su internación al país, before they enter the country. All the information must be in Spanish (clause 4.1); other languages may be added. In practice that makes it a factory job:
| NOM-004 item (4.1.1) | What the inspector checks |
|---|---|
| Brand | Matches your approved artwork |
| Fibre content | Spanish generic fibre names, in percent by mass, largest first, against the fabric test or mill certificate |
| Size, or measurements for household linen | Sizes in Spanish; sheet and towel sizes in cm and against the measured sample |
| Care instructions | Washing, bleaching, drying and ironing instructions present and consistent with the fabric |
| Country of origin | India, on the permanent label |
| Importer's name, fiscal address and RFC | On a permanent or temporary label or on the closed packaging |
On clothing the label is permanent. On sheets, blankets, bedspreads, tablecloths, napkins, curtains and towels, at least the brand, fibre content, care and origin must be on a permanent label (clause 5.1.1). Handbags, suitcases and backpacks may use a permanent or temporary label (5.2.1). A QR code is optional and never replaces the label (5.4). Conformity is assessed in Mexico by accredited verification units; our check makes sure the labels are right before the goods leave India.
Leather goods, footwear and everything else
Leather and footwear. NOM-020-SCFI-1997 requires leather goods and footwear, and products made of materials that imitate leather, to be marked permanently in Spanish with the maker's or importer's name or brand, the country of origin and the generic or specific name of the material (clause 4.1). Split leather must be called carnaza. The inspector reads the marking on sampled pairs and bags against the material in the bill of materials.
Other consumer goods. For products without a specific NOM, NOM-050-SCFI-2004 asks for the product name, quantity, importer's name and fiscal address, a "Hecho en India" type origin statement, warnings and instructions, in Spanish (clauses 5.2.1 and 5.2.2). Unlike NOM-004, the importer's details may be added in Mexico after customs clearance and before sale. The origin statement and any Spanish instructions are cheaper to print at the factory.
Rules that apply and the 2026 duty change
India has no trade agreement with Mexico, so Indian goods pay Mexico's general duty rates. A decree published in the Diario Oficial on 29 December 2025 raised those rates on many tariff lines from 1 January 2026, for countries without a trade agreement in force with Mexico. The lines include apparel, home textiles, rugs, bags, leather gloves, footwear and furniture. We do not quote rates; check the current tariff with your agente aduanal.
Wooden pallets and crates must carry the international treatment mark under NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017, Mexico's version of ISPM 15. For origin marking in general, see country of origin labelling; for buyers who also specify chemical limits, see azo dyes and restricted substances.
Working hours, reports and booking
India Standard Time is UTC+5:30 and Mexico City is on UTC−6 all year, with no summer time in either country, so India is 11:30 ahead. Our office hours, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm IST from Monday to Saturday, run from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am in Mexico City. The inspection happens during your night, and the report follows within 24 hours after supervisor review, with a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
A pre-shipment inspection costs US$249 per man-day: one inspector, one factory, eight hours. Travel is US$99 per man-day in Delhi NCR, free in Jodhpur and at actual cost elsewhere, such as Tirupur, Solapur or Agra. See pricing, then book an inspection and attach your NOM-004 label artwork with the importer's RFC.
Sources
- UN Comtrade: India's exports by partner and HS heading, 2025
- DOF, 29 Dec 2025: Decreto por el que se reforman diversas fracciones arancelarias de la Tarifa de la LIGIE
- Secretaría de Economía, Catálogo Mexicano de Normas: NOM-004-SE-2021
- NOM-004-SE-2021, text as published in the DOF (14 Jan 2022)
- Secretaría de Economía, Catálogo Mexicano de Normas: NOM-050-SCFI-2004
- NOM-050-SCFI-2004, text as published in the DOF (1 Jun 2004)
- Secretaría de Economía, Catálogo Mexicano de Normas: NOM-020-SCFI-1997
- NOM-020-SCFI-1997, text
- Secretaría de Economía, Catálogo Mexicano de Normas: NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017 (wood packaging)
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence
- PIB: Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced (new Towns of Export Excellence)
- IP India GI registry: Solapur Terry Towel (application 9)
- timeanddate.com: India Standard Time