Mexico City - On May 2, 2017, Aduana (the General Customs Administration, or AGA) will begin enforcing new rules for importing used vehicles into Mexico in an effort to prevent the entry of stolen or "junker" cars into the country, that import duties are paid, and that their emissions tests are valid.

The intention is not to limit the number of imported vehicles, but to be ensure that they comply with all the requirements and that their documents genuine, Ricardo Treviño Chapa, the general administrator of AGA said in an interview with the El Universal newspaper.

The official explained that in order to prevent the use of fake emissions test results, Mexican Customs will obtain those results directly from verification centers in the U.S.

Starting May 2, 2017, used vehicles from the U.S. can only be imported into Mexico at Customs offices in Ciudad Juárez, Piedras Negras, Reynosa, Matamoros, Mexicali, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Veracruz and Tijuana. Offices will be open for an extra two hours, operating from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Likewise, a new sectoral register for commercial importers of used vehicles has been created and will enter into force on May 15, 2017. Treviño said companies authorized to issue purchase documentation for used vehicles now have more requirements to meet, and that they'll have a 30-day deadline to deliver the vehicles to a Customs office.

"What are we achieving with these new regulations? A guarantee that the vehicle isn't stolen, that it works properly, that its emission levels are within those allowed and that the taxes have been paid. Ultimately, the end user, the families that purchase a used vehicle, will have the certainty that it will run," Treviño said.