Weimo

Our Chinese management team coordinates and our local Mexican team delivers: professional services that understand both what Chinese companies need and how Mexico works.

Higher Tariffs, New Platform Tax Rules: It’s Time for Chinese Business Owners in Mexico to Have Their Own Company

Why register, who can register, and what the steps are — all in one article.

Higher Tariffs, New Platform Tax Rules: It’s Time for Chinese Business Owners in Mexico to Have Their Own Company
Published

This year, many business owners in Mexico share the same feeling:

Shortcuts that used to work are no longer good enough.

1. The Rules Have Changed

Higher import tariffs

Since January 1, 2026, Mexico has raised tariffs on more than 1,400 tariff lines for countries without a free trade agreement (including China), with rates from 5% to 50%: around 35% for clothing and footwear, and 30% for toys.

New platform tax withholding

Corporate sellers that provide an RFC (tax ID) have 2.5% income tax withheld by the platform; without an RFC, the withholding can reach 20%.

Invoices are a must

CFDI 4.0 e-invoicing rules are strict, and many Mexican clients will only work with suppliers who can issue invoices.

2. What a Company Lets You Do

  • Sign contracts, lease premises and hire employees in the company’s name

  • Once you have an RFC and a bank account, issue formal invoices and receive payments into a business account

3. Who Can Register

✅ Holders of a valid Mexican residence card

You can start preparing right away.

✅ Chinese passport only

You can still join as a foreign shareholder. Documents issued abroad generally need an apostille and a Spanish translation.

⚠️ Note: The legal representative needs to obtain a tax ID, open bank accounts and sign documents, so there are requirements on their immigration status. We recommend planning this before you register.

4. Registration Steps

  1. Company name approval from the Secretaría de Economía

  2. Drafting the articles of incorporation

  3. Signing before a notary public

  4. Registration with the Registro Público de Comercio

  5. Obtaining the RFC and e.firma from the SAT

  6. Opening a bank account

  7. If there are foreign shareholders, registering with the RNIE (National Registry of Foreign Investment), generally within 40 business days

⏱️ Once all documents are ready and the name has been approved, setting up the company takes about two weeks.

5. Let Weimo Handle It

Weimo (WM Dos Pilares Empresarial)

Service in Chinese, carried out by our local team in Mexico.

We’ll plan your shareholder structure, legal representative and business purpose around your business.

📩 Contact us for the document checklist and a tailored plan, and get your business firmly established in Mexico.

Note: “About two weeks” is an estimate counted from when all documents are ready and the name has been approved; actual timing depends on the authorities. Joining as a shareholder with a passport does not mean the passport alone is enough to complete every registration step. Policies are subject to the latest official announcements from the Mexican government. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice.

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