How to ship to Mexico with USPS as a reseller
A small package of goods to Mexico, up to 4 lb and $400, goes by First-Class Package International Service: $19.21 for up to 8 oz with a label from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider, or $20.15 at the Post Office or through Click-N-Ship. Up to 4 lb ($42.42 online) it stays under Priority Mail International's Flat Rate Envelope ($46.02). Heavier or pricier packages go by Priority Mail International, up to 70 lb, from $59.47 for 1 lb online, and every package of goods needs an electronic customs form with a 6-digit HS code for each item. The country's own rules to watch: cosmetics need prior approval; taxes over $50.
Rules quoted from Mexico's Individual Country Listing in USPS's International Mail Manual, read Oct 19, 2026. Prices from Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026; package prices are unchanged since the Jan 18, 2026 edition.
Rates verified on
- First-Class Package International, up to 8 oz, online
- $19.21
- Priority Mail International, 1 lb, online
- $59.47
- Heaviest package (Priority Mail International)
- 70 lb
- Prepaid duties (USPS DDP)
- Not available
What you can and can't send to Mexico
Goods on a country's prohibited list can't be mailed there, and a country can return or seize mail that breaks its rules even if USPS never published them (IMM 131.32-131.33). Here is what Mexico's listing says about the goods resellers ship most, quoted from it, next to USPS's rule for every country where there is one. Other items on Mexico's lists include ammunition, heated tobacco, pork products, perishable food, tear-gas devices, lottery material and whey proteins; cremated remains need certificates.
Books, magazines and other printed matter
Nothing on Mexico's lists.
Every country: USPS treats books as goods, not documents: they need a customs form with a value (IMM 123.623). There is no Media Mail abroad: USPS's five international mail categories don't include it (IMM 141.1), so books pay the same package prices as other goods. Airmail M-bags, a sack of printed matter to one address, are open to Mexico (IMM 261.21).
CDs, DVDs, records and film
Nothing on Mexico's lists.
Every country: CDs, DVDs and other recorded or blank media always need a customs form and a value; USPS never counts them as documents (IMM 123.622-123.623).
Cosmetics, perfume and aerosols
- “Medicinal products, beauty products, cosmetics, and toilet articles are admitted only by prior approval of the Department of Public Health in Mexico.” (IMM Mexico listing, Restrictions)
- “Powder of all kinds.” (IMM Mexico listing, Prohibitions)
Every country: USPS lists aerosols, nail polish, perfumes containing alcohol and hemp-based (CBD) products among items that can't be sent to any country (USPS international restrictions). Dangerous goods, such as flammable materials and compressed gases, are banned in all international mail (IMM 136.1).
Electronics and batteries
Nothing on Mexico's lists.
Every country: Only new lithium batteries installed in the device they run, at most four cells or two batteries per package and 100 Wh per lithium-ion battery; no spare batteries, and no used, damaged or defective devices with lithium batteries unless manufacturer-certified refurbished. The outside of the package must not carry lithium battery marks or labels (IMM 135.62-135.64).
Jewelry, watches, coins and precious metals
- “Coins; banknotes; currency notes (paper money); securities or checks of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, or silver, manufactured or not; precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles.” (IMM Mexico listing, Prohibitions)
Every country: Valuables can't go by Priority Mail Express International; inexpensive costume jewelry with little precious metal ships like any other merchandise, and USPS says it “is accepted to countries that prohibit jewelry, but only at the sender’s risk” (IMM 134.2).
Brand-name, copyrighted and origin-marked goods
- “Works infringing copyrights covering Mexico.” (IMM Mexico listing, Prohibitions)
Every country: Counterfeit or pirated goods are prohibited to every country (IMM 136.3).
Food, supplements, medicines and health items
- “Pharmaceutical products, including pills, troches, tablets, granules, capsules, and lozenges.” (IMM Mexico listing, Prohibitions)
- “Chocolate and products made of chocolate require prior authorization from the Mexican Secretary of Commerce.” (IMM Mexico listing, Restrictions)
- “Correos de México advises that a mailer not dispatch food supplements without assurance that the importer possesses or is able to obtain the necessary license.” (IMM Mexico listing, Observations)
Also under cosmetics, perfume and aerosols.
Tobacco, vapes and lighters
- “Electronic cigarettes.” (IMM Mexico listing, Prohibitions)
Every country: Cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes can't be mailed abroad at all, whatever a listing says (IMM 136.4).
There is nothing on Mexico's lists about clothing or shoes, about toys or playing cards or about antiques and collectibles.
USPS says the burden is on the mailer to follow every country's rules, whatever a USPS employee says (IMM 131.4). The full lists: Mexico in the IMM.
USPS services to Mexico and their limits
| Service | Price group | Weight limit | Size limit | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Class Package International Service | 2 | 4 lb | 24 in. long; length + height + thickness 36 in. | Value up to $400. Free electronic delivery confirmation to this country (IMM 252.22). No insurance. Customs form: PS Form 2976. |
| Priority Mail International | 2 | 70 lb; Flat Rate Envelope and Small Box 4 lb, Medium and Large Box 20 lb | 42 in. long; length + girth 79 in. | 6-10 business days to many major markets (USPS). Tracking included, except on Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Boxes (USPS). Insurance: $200 included for merchandise; no extra coverage can be bought for Mexico. Customs form: PS Form 2976-A. |
| Priority Mail Express International | 2 | 70 lb | 36 in. long; length + girth 79 in. | No date-certain money-back guarantee to this country (IMM 141.3). No coins, jewelry, watches or other valuables. Customs form: PS Form 2976-B. |
| First-Class Mail International | 2 | 3.5 oz letters; 15.994 oz large envelopes | Letter and flat sizes | Documents and correspondence only: no merchandise of any kind (IMM 242.2). |
| Airmail M-bag | 2 | 66 lb | One sack | Printed matter (books, magazines, catalogs) to one address; $84.92 up to 11 lb, then $7.72 a lb. |
- Online prices need PC Postage. Commercial Base prices are for labels from a USPS-approved PC Postage product, “with the exception of Click-N-Ship service”, so Click-N-Ship labels pay the retail price for Priority Mail International and First-Class Package International alike (IMM 233.231, 252.25, 253.231).
- Valuables: coins, precious metals, jewelry and watches can't go by Priority Mail Express International, and Registered Mail isn't offered for First-Class Package International Service or Priority Mail International (IMM 134, 332). Mexico's own rule is under jewelry above.
- Service alerts: USPS's international service alerts (updated Oct 2, 2026, checked Oct 19, 2026) don't list Mexico among the 13 destinations where mail acceptance is suspended. Check it before a big shipment.
USPS prices to Mexico
"Online" is USPS's Commercial Base price, for labels from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider. "Post Office" is the retail price, which Click-N-Ship also charges: USPS lists retail Flat Rate prices “at Post Office & Online” (USPS, IMM 233.231). Commercial Plus prices are the same as Commercial Base in this edition. First-Class Package International weights round up to the next ounce (IMM 253.12), so an 8.2 oz package pays the 9-16 oz price.
| Weight | Post Office | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 1-8 oz | $20.15 | $19.21 |
| 9-16 oz | $26.60 | $25.27 |
| 17-32 oz (up to 2 lb) | $29.70 | $28.30 |
| 33-48 oz (up to 3 lb) | $39.00 | $37.09 |
| 49-64 oz (up to 4 lb) | $51.05 | $42.42 |
| Weight | Post Office | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $61.45 | $59.47 |
| 2 lb | $64.45 | $62.35 |
| 3 lb | $68.40 | $66.20 |
| 4 lb | $73.45 | $71.06 |
| 5 lb | $78.55 | $76.02 |
| 10 lb | $105.45 | $102.02 |
| 20 lb | $159.15 | $154.01 |
| 30 lb | $194.40 | $188.10 |
| 44 lb | $240.00 | $232.21 |
| 66 lb | $324.75 | $314.20 |
| 70 lb | $344.20 | $333.06 |
| Packaging | Up to | Post Office | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Rate Envelope: regular, padded, legal, window or small | 4 lb | $48.80 | $46.02 |
| Small Flat Rate Box (also the DVD and Large Video boxes) | 4 lb | $50.45 | $47.55 |
| Medium Flat Rate Box (top- or side-loading) | 20 lb | $90.85 | $82.41 |
| Large Flat Rate Box (also the Board Game box) | 20 lb | $102.55 | $98.73 |
Three packages, priced
- A paperback in a padded mailer, 14 oz: First-Class Package International Service $25.27; Priority Mail International by weight (1 lb) $59.47; Priority Mail International Padded Flat Rate Envelope $46.02. Cheapest: First-Class Package International Service, $25.27 online.
- Jeans and a sweater, 2 lb 8 oz: First-Class Package International Service $37.09; Priority Mail International by weight (3 lb) $66.20; Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box $82.41. Cheapest: First-Class Package International Service, $37.09, as long as the value is $400 or less.
- Six hardcovers, 9 lb: too heavy for First-Class Package International. Priority Mail International by weight (9 lb) $96.80; Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box (if they fit) $82.41; Airmail M-bag (printed matter only, priced from 11 lb) (Post Office counter) $84.92. Cheapest: Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box, $82.41.
Online prices, except the M-bag. Selling platforms and label services can charge their own rates. Domestic rates: postage calculator.
Customs form, HS codes and value
- Which form: PS Form 2976 for First-Class Package International Service (up to $400), PS Form 2976-A in a 2976-E envelope for Priority Mail International, PS Form 2976-B for Priority Mail Express International. All must be printed electronically, by your label software, Click-N-Ship, Customs Form Online or the Post Office counter; hand-filled forms with a barcode are obsolete (IMM 123.11, 123.61).
- What goes on it: full names and addresses, the category (gift, merchandise and so on), a detailed description with quantity, net weight and value for each item, and “the 6-digit WCO HS code for each item in the package unless otherwise specified in the individual country listing” (IMM 123.711). USPS's example: “Men's cotton shirts”, not “Clothes” (USPS).
- Books and media count as goods: books, periodicals, CDs and DVDs need a form and a value even though they're printed or recorded (IMM 123.623).
- Export filing: enter “NOEEI 30.37(a)” when each class of goods is worth $2,500 or less (IMM 526.2).
- Mexico's listing: “To speed delivery of items subject to customs duty, commercial shipments must contain two copies of the commercial invoice, inserted inside the package.”
- Mexico's listing: “An import permit or license is required for merchandise exceeding U.S. $1,000. Merchandise valued less than U.S. $1,000 does not require an import permit.”
Duties, taxes and fees: who pays
Normally the buyer, on delivery. USPS Delivered Duty Paid isn't available to Mexico, according to its listing, so you can't prepay through USPS; if the charges go unpaid, USPS can bill you (see below).
USPS's manual says: “The duties, taxes, import fees, and other charges, if applicable, are not included in the postage paid by the mailer,” and most countries charge the recipient a customs clearance and delivery fee on top (IMM 131.34, as revised Oct 19, 2026). USPS's Delivered Duty Paid page puts it plainly: if you don't prepay, “the recipient will have to pay the required amounts before they can get their package” (USPS). Apart from Delivered Duty Paid and the invoices below, USPS doesn't give out information on what other countries charge (IMM 131.34).
If the charges go unpaid: since Oct 19, 2026, when duties, taxes or import fees on your package haven't been paid in full and the customs authority, postal operator or broker in Mexico seeks them from you or USPS, “the Postal Service (or its representative) will send an invoice to the mailer for such amounts” (IMM 424.1). You have to pay the whole invoice by its due date “even if the mailer disputes the assessment,” whether the package was delivered, lost, damaged or returned, and anything not paid by the invoice's due date draws interest at 6% a year (IMM 424.2, 424.4). A challenge to the amount goes to the party that set it, not to USPS (IMM 424.5). USPS made these changes in an interim final rule effective Oct 19, 2026 (Federal Register, 91 FR 66000); its online manual, dated Sep 7, 2026, didn't show them yet when we checked on Oct 19, 2026. More: when USPS bills the sender for unpaid duties.
- Mexico's listing: “As of March 1, 2019, import taxes (determined by the customs authority of Mexico) apply to goods with a declared value exceeding U.S. $50, and Correos de México requests that a commercial invoice accompany such goods.”
General information from USPS's manual, not tax or customs advice.
Questions
What's the cheapest way to ship a package to Mexico with USPS?
For a light package, First-Class Package International Service (up to 4 lb and $400 in value): $19.21 for up to 8 oz with a label from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider, or $20.15 at the Post Office or through Click-N-Ship, which charges the retail price (IMM 252.25). Up to 4 lb ($42.42 online) it stays under Priority Mail International's Flat Rate Envelope ($46.02). Heavier or more valuable packages go by Priority Mail International, from $59.47 for 1 lb online (Notice 123).
Can I ship books to Mexico?
Yes. Mexico's IMM listing has no rule on books or printed matter. Books need a customs form with a value (IMM 123.623). For 11 lb or more of books to one address, an Airmail M-bag starts at $84.92 plus $7.72 a pound over 11 lb (Notice 123).
Can I ship used clothing to Mexico?
Yes. Mexico's IMM listing has no rule on clothing, shoes or used goods. Describe each piece on the customs form (USPS's example: “Men's cotton shirts”, not “Clothes”) (USPS customs forms).
Can I ship electronics with lithium batteries to Mexico?
Only within USPS's limits: new batteries installed in the device, at most four cells or two batteries per package, 100 Wh per battery for lithium-ion, and no used, damaged or defective devices with lithium batteries unless manufacturer-certified refurbished (IMM 135.62-135.64). Mexico's listing adds nothing on batteries.
Who pays duties and taxes on a package to Mexico?
Normally the buyer. USPS can't prepay duties to Mexico: its listing says Delivered Duty Paid is not available. Duties, taxes and any clearance fee aren't included in postage, and most countries collect them from the recipient (IMM 131.34). USPS's own summary: “the recipient will have to pay the required amounts before they can get their package” (USPS). If the charges go unpaid and the destination seeks them from you or USPS, USPS will invoice you, and you have to pay it by its due date even if you dispute the amount (IMM 424, effective Oct 19, 2026).
Do I need an HS code to ship to Mexico?
Yes. Every customs form needs at least the 6-digit HS code for each item unless the country listing says otherwise (IMM 123.711). With USPS's own tools (Click-N-Ship, Customs Forms Online or Global Shipping Software) you can skip the lookup: give a specific description, such as “Men's cotton shirts” instead of “Clothes”, and USPS assigns the code (USPS customs forms). Whatever tool picks the code, “the mailer remains solely responsible” for it being right (IMM 537.4).
Can I mail a trading card or other small item I sold to Mexico in a letter?
No. First-Class Mail International takes only correspondence and documents: “No merchandise, whether dutiable or nondutiable, may be mailed using First-Class Mail International service” (IMM 242.2). The lowest-priced USPS service for goods is First-Class Package International Service, $19.21 online for up to 8 oz, with a customs form; the package has to be at least 6 inches long and 4 inches high (IMM 251.22).
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS International Mail Manual: Individual Country Listing for Mexico (fetched Oct 19, 2026)
- USPS Notice 123 price list, effective Oct 4, 2026: international prices and country price groups
- IMM Country Price Groups and Weight Limits table (fetched Oct 19, 2026)
- USPS International Service Alerts (updated Oct 2, 2026, checked Oct 19, 2026)
- IMM 123: customs forms, documents vs. goods, HS codes
- IMM 131: individual country prohibitions and the mailer's responsibility (131.34 revised Oct 19, 2026 by the rule below)
- IMM 134: valuable articles
- IMM 135: mailable dangerous goods, lithium batteries
- IMM 136: nonmailable goods (dangerous goods, replica explosives, counterfeits, tobacco, e-cigarettes)
- IMM 137: knives and sharp instruments
- IMM 141: the five international mail categories
- IMM 232-233: Priority Mail International eligibility, insurance and Commercial Base prices
- IMM 242: First-Class Mail International (no merchandise)
- IMM 251-253: First-Class Package International Service size, value, tracking and prices
- IMM 261: Airmail M-bags (printed matter)
- IMM Exhibit 322.2: merchandise insurance limits by country
- IMM 332: Registered Mail availability
- IMM 361-362: USPS Delivered Duty Paid
- USPS interim final rule, Customs Requirements and Payment Procedures for Certain Customs Charges (91 FR 66000, effective Oct 19, 2026): revised IMM 112, 131.34 and 361.13, new IMM 424
- IMM 526: AES exemptions
- IMM 537: HS codes and the mailer's responsibility for them
- USPS: International shipping restrictions
- USPS: Customs forms and detailed item descriptions
- USPS: Delivered Duty Paid and the EU duty on packages up to €150
- USPS: Priority Mail International (tracking, delivery days, Flat Rate packaging)
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