Short answer
Testigo is a search over the official public registries of 9 Latin American countries, 1,498,009 manufacturers, with the source and edition on every record. It is the right tool to build a first list and to check a supplier against official lists, and it does not replace a credit report, shipment data, an agent on the ground or an audit.
Key facts
- What Testigo is
- A search over official registries of manufacturers
- Coverage
- 1,498,009 plants in 9 countries
- Who is listed
- Every manufacturing row of the registry. Plants never pay to appear
- Price
- Free, or Pro at $49 a month or $468 a year
- What it does not do
- Audits, credit reports, shipment data, introductions
Five kinds of tool, and what each is for
People who look for suppliers in Latin America use several kinds of source. They answer different questions. This page describes each kind in general terms. It names no company, because prices and coverage change and we have not checked them.
| Kind of source | Where its rows come from | Good for | Limit to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business directories and marketplaces | Companies that sign up, and often pay for placement | Suppliers that want export business and answer quickly | You see who signed up, not who exists. Order can be paid for |
| Company databases from credit bureaus | Filings, payment records and their own research | Credit risk, ownership and financial history of one company | Priced per report or by contract. Coverage of small plants varies |
| Trade-data providers | Customs and shipping records | Who already exports a product, to whom and how much | Only shipments that were recorded. Domestic suppliers do not appear |
| Shelter firms and sourcing agencies | Their own networks and visits | Introductions, negotiation, set-up and people on the ground | A service, not a list. You see the suppliers they choose to show |
| Government portals | The registry itself | The primary source, one record or one file at a time | One country each, in its own format and language. Built to be read, not searched by product |
| Testigo | The official registry of each country, loaded whole | A first list by product or process, counts by region, and a tax ID check against official lists | Public record only. No audit, no credit data, no shipment data |
What Testigo does
- It starts from the registry, so a plant is listed because it exists. No plant pays to appear, and none can pay for position.
- Every record names its registry, its publisher and the edition that was read.
- It names what was not checked: certificates, capacity, quality, financial health and site visits.
- It reads a tax ID against 15 official tax, sanction and programme lists in four countries, and shows the edition of each.
- It publishes its counts and its method. The statistics and the data files are free to cite.
- It has one public price. Free costs nothing. Pro is $49 a month or $468 a year, with 14 days of Pro on sign-up and no card.
When to use which
- To build a first listStart from the registry. Search Testigo by the product or the process, narrow by region and size, and save the plants worth a call.
- To check one supplierRead its registry entry and run its tax ID against the official lists. Then ask the supplier for its certificates and confirm them with the body that issued them.
- To judge financial riskBuy a credit report, or ask the supplier for statements. No public registry in these countries holds them, and Testigo does not either.
- To see who already exportsUse trade data. In Mexico, an IMMEX programme on a Testigo record is a public signal that a company is set up to export.
- To negotiate and set upAn agent or a shelter firm does work that no database can. A list from the public record makes that conversation shorter.
These tools work together. A registry gives the full field. The others tell you more about the few companies you choose from it.
Where Testigo is the wrong tool
- You need a supplier that has been audited by a third party. Testigo audits nobody.
- You need payment behaviour, ownership or financial statements.
- You need shipment volumes or the names of a supplier's customers.
- You need a country that Testigo does not cover. The coverage page lists the countries with no usable public source, with the reason.
- You need someone to visit the plant for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best database of Mexican manufacturers?
It depends on the question. For the full field of plants by activity and state, the primary source is DENUE, published by INEGI, with 656,617 manufacturing establishments in its
Is Testigo a supplier directory?
Not in the usual sense. A directory lists the companies that signed up, and often sells placement. Testigo loads the manufacturing rows of each official registry, so plants are listed whether or not they know Testigo exists. No plant pays to appear, and results are ordered only by how well they match your words.
Does Testigo replace a credit report or an audit?
No. Testigo shows the public record: that a company is registered, what it registered as its activity, where it is, and whether official lists name its tax ID. It holds no financial statements and has visited no plant. Use it before a credit report and an audit, to decide which suppliers deserve them.
Why does this page name no competitors?
Because prices, coverage and terms of other services change, and a comparison that guesses at them would mislead you. This page describes kinds of source and what each is good for. Before you choose a service, read its own pages for its current coverage, its sources and its price.