Short answer
The IMMEX program is a Mexican government scheme, run by the Secretaría de Economía, that lets authorised companies import inputs temporarily, with duties and taxes deferred, to make goods for export. The August 2026 directory lists 5,852 programs in five types. A buyer checks a supplier’s program by matching its legal name and postal code in that directory.
Key facts
- Directory edition
- Data to 31 Aug 2026, Secretaría de Economía with VUCEM information; published 22 Sep 2026
- Programs
- 5,852 (12,475 plant rows on the second sheet)
- Statuses
- Autorizado 5,819, Suspendido 33
What IMMEX is
IMMEX stands for Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportación. A company that holds a program can bring in materials, parts and equipment for its export production with import duties and taxes deferred. Many plants that supply US and Canadian customers from Mexico run under a program of their own or under a shelter company’s.
The Secretaría de Economía publishes the directory of programs and plants, with information from VUCEM, Mexico’s single window for foreign trade. It is the only public list that tells a buyer whether a Mexican company holds an export program.
The five program types
| Type | Programs | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial | 4,835 | The company manufactures, processes or repairs goods for export. |
| Servicio | 948 | The company provides services such as repair, storage, distribution or business-process outsourcing. |
| Albergue | 61 | A shelter program: a Mexican company hosts the operations of one or more foreign companies that supply the technology and materials. |
| Terciarización | 5 | A certified company without its own production facilities has its manufacturing done through third parties. |
| Controladoras | 3 | A controlling company that operates the programs of related companies. |
Status: Autorizado and Suspendido
The August 2026 IMMEX directory shows two statuses: Autorizado for 5,819 programs and Suspendido for 33. The directory gives no reason for a suspension, so treat one as a question to ask the company, not a verdict.
Suspended programs are concentrated in Baja California (13) and Nuevo León (7); Guanajuato has 2. There is no separate cancelled status in this edition. A company that is missing from the directory may use a shelter, may be listed under another legal name, or may no longer hold a program. The directory does not say which, so ask.
Where programs are registered
| State | Programs |
|---|---|
| Baja California | 1,025 |
| Nuevo León | 874 |
| Chihuahua | 468 |
| Coahuila | 412 |
| Jalisco | 407 |
| Guanajuato | 375 |
| Tamaulipas | 334 |
| Querétaro | 315 |
| San Luis Potosí | 184 |
| Aguascalientes | 92 |
How to check a supplier’s program
- Get the legal name and postal codeAsk the supplier for its legal name as registered and the postal code of the plant, not only the head office.
- Download the directoryGet the current IMMEX directory spreadsheet from the Secretaría de Economía through SNICE. Note the edition date on the first rows.
- Search the programs sheetSearch the legal name on the programs sheet. Note the program number, year, type and status.
- Compare the postal codeUse the plants sheet to see the addresses attached to that program and compare the postal code with the plant you are assessing.
- Read status and typeAutorizado or Suspendido; Industrial, Servicio, Albergue, Terciarización or Controladoras. An Albergue program means the plant may operate under a shelter’s name.
- If there is no match, askAsk the supplier which entity holds the program and whether it runs under a shelter company.
What an IMMEX program does not tell you
- Quality: no certificate, audit result or defect rate is in the directory.
- Capacity: nothing about presses, machines, shifts or lead times.
- Ownership: the legal name may be a shelter or a related company.
- The RFC: the directory has no tax ID column, so matching uses name and postal code.
Shelter, contract manufacturer and maquiladora
| Term | Meaning | In the IMMEX directory |
|---|---|---|
| Maquiladora | The older word for a plant that manufactures or assembles for export. IMMEX is the program’s current name. | Appears as Industrial or Servicio programs |
| Shelter company | A Mexican company that runs the manufacturing operation, and often the program, on behalf of a foreign manufacturer. | Appears as an Albergue program, under the shelter’s name |
| Contract manufacturer | A manufacturer that makes goods to another company’s design or specification. | May hold its own program of any type |
Frequently asked questions
Is IMMEX the same as a maquiladora?
IMMEX is the current name of the program. Maquiladora is the older word and is still used for plants that manufacture or assemble for export. The program’s full name, Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportación, includes both. A maquiladora today operates under an IMMEX program.
What does a suspended IMMEX program mean?
A suspended IMMEX program is one the directory lists with the status Suspendido instead of Autorizado. In the August 2026 edition, 33 of 5,852 programs are suspended. The directory gives no reason, so ask the company and the Secretaría de Economía before placing work with a plant whose program is suspended.
Where can I find the IMMEX directory?
The Secretaría de Economía publishes the IMMEX directory through SNICE, the national foreign trade information system, as a spreadsheet with two sheets: programs and plants. The edition Testigo read was published on 22 September 2026, with data to 31 August 2026. New editions replace it, so note the edition date.
Does the IMMEX directory show a company’s RFC?
No. The directory lists the program number, year, type, status, legal name, activity and address, but no RFC. To match a supplier to a program you use its legal name and postal code, and a plant running under a shelter company will not match under its own name.
Can a supplier without an IMMEX program still export?
Yes. A plant can export without a program of its own, for example through a shelter company’s program or by selling to a Mexican customer that exports. A missing program is a reason to ask how the plant exports, not proof that it does not.