How to verify a supplier in Mexico: 7 checks

Short answer

To verify a supplier in Mexico, check seven things: the plant exists at an address, holds an active IMMEX export program, is absent from the SAT 69-B list, matches its tax ID (RFC), holds current quality certificates, has references you can call, and passes a site visit. The first three use free public registries.

Key facts

Registries used: INEGI DENUE, the IMMEX directory (Secretaría de Economía), the SAT Article 69-B list
Cost of the registry files: Free to download
What they cannot show: Quality, capacity, finances and the RFC

Why start with public registries

A registry check cannot tell you a plant is good. It tells you whether the plant is real, whether it exports under a government program and whether the tax authority has flagged it. Doing these first means a site visit, a sample order or a PPAP submission is spent only on plants that pass.

The three registries are free and published by Mexican authorities: INEGI’s DENUE, the Secretaría de Economía’s IMMEX directory and the SAT’s Article 69-B list. Testigo reads all three for every plant it recommends. This guide shows how to do the same by hand.

The seven checks

Confirm the plant exists at an addressSearch INEGI’s DENUE for the plant’s name and address. DENUE lists each establishment with an activity code (SCIAN), a staff band and an address. Testigo’s census finds 1,363 auto-parts and metal plants with 11 or more staff in four Bajío states. Limit: the date in DENUE is when a plant entered the directory, not when it was founded.
Check for an active IMMEX programThe Secretaría de Economía publishes a directory of IMMEX programs with a status. The August 2026 edition lists 5,852 programs: 5,819 Autorizado and 33 Suspendido. Match on legal name and postal code. A plant with no match may still export, through a shelter company’s program.
Search the SAT 69-B listArticle 69-B of the Federal Tax Code lets the SAT name taxpayers it presumes issued invoices for operations that did not exist. The complete list file dated 31 December 2025 holds 14,234 entries, 11,270 of them Definitivo. Search by RFC where you have it, otherwise by exact name. A listing is a reason to stop and ask, not a verdict.
Match the tax IDAsk the supplier for its RFC, its legal name as registered and its Constancia de Situación Fiscal, the SAT document that shows both. Compare them with the name on the quote and the invoice. An RFC has 12 characters for a company and 13 for an individual.
Confirm quality certificatesAsk for the ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certificate and confirm it with the certification body that issued it, or in IAF CertSEARCH. The three registries do not cover certificates, so this needs a hand lookup on its own dated line.
Call references and look at shipment historyAsk for two or three customers you can call. Public US bill-of-lading data covers ocean freight and largely excludes truck crossings, so a plant that ships by truck may show nothing there.
Visit or auditOnly a visit or a third-party audit shows capacity, quality systems and working conditions. Do this last, on the plants that passed checks 1 to 6.

What each check proves and where it stops

Check	Where	It shows	It does not show
Exists at an address	INEGI DENUE	A registered establishment, its activity code, staff band and address	Founding date, quality, capacity or tax ID
Export program	IMMEX directory	Whether a company holds a program, its type and its status	Which plant makes your part; plants under a shelter appear under the shelter
Tax-fraud list	SAT Article 69-B list	Whether a name or RFC is listed, and its status	That an unlisted company is sound
Tax ID	The supplier’s own documents	The RFC and legal name it files under	That the documents are current, unless you compare them with the SAT
Certificates	Issuing body, IAF CertSEARCH	That a certificate exists, with scope and dates	That the plant runs to the standard on the day you visit

Questions a record should make you ask

These are prompts for a conversation with the supplier, not conclusions.

The supplier’s name or RFC appears on the 69-B list. Read the status and both publication dates before anything else.
The IMMEX program is Suspendido. The directory gives no reason, so ask the company.
DENUE has no establishment at the address on the quote.
The supplier will not share its RFC or its Constancia de Situación Fiscal.
The legal name on the IMMEX program differs from the name on the quote. It may be a shelter company; ask which entity holds the program.

Do it by hand or have it done

By hand, checks 1 to 3 mean downloading three files and matching names. The difficulty is that neither DENUE nor the IMMEX directory publishes the RFC, so matching relies on a plant’s name and postal code, and a near match needs a person to decide.

Testigo does checks 1 to 3 for every plant on a shortlist of five, dates each one and names what it could not check. The first shortlist is free during the pilot. For comparison, the US Commercial Service charges $1,050 for an International Company Profile of one company from public sources, and $2,000 with a site visit.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free way to check if a Mexican company is real?

Yes, for the registry part. INEGI’s DENUE, the Secretaría de Economía’s IMMEX directory and the SAT 69-B list are public and free. Together they show that a company exists at an address, whether it holds an export program and whether the tax authority listed it. They do not show quality, capacity or finances.

How do I check if a Mexican supplier is on the SAT list?

Search the SAT’s Article 69-B list by the supplier’s RFC, or by exact legal name if you lack the RFC. Read the status and both publication dates. The SAT posts notices on its site and in the Diario Oficial, so check its page for anything newer than the file you downloaded.

Does an IMMEX program prove a supplier is good?

No. An IMMEX program shows that the Secretaría de Economía authorised a company to import inputs temporarily, with duties deferred, to make goods for export. It says nothing about quality, capacity or delivery. Use it to confirm a plant exports, then check quality separately.

What is a shelter company and why does it matter for checks?

A shelter company runs an IMMEX program on behalf of a foreign manufacturer, so the plant appears in the directory under the shelter’s name, not its own. A plant with no IMMEX match may still export through a shelter. Ask the supplier which entity holds the program.

What is the difference between verifying and auditing a supplier?

Verifying checks public records from a desk and narrows a long list. Auditing inspects the plant, its quality system and its people on site, and approves or rejects it. Verify first, so audits are spent only on plants that pass.

How to verify a supplier in Mexico.