CANCÚN, Q. ROO – Inspections of mill certificates are becoming an obstacle to steel supply to industry in Mexico. The requirement by customs authorities to present documents with handwritten signatures, stamped seals, or specific validation mechanisms is keeping goods awaiting clearance, increasing logistics costs, and putting pressure on delivery times for Metal One de México , warned Gabriel Sandoval Rodríguez, Mobility and Logistics General Manager of the company.
The problem, he explained, lies in the difference between the digital processes adopted by foreign steel manufacturers and the documentary requirements of customs. While the mills issue certificates with digital signatures and seals, the trading company must manage new versions to meet the review criteria and continue its imports.
Metal One de México began operations in December 2002, according to the directory of the National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero) . The company is dedicated to the marketing, import, and export of steel products and is part of the network of the Japanese Metal One Corporation , whose shareholders are Mitsubishi Corporation and Sojitz Corporation . In Mexico, its operations connect the international supply of steel with the needs of industry, especially the automotive sector , through logistical coordination up to delivery to the customer.
“So, normally all the mills have digitized this entire process and now primarily use digital seals and digital signatures. But the authorities (in Mexico) are not recognizing them ,” he stated in an interview after his participation in the XXX National Congress of Shipping Agents, organized by the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) .
This situation is already having concrete effects on operations. At the time of the interview, Sandoval estimated that Metal One had around 1,000 tons of unshipped steel in Altamira and six trucks held up in Laredo, while it gathered the documentation required by the authorities.
The executive clarified that the company is holding the merchandise pending customs clearance to avoid rejection. Therefore, this is cargo whose import process is awaiting the necessary certificates, not an embargo reported by the company.
The delay has already altered commercial commitments with its buyers. “I’m already failing to meet the original delivery plan with my clients, and right now I’m just assessing whether it will directly impact their production,” he acknowledged.
The concern is heightened by the fate of the materials. During his participation in the panel “Resilience and Diversification of Supply Chains in the Face of Global Disruptions” at the Amanac congress, Sandoval noted that approximately 80% of Metal One’s focus is on the automotive industry and mentioned Nissan among its main clients. He explained that the company imports sheet metal, bars, and coils, including materials with specifications that, according to him, are not produced in Mexico.
This specialization limits the possibility of immediately replacing a supply. The technical requirements of each manufacturer and model determine the type of steel that can be used, so the availability of other materials on the domestic market does not necessarily resolve the shortage of a specific component.
In that context, a delay in paperwork can have repercussions all the way to the plants. “It’s good that they’re checking that the merchandise comes from the stated origin, but we do need to expedite this because we could halt an entire production chain ,” he stated during the panel.
According to Sandoval, inspections have been tightened over the past two weeks, although the criteria vary between customs offices. Metal One reports that the main issues were concentrated in Altamira and Laredo , with difficulties related to supplier certificates from both Asia and the United States.
The executive distinguished between the management of automatic notifications to the Ministry of Economy and the documentation required to complete the transaction at customs . He explained that it is in this latter stage where the company faces questions regarding the characteristics of the mill certificates.
To resolve these issues, he has asked manufacturers to reissue the documents. However, some suppliers no longer have the systems to manually replicate the process, while others must obtain a person’s signature on numerous certificates. He stated that the process could take weeks.
QR codes represent another validation method, but they are not available in all cases either. Some mills do not use them, and others redirect to their main website instead of providing the original certificate, as has been requested.
Sandoval clarified that he does not consider the customs officials’ actions to be incorrect. His point is that the required documentation was not previously enforced with the same rigor and that suppliers need time to adapt processes they had previously digitized .
“We need time. And we would also like a little understanding and flexibility from the (customs) authorities ,” he said.
While the documents are being obtained, the merchandise’s storage generates additional costs . As an example of the pressure a delay can create, he mentioned that in his Manzanillo operations, he has seven days to move the cargo and that, starting on the eighth day, he begins to face storage charges. He estimated costs of between five and seven dollars per ton per day, which accumulate as the waiting time increases.
To reduce its customers’ exposure, the company maintains inventory levels that allow it to absorb contingencies. These reserves act as a buffer to sustain supply while logistical or documentation difficulties are resolved. At the time of the interview, the executive confirmed delivery delays, although he did not report a production stoppage resulting from the cases described.
The search for alternatives has also led Metal One to diversify its entry points. Sandoval explained that previously it concentrated its operations in Manzanillo and now uses options such as Ensenada, Mazatlán, Lázaro Cárdenas, Veracruz, and Altamira , with a full cost assessment all the way to the customer, including handling and transport by truck or rail.
This is in addition to working with alternative suppliers and, according to the executive, with Ternium to develop materials with more advanced technological requirements. These measures are part of an adaptation strategy to address health, geopolitical, and climate disruptions , to which is now added the need to adjust steel documentation to maintain continuity of deliveries.
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