UPDATE: New Waybill Requirements Affecting Mexico Shipments Effective January 1, 2022

Date
Dec 1, 2021

As we previously reported, the Government of Mexico, under new rules issued by the Mexican Tax Authority (SAT), is mandating additional waybill information on shipments moving to/from Mexico. All railcars designated for interchange to/from Mexico are subject to new “Carta Porte” requirements, which represent an addendum to an existing Bill of Lading.

Effective January 1, 2022, shippers are responsible for providing commodity description, package type and quantity for each product in the shipment on waybills. Shippers can continue to use Standard Transportation Commodity Codes (STCC), including generic commodity codes such as Freight of All Kinds (FAK), but are required to also provide specific SAT commodity codes along with detailed descriptions. This Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) guide from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) provides step-by-step instructions and waybill examples.

For shipments being exported from Mexico, in addition to the Customs Tariff Code, the Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) from the online tax receipt (CFDI) supporting the international sales of goods must be included. Hazmat shipments to/from Mexico must also include UN/NA identification code for the substance(s) being moved.

Without the required Carta Porte information, customers whose shipments are identified as not in compliance could be assessed significant penalties by Mexican tax and customs authorities, including fines and potential confiscation.

If your waybills are processed through EDI, you must have version 5010RAIL or later to be able to include the additional required information. (BNSF is completing the technical changes needed to process this additional information. We will be able to receive EDI transmissions with the required information no later than December 19, 2021.)

For customers that do not use EDI for waybills, or your system has not yet been updated to the latest version, you can submit the required information through BNSF’s Automated Waybill Interface (AWI). Click here to access AWI on the BNSF Customer Portal (login/password required).

If you have any questions, please contact BNSF Customer Support at (888) 428-2673 and, when prompted, say “Waybill Solutions.”

We also continue to work with the Mexican authorities as well as other rail carriers regarding these requirements and how they are being implemented. As the implementation date approaches, we will keep you updated.

Your business is important to us. Thank you for choosing BNSF Railway as your transportation service provider.