Mauro de la Fuente/ Reform Agency
Sunday, February 19, 2023 | 07:16
Matamoros, Mexico.- The regularization program for used cars from the United States, which came into force at the end of 2021, tripled smuggling in Tamaulipas, warned Tomás Cantú, representative of used vehicle importers.
He assured that for each car that is regularized in the entity, two units enter the border illegally.
“They are cars that arrive every day through the international bridges, increasing the number that is already registered,” he said.
At the beginning of 2022, he explained, there were 500,000 crooked cars in Tamaulipas that could be regularized in the cities authorized by the Ministry of Finance in Tamaulipas.
“So far some 300,000 vehicles have been regularized, but some 600,000 have entered illegally through international bridges. For each vehicle that is nationalized (sic) with the decree, two enter illegally,” he explained.
Cantú said that most of the units that smuggled in between 2022 and so far in 2023 have no chance of regularizing, since they have titles that are not accepted by the Public Vehicular Registry system (REPUVE).
“They are cars with destruction or ‘Salvage’ titles, which do not fall under the October 2021 decree or the definitive importation decree, since they are the same regulations,” he said.
“Many are entering because they bring their clean titles, but many others, which are the majority, will not pass the inspection,” he said.
The businessman considered that the goal of regularizing all vehicles in March will not be reached, when the extension of the validity of the decree ends.
