Mexico Tightens Fuel Market Control to Combat Smuggling

The Government of Mexico reiterates its commitment to society to promote the legitimate fuel market, combat the theft and smuggling of gasoline, and strengthen revenue from this trade for the benefit of the entire population. According to estimates, the Claudia Sheinbaum administration has recovered up to 200 billion pesos in tax revenues through actions against the illegal import of fuels. However, billions of dollars in tax revenues are still lost due to the ongoing operations of smugglers, stated Rafael Marín Mollinedo, head of the National Customs Agency of Mexico, in 2025. “For every peso recovered, thousands more continue to escape control,” affirmed Marín Mollinedo in an interview with El Universal. The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum has led this year a broad effort to dismantle extensive Mexican criminal networks that evade federal taxes to illegally import refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel into the country. The magnitude of fuel smuggling from the United States to Mexico is staggering, as, according to authorities, it not only involves organized crime groups but also about 500 companies and eight different ports. Although Mexico extracts more crude oil than most OPEC members, its obsolete and dilapidated refineries have failed to meet the domestic demand for diesel and gasoline. Otherwise, they will be unable to generate CFDI for the sale of these products. According to the authorities, the control measure directly links commercial operation with regulatory compliance, closing gaps for technical smuggling, tax evasion, and hydrocarbon theft. The Government of Mexico has asked gas stations to verify the validity of their authorizations and to regularize themselves before the deadline, in order to avoid interruptions in their operations. The Government of Mexico will tighten the screws in its plan against huachicol: Starting April 24, it will require a new mandatory complement within the Digital Tax Receipt via Internet (CFDI), which will condition invoicing to the validation of regulatory permits. The “Concept Complement for Invoicing of Hydrocarbons and Petroleum Products” will force gas stations and marketers to integrate specific information about the origin of the fuels they sell. This tool was designed by the Tax Administration Service (SAT) in coordination with the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT). What will happen if gas stations do not have the new CFDI? Establishments that market regular, premium, or diesel gasoline must have valid permits from the National Energy Commission (CNE) in order to be able to issue invoices. Therefore, the country imports more than 60% of these fuels. With information from Bloomberg.