Through a decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has ended the program for the regularization of used vehicles of foreign origin, colloquially known as “chocolate cars,” which was in effect during the six-year term of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The measure repeals the original 2021 agreement and sets December 31, 2025, as the deadline for the promotion of said regularization. According to the official document, the federal administration determined that the objective of ordering and legal certainty for which the program was created has been achieved. The Executive branch states in the considerations section that the measure allowed for the protection of family assets and the strengthening of public security. “Since the purpose of the Decree has already been met, it is considered that it is no longer necessary to continue granting the benefits established in that instrument, which will prevent it from leading to bad practices, moving away from the purpose for which it was issued,” the presidential decree states. According to figures from the Public Vehicle Registry (Repuve) cited in the official text, by November 25, 2025, the regularization of 2,987,839 vehicles had been achieved. The business sector considers that returning to the rules in force since 2011 will favor a “fair tax payment” and provide greater security for vehicle ownership. “It ends with a measure that negatively impacted the domestic market with the addition of nearly 3 million highly polluting, of dubious origin, and worsening the country's road safety,” celebrated the Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors (AMDA) in a bulletin. “AMDA recognizes President Claudia Sheinbaum for having repealed the Decree that promoted the legality of smuggling with the negative effects that it implied and is ready to continue collaborating with the authority on pending issues such as the confirmation of a safer and more reliable database through the Public Vehicle Registry (REPUVE), in addition to a program for the renewal of the vehicle fleet of light and heavy units,” the association adds. The Government maintains that these actions allowed “to combat crime and protect citizens from the use of unregistered vehicles.” With the repeal of this agreement, the import of used vehicles must again adjust to the general provisions of the Customs Law and other regulations in force prior to the implementation of the extraordinary program.
