Mexican Hazardous Waste Generator

Importing Hazardous Waste from Maquiladora Facilities

US EPA regulates hazardous waste imports from maquiladoras under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Importers must obtain EPA consent for all RCRA hazardous waste imports. As of 2022, importers must submit an import notice electronically using the EPA's RCRAInfo WIETS (Waste Import Export Tracking System). You can access WIETS through EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX). Once hazardous waste from maquiladoras enters the US, it is regulated as domestic hazardous waste under RCRA.

Under Mexican law, maquiladoras must ship hazardous waste to the countries from which they obtain their source material (however, waste can remain in Mexico if it can be recycled and reused in accordance with Mexican law).
Mexico regulates shipments from US-owned maquiladora facilities to the US as returns of hazardous waste, so US importers must submit import notices to obtain consent for maquiladora shipments. Maquiladoras must comply with Mexican laws and regulations, including:

• The Customs Act (Ley Aduanera)
• The LGEEPA Article 153, paragraph VI
• The Uniform Waste Prevention and Management Act, Article 94
• The Regulation to the LGEEPA respecting Hazardous Waste, Article 55
• The Mexican Official Standard NOM-052-Semarnat-1993
• The Mexican Official Standard NOM 053-Semarnat-1993

More Resources

US EPA Information for Importers and Receiving Facilities of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste.

Aviso de materiales importados de régimen temporal, retorno de sus residuos peligrosos y reciclaje de residuos peligrosos no retornados. Te permite dar aviso sobre los materiales importados, los residuos peligrosos generados retornados al país de origen y los no retornados (reciclados en nuestro país).