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Normas Oficial Mexicana (NOM): What, When & Why?
The Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) certification is a set of technical regulations and standards required by the Mexican government that spans many different industries. As a product enters Mexico it is assigned a “fraccion arancelaria” (Tariff / HTS Code), based on which a NOM will apply or not to the product. Further, the product must meet requirements outlined by the NOM before entering. All NOM requirements are defined, issued, and published in the country’s Diario Oficial by issuing government agencies and ministerial bodies. Labeling requirements are the most common and often see the most scrutiny due to the extensive list of commodities covered by NOM Labeling restrictions. Adherence to NOMs in Mexico is mandatory.
When do Products Require a NOM Certification?
Below is a list of government entities which perform acts of verification through visual inspection or checking, sampling, measurement, laboratory testing or documentary inspection to verify conformity.
Secretariat of Economy: Measuring Instruments
Secretariat of Energy: Energy Regulatory Commission & Gas
Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare
The products that require a NOM certification are diverse and are found in most industries. Below is a partial list of the types of products that require a NOM certification:
- Motor operated tools
- Valves
- Wiring devices
- Telecommunication
- Household appliance
- Electronic devices
Why were NOM Certifications implemented?
In 1992, the Mexican government decided to take action to adopt a different approach toward setting standards for and certifying products. Ley Federal Sobre Metrología y Normalización (LFMN) was a law first passed and implemented in the late 1980s and updated in 1992. The law was created for the purpose of providing consumers and companies greater access and transparency to the development and implementation of rules and processes used to certify the quality and reliability of manufactured goods. Today, the Mexican Economic Secretariat, or Secretaria de la Economia, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the nation’s standardization activities.
How can Allyn International help you?
Allyn International offers expertise and knowledge for a wide variety of products. We can assist you by determining the proper classification for your items, verifying which products fall under NOM restrictions, and identifying the test, restrictions, and Mexican government agencies linked to each NOM standard.
Contributor: Josue Delgado
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