Mexico OKs Import of Old Pickups

Mexicans will be able to import old pickup trucks for agricultural use starting next year under a new government rule to help poor farmers, a Mexico City newspaper reported Saturday.

The announcement Friday from the Ministry of Commerce and Industrial Promotion comes as the government prepares to launch a policy requiring motorists to leave deposits of up to $800 for foreign-registered cars when traveling into the interior of Mexico.

The policy is intended to prevent the illegal importation of used vehicles, which often are cheaper in the United States, to protect the domestic car industry. Officials claim that more than 10% of autos in Mexico are illegal, U.S.-registered vehicles.

Mexican farm groups complained that they would be hurt by the policy. Poor farmers often cannot afford used vehicles in Mexico. Taxes and high interest rates discourage new-car purchases, meaning that used cars retain much of their original value.

Under the new rule for farmers, pickup trucks that are at least 10 years old may be imported as long as they are used for agricultural work, the daily Reforma reported, citing the ministry chief, Herminio Blanco Mendoza.

The government’s new car-deposit policy, which goes into effect Wednesday, is aimed at encouraging visitors to take their cars back with them when they leave Mexico.