US market entry for Mexican brands.
No other country sells into the US the way Mexico does: by truck, across a land border, under USMCA, into a market with tens of millions of people of Mexican heritage.
That makes the US feel close, and it is, but closeness hides real work. Customs on both sides, FDA rules for food and beverage, US pricing, English-first marketing, and B2B buyers who are moving supply chains to Mexico and want suppliers they can trust. Theory Road is an independent growth firm in the Austin metro, on the I-35 corridor that runs up from Laredo. We run the commercial launch and coordinate the entity, tax, customs and logistics work with your attorneys, accountants, customs brokers and carriers.
Questions this page answers
- How do I sell in the US from Mexico?
- Do I need an LLC in the United States?
- How do I sell on Amazon USA from Mexico?
- What are the requirements to export to the United States?
- How do Mexican manufacturers win US buyers through nearshoring?
- Is the Mexican American market enough to build a brand?
Step 1 of 2
How can we help you get found?
Next: name, email and budget. That’s it.
What the US market asks of you.
Mexican companies enter the US from a position no overseas brand has. Trucks can cross at Laredo and reach Austin, Dallas or Chicago in days, USMCA gives qualifying goods defined treatment, and the largest group within the US Hispanic market already knows many Mexican brands and flavors. Nearshoring has sent US manufacturers and distributors looking for Mexican suppliers. The US still asks for a separate commercial plan: US pricing, English-first storefronts and sales materials, US compliance files, and marketing aimed at buyers who have no nostalgia for the brand.
The usual mistakes come from treating the US as an extension of home. Food and beverage brands ship with Mexican labels and front-of-pack warning seals instead of US Nutrition Facts and US format rules. Founders form an LLC, then wait months for banking and processor approvals. Consumer brands aim only at Mexican American shoppers in Texas and California and stall when they reach the limit of that audience. Manufacturers answer nearshoring interest with a Spanish-only website and a price list, while US procurement teams want certifications, capacity data, lead times and a US contact.
We start with a market read and a landed-cost price your accountant and both customs brokers can confirm, then choose the first route: Amazon US, a US storefront, retail through Texas grocers and distributors, or a B2B pipeline to US buyers. For consumer brands we build English-first and bilingual creative and test Mexican American and general-market audiences side by side. For manufacturers we build the website, capability content, search, LinkedIn and outbound that US procurement teams use. Your advisors own entity, tax and customs. We meet in person around Austin and report weekly.
- Weeks 1 to 4Market read, route and pricingChoose consumer, retail or B2B first, and build a landed-cost price with freight, duties, fees and sales tax.
- Weeks 3 to 8Advisor filings and label reviewYour attorney, accountant, customs brokers and regulatory consultant handle entity, tax, import and US labeling while we track dependencies.
- Weeks 6 to 12Storefront, Amazon or B2B siteEnglish-first store and Amazon listings for consumer brands, or a capability website and CRM for manufacturers.
- Months 3 to 6Paid media and outbound launchSearch, Amazon and social for brands; search, LinkedIn and outbound sequences to defined US buyer lists for manufacturers.
- Months 4 to 9Texas retail and distributionPitch Texas grocers, regional chains and distributors along the I-35 corridor, then expand to other regions as sell-through proves out.
- OngoingWeekly reporting and in-person reviewsOrders, qualified leads and margin reported weekly, with review meetings in Austin when your team visits.
Where US launches stall.
Two customs systems, one shipment
Cross-border freight typically involves a Mexican customs agent on the export side and a US customs broker on entry, plus USMCA origin documentation. Treatment has changed repeatedly, so your brokers should confirm the current rules before you price.
Mexican labels do not transfer
US food labels follow FDA format rules, including the Nutrition Facts panel, and Mexico's front-of-pack warning seals are not the US system. If Spanish stays on pack, required statements generally must also appear in English.
Beyond the Mexican American shopper
Nostalgia buyers in Texas, California and Illinois are a strong start, but they differ by generation and language, and national scale usually requires winning non-Hispanic buyers who judge the product on its own.
Nearshoring buyers vet hard
US procurement teams moving supply to Mexico ask for certifications, capacity, quality systems, lead times and responsive English communication. A manufacturer without clear capability content and a US point of contact rarely makes the shortlist.
What we run for you.
Market read and route choice
Category demand, competitors and buyer research that decides whether Amazon, direct-to-consumer, Texas retail or US B2B buyers should come first, and in what order.
Pricing and positioning
A dollar price built from landed cost and margin targets, and positioning that turns Mexican origin into authenticity for consumers or reliability for procurement buyers.
Storefront and Amazon US
English-first and bilingual product pages, Amazon US listings, A+ content, Brand Registry and advertising, with inventory planned around cross-border lead times.
Paid media and creative
Google, Amazon and Meta campaigns testing Mexican American, bilingual and general-market audiences separately, measured on orders and contribution margin, not clicks.
Nearshoring B2B pipeline
Capability website, industry search pages, LinkedIn, outbound sequences and a CRM aimed at US manufacturers, distributors and procurement teams, with reporting on qualified meetings.
Advisor coordination
A shared checklist with your attorney, accountant, Mexican customs agent, US customs broker and carriers, so filings, labels and freight land before launch.
How US demand gets built.
US rules to plan for.
USMCA and duties.
Qualifying goods need proper origin documentation, and tariff treatment changed repeatedly in 2025 and 2026. Your customs brokers confirm classification and current rules, at the time of writing.
FDA food and beverage rules.
Food facilities register with FDA and name a US agent, shipments need prior notice, and importers have verification duties. Your regulatory consultant and customs broker own this.
US labeling.
Nutrition Facts, ingredient and allergen statements follow FDA format rules, and CBP requires country of origin marking. We align packaging and listings with what your consultant approves.
LLC, tax and sales tax.
A foreign-owned US LLC has federal reporting duties, and states set sales tax and economic nexus. Your attorney and US accountant decide structure and registrations.
Trademarks and claims.
Foreign-domiciled USPTO applicants need a US-licensed attorney, and FTC rules cover ad claims and reviews. Counsel files the mark; we keep marketing claims supportable.
A good fit
- Mexican food, beverage and consumer brands with proven demand at home that are ready to fund a US launch for at least two quarters.
- Manufacturers seeing nearshoring interest that want a real US pipeline instead of waiting for inbound requests.
- Companies that want a US partner in Texas they can meet in person around Austin, on the I-35 corridor.
- Founders willing to let US attorneys, accountants and customs brokers handle entity, tax and import work.
Probably not a fit
- Companies looking for customs brokerage, legal or tax services; we coordinate with those advisors and do not provide them.
- Brands that only want to reach Mexican American shoppers with Spanish-only creative and no general-market plan.
Platforms and categories we launch into.
Reading before a US launch.
- Lead Generation · Takeaway
Nearshoring gives Mexican manufacturers a hearing with US buyers, but US procurement still qualifies suppliers on certifications, capacity, quality systems, lead times and documented USMCA origin before any price conversation.
Lead Generation · 11 min read
Nearshoring: How Mexican Manufacturers Win US B2B Buyers.
Nearshoring put Mexico on every US sourcing shortlist, but a shortlist is not a purchase order. Here is what US procurement actually checks, and how a Mexican supplier builds the pages, pipeline and sales motion that turn interest into RFQs.
Read - E-commerce · Takeaway
A company in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia or most other Latin American countries can register an Amazon.com seller account without a US company, as long as its identity, address and bank documents match exactly.
E-commerce · 11 min read
Selling on Amazon US From Mexico, Brazil and Latin America.
A practical guide for Latin American founders selling on Amazon.com: how registration and payments work from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, the tax interview, US trademarks and Brand Registry, getting stock into FBA, and a first 90 days plan.
Read - E-commerce · Takeaway
FDA food facility registration is required for most foreign facilities that make, pack or hold food for the US market, and every foreign facility must name a US agent.
E-commerce · 10 min read
FDA Food Facility Registration for Foreign Food Brands.
A marketing lead's guide to FDA food facility registration: what the registration covers, what it does not, who owns each piece, and how compliant labels and claims turn into a US launch plan.
Read
Questions from founders abroad.
- How do I sell in the US from Mexico?
- Decide the first route, consumer, retail or B2B, then line up four pieces: US-compliant product and labels, an import plan with a Mexican customs agent and a US customs broker, a way to get paid in dollars, and a landed-cost price. Your advisors handle entity, tax and customs. We run the market read, storefront, Amazon US, paid media, retail pitches and B2B pipeline.
- Do I need an LLC in the United States?
- Not always. Some brands sell on Amazon US or to US distributors without one, but most direct-to-consumer and many B2B sellers form a US entity to open a US bank account, use US payment processors and sign contracts. A foreign-owned LLC has federal reporting duties, so your attorney and accountant should choose the structure. We plan the launch around their timeline.
- How do I sell on Amazon USA from Mexico?
- Amazon lets sellers from Mexico register for the US store, subject to identity, bank and tax verification and current eligibility rules. You will need US-compliant labels, an import plan with your customs brokers, and a trademark for Brand Registry. We run listings, A+ content, advertising and inventory planning around cross-border lead times, using the same Amazon experience we apply to our own brands.
- What are the requirements to export to the United States?
- It depends on the product. At the time of writing, most goods need correct tariff classification, origin marking and entry filed by a US customs broker, with USMCA documentation for qualifying goods. Food and beverages add FDA registration, prior notice and US labeling; electronics may need FCC authorization. Your customs brokers and a regulatory consultant confirm requirements; we align marketing with their approvals.
- How do Mexican manufacturers win US buyers through nearshoring?
- US procurement teams shortlist suppliers who make vetting easy. That means an English capability website with certifications, capacity, equipment, quality systems and lead times, a responsive US-facing contact, and visibility when engineers search for the process. We build that site, industry search pages, LinkedIn and outbound programs to defined buyer lists, and a CRM that reports on qualified meetings and quotes.
- Is the Mexican American market enough to build a brand?
- It is a strong beachhead, especially in Texas, California and the Chicago area, and it often buys early and loyally. It is not one audience, though: generation, region and language preference change what works. Most brands need non-Hispanic buyers to reach national scale, so we test Mexican American, bilingual and general-market audiences side by side and let margin decide.
Let’s plan your US launch.
A short note on where the business is and where it needs to go. A senior partner replies within one business day.