Mexico - Joint Ventures/LicensingMexico - Joint Ventures/Licensing
Given the flexibility of engaging in joint venture agreements, U.S. firms frequently use joint ventures and licensing agreements to establish a presence in Mexico. Although some Mexicans rely on verbal agreements when doing business, we highly recommend you sign a written joint venture agreement with your Mexican business partner. According to Mexican law, joint ventures are considered separate entities from their parent companies and must register separately to pay taxes.
To safeguard a license or patent against third parties, all licenses and patents in Mexico must be registered with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial or IMPI). Registering a license or patent entails a government review that can take four to six months. For more information on IMPI, please see the Intellectual Property section.
U.S. professional licenses (e.g., engineer, architect, lawyer) are not generally recognized in Mexico. One must become accredited in Mexico or have a Mexican counterpart co-sign or validate the U.S. work. For example, a U.S. architect may draw up plans for a building, but a licensed Mexican architect must sign off on them. A list of local professional associations can be found in the Principal Business Association section of this guide. Instructions to register your professional degree in Mexico (information is in Spanish) can be found at the Secretariat of Education website. For additional information, please contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Mexico.
Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.
To safeguard a license or patent against third parties, all licenses and patents in Mexico must be registered with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial or IMPI). Registering a license or patent entails a government review that can take four to six months. For more information on IMPI, please see the Intellectual Property section.
U.S. professional licenses (e.g., engineer, architect, lawyer) are not generally recognized in Mexico. One must become accredited in Mexico or have a Mexican counterpart co-sign or validate the U.S. work. For example, a U.S. architect may draw up plans for a building, but a licensed Mexican architect must sign off on them. A list of local professional associations can be found in the Principal Business Association section of this guide. Instructions to register your professional degree in Mexico (information is in Spanish) can be found at the Secretariat of Education website. For additional information, please contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Mexico.
Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.