Buy gas in Mexico, save bucks, but beware
By Howard Fischer
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.23.2008
PHOENIX — If you're going to Mexico to buy your gasoline, be sure to get a meal while you're there.
Or at least say you did. Otherwise you could wind up having to fill out a bunch of paperwork.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is warning that federal law imposes some regulations on buying foreign goods and taking them back to the United States.
And that, spokesman Brian Levin said, includes gasoline.
Residents of border cities have always found it advantageous to purchase some supplies, including gas, in Mexico.
But the price difference between fuel in Arizona and south of the border now can make that a viable option for those living farther away.
Rio Rico? Sure. Sierra Vista? Patagonia? Probably. Green Valley? Sahuarita? Possibly. And maybe even from Tucson.
Consider: Low-grade unleaded gas in Tucson is approaching $4.20 a gallon. But 87 octane Magna from a Pemex station is running about $2.50 a gallon.
A $1.70 difference, multiplied by an 18-gallon tank, is $30.60.
For a car that gets 20 miles to the gallon on the highway, a 130-mile round trip eats up only 6.5 gallons of that, or, using the Mexican gas price, $16.25. So the net savings is still $14.35.
That may be enough to make a trip to Nogales from Tucson worthwhile.
But the picture is a bit different for owners of diesel vehicles. That fuel sells for $2.20 a gallon in Mexico versus $4.75 in Pima County.
That $45.90 difference to top off an 18-gallon tank leaves more than enough after travel costs are deducted to enjoy a nice lunch while you're there.
Which brings us back to the question of federal law.
Levin said if someone goes to Mexico solely to buy gasoline, that fuel is subject to importation requirements.
But the purchase is considered "incidental" if made while in Mexico on other business.
That, Levin said, can include a visit with relatives, shopping or even having a meal.
Levin is not — NOT — encouraging anyone to lie when coming back across the border.
"There are going to be some questions asked about the reason for the trip and what is being brought back," he said. And Levin said agents are not looking to bust people.
"As long as it's in the vehicle they're driving, it's personal use," he said, "as long as they went down there for something else."
If the purpose of the trip was just gas, that's not a big deal. Individuals are allowed to bring in a certain amount of foreign goods for their personal use — usually $800 — every 30 days.
But the value of the fuel will have to be declared. And that means paperwork.
The same is true if more fuel is being brought back than fits in the vehicle's gas tank. So someone with a truck full of 5-gallon cans will have to declare the fuel, as would someone who has installed a second fuel tank not connected to the engine.
Levin said agents are really looking for people buying gasoline for commercial purposes, whether to resell it or use it in their own business. That triggers not just paperwork but also duties. It's not much, though: Levin said it comes out to 10.5 cents for a full barrel.








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