Mexican regulations (NOM and NMX standards)

The Official Mexican Standards (NOM) are defined as technical regulations whose observance is mandatory. They serve to regulate services, products or processes that may constitute a danger to people, animals or the environment in general.

The Mexican Standards (NMX) are technical regulations issued by the Secretariat of Economy whose application is voluntary and that allow to establish specifications of quality on processes, products, services, test methods, skills, etc., in addition to helping to guide the consumer. It may be the case that an NMX is mandatory if it is explicitly referred to in a NOM.

NOM

Within the NOM we find the information, requirements, procedures, specifications and methodology necessary that allow the different government agencies to establish certain parameters that can be evaluated in order to avoid a risk to the population. The direct reflection of these Official Standards is that many products marketed in Mexico, from the water Bottled up to the rims of a car, they bear on their labeling the initials NOM accompanied by a code numeric.

Is he government the person in charge of identifying risks, as well as evaluating them and issuing NOMs, although the most common is that during this process external experts in the field intervene whose considerations are very much in account. Ultimately, the NOMs are prepared by technical committees made up of representatives of all the sectors that have an interest in the subject such as researchers, academics, industrial chambers, etc.

The institution This regulation arises from the need to establish a common language in international trade, so as to guarantee compliance with minimum quality standards.

The most common NOMs include, among others, energy efficiency standards, business practice standards, business information standards, and methodological standards.

NMX

For many years the NMX were published within the Official Gazette of the Federation and by public entities of the government, but recently the way they are disseminated was changed and they are currently in charge of making them known organisms private that are related to the matter in question.

In any case, despite the differences that may exist between the two, the ultimate objective of both the NOM and the NMX is the same: to raise quality in procedures to reduce costs and thus improve efficiency, while facilitating the work of companies and improving the service provided to the consumer final.

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