Deep Frozen via air freight to Mexico

Deep frozen by air freight: maintaining quality over long distances

At first glance, deep frozen products may not seem like a logical choice for air freight — sea freight in refrigerated containers is much cheaper after all. But for certain deep frozen products, air freight is the right choice due to quality, freshness, or urgency reasons.

When deep frozen by plane?

• High-quality seafood: deep frozen lobster, scallops, tuna, and other premium seafood for the restaurant sector — where quality deteriorates too much during prolonged sea freight transport
• Pharmaceutical deep frozen products: vaccines, biologicals, and certain blood products require -20°C or lower and cannot be transported by ship
• Seasonal urgency: if a specific deep frozen product must be urgently available — e.g., for a major buyer or a retail chain that missed stock
• Small, high-value batches: where the value per kg justifies the higher air freight rates

Aircargo.nl is fully equipped for deep frozen transport: from dry ice calculation to veterinary notifications and NVWA clearance.

Exporting to Mexico

Mexico is Latin America’s second largest economy after Brazil and a key market for automotive parts, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech goods. Under the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, Dutch goods benefit from preferential import duties. Schiphol has direct cargo flights to Mexico City (MEX) via KLM Cargo and AeroMéxico Cargo. Cargo-to-cargo transit typically takes 12–16 hours.

Customs & Regulations

Mexican Customs (SAT/Aduana) are known for thorough inspections. Every shipment requires a correct commercial invoice, packing list, a registered Mexican RFC number from the importer, and a NOM conformity declaration for many product categories. COFEPRIS registrations are required for foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Practical Tips

• Work only with a Mexican Importer or Record (IOR) or an agente aduanal — self-clearing is generally not possible
• NOM certification must be arranged in advance; otherwise the shipment will be held at the airport
• Expect Spanish-language documentation and correct HS classification according to Mexican regulations

Aircargo.nl works with fixed agente aduanal partners in Mexico City and manages the entire documentation chain — including NOM coordination and the EU-Mexico issuer’s declaration — for smooth processing.

Deep frozen air freight considerations

Uninterrupted frozen cold chain

Deep frozen products must be kept at a minimum of -18°C throughout the entire transport. This requires dry ice (carbon dioxide, UN1845 — DGR-classified), certified freezing containers (unit load devices), or a combination of both. Aircargo.nl arranges the correct cooling based on flight duration and product.

Dry ice — DGR consideration

Dry ice is a dangerous good (UN1845, class 9) and must be documented on the AWB and Shipper’s Declaration. The amount of dry ice per shipment is limited by airline regulations. Aircargo.nl always calculates the required amount of dry ice based on flight time plus buffer hours and documents this correctly.

Health certificates

Deep frozen products of animal origin (meat, fish, shellfish) require a veterinary health certificate upon import into the EU and are inspected at designated border inspection posts (BIPs). Aircargo.nl pre-notifies the shipment to the NVWA for smooth clearance.