I can bring merchandise from the U.S.

I recently bought a house, and I have been involved in shipping from the U.S. to Cancun, since last year.  One of the things which we do is buy vans, trucks, and trailers, and load them with used American merchandise, and send them to Laredo, and from Laredo to Cancun.  The reason I started doing this is because 
I needed restaurant supplies, and the cost of the same items in Mexico can be 
VERY EXPENSIVE. (By the way, for those who have not previously 
lived in Mexico, the national price can be three times more expensive than in the United States.  For example, I can buy 5 gallons of soy sauce for $18 USD in the 
U.S. The price in Cancun, for the same soy sauce, is $50 USD.)  Also, many 
Mexican products can be of a much lower quality than in the U.S, due to our
stricter regulation.  For example, in Mexico "100% cotton" generally means 25%
polyester.   And, stainless steel silverware can turn black after a few weeks of use.          

Anyway, for those interested, I could probably bring furniture, golf carts, computers, clothes, trailers, motorcycles, laptops, bedroom sets, kitchen cabinets, or anything else that can be transported on trailers.  

If anyone wants anything from the U.S. please send me an email.    

Ben Eble
benjamineble@gmail.com
www.livingmaya.blogspot.com
www.chiapashigh.blogspot.com
www.ek-balaam.blogspot.com

Ben,

Welcome to the forum.
Do you own a restaurant or a restaurant supply business? Are you planning to live in Chemuyil full time or is it a weekend house for you?

Carol

I am planning on living there full time.  I have an apartment in Cancun.  And, we are working on opening a Chinese restaurant in Cancun.  But, I love the Tulum area.  
On the last trip, I sent two golf carts, on a trailer.  It costed about $500 USD to legalize each of them.  Nevertheless, I could still sell the 
golf carts for significantly less than they cost in Mexico.  The last two were 1994 model EZ-GO golfcarts.  From my experience, getting merchandise from the U.S. is a real win win situation.  That is why I finally started shipping myself.
Also, I brought a building contractor friend with me, on two trips.  He is an American citizen, but was born in Monterrey, Mexico.  He showed me the great problem of "beautiful Mexican furniture".  Oftentimes, the wood is not properly treated, and the joints are the wrong 
joints.  As a result, the life of the furniture might not be longer than 3-5 years.  Yet, the cost can be higher than in the U.S.  For this reason, 
I have considered bringing both furniture and cabinets.  I seriously do not think that any American would want to go to Home Depot, and shell
out big bucks for Mexican quality cabinets.  Anyway, I look forward to living in the Yucatan.  When hurricane Wilma hit, I spent a month 
living with a Mayan family, near Valladolid.  They are the best people I have ever known - real angels.  Anyway, I would appreciate anyone's suggestions.  In the last eight months, I have sent over half a dozen vehicles, and trailers, to Cancun.
Unfortunately, they were not entirely full.  And, I regretted not carrying more stuff for people.  Also, the border process is not that difficult.
A person simply prepares an invoice, and pays the aduana 15% of the declared value.  I always try to bring used merchandise so that I can
determine my own value, as well as my own tax.  I have considered going to hotels that are being remodeled, and seeing if they will give me all 
of their furniture.  Usually, it is all pitched in the trash.  In Mexico, most of those items are very expensive, as is anything else that is imported, and
not made by hand.  

Well, I hope that I have answered your question and provided sufficient information.

Ben Eble
918-850-0615 (U.S.)         

I love Chinese food. The drive into Cancun to work would be a drag.
Sounds like you could have a little import business going on the side as well as the restaurant business

Which house is yours? I love to hear that people are moving down full time!

Carol

Hello Carol,

Actually, I normally bring things for Mexicans.  But, Americans living in Mexico may desire the same U.S. articles that Mexicans desire.  Here is a little bit of what I bring to Mexico for Mexicans:  http://ropasrapida.blogspot.com/

After six months of being in Cancun my cotton t-shirts were wearing out.  A friend of mine, from Belize told me that he was going to Tulsa, to buy an Astro van.  At that time, Vincente Fox had just opened the door for American made vehicles to be 
imported, for the first time.  The Astro van my friend bought for $2500, was worth over $5000 in Mexico.  Anyway, my friend 
picked up a bag of clothes for me from home.  Previously, I had refused to go to Liverpool and pay 400 pesos (40 USD) for a cotton t-shirt.  When I made the drive five hour drive to Chetumal, and entered Belize, to get my clothes, I could 
not have been happier.  There are many things which we take for granted, when we live in the U.S.  But, living outside of the U.S
can quickly make a person understand why so many people want to go to our country.  

Anyway, I still love the Yucatan.  The incoveniences are trival in comparison to life in the Yucatan.  When the hurricane hit, I
ended up living with a Mayan family, in the interior, for a month.  It was fantastic to say the least.  Most all of my good friends 
are Mayans, not Mexicans.  And, a little Maya can go a long way.  Phrases like "beesh-a-bell", "bash-ka-wa-leek", and "ko-osh-
ha-nah", are commonly understood by many Yucatecos, even by non-Mayans. 

I think that if an American has a visa, or passport, or a Mexican has a green card, a person can have the best of both worlds.
My apartment in Cancun, is fairly Amercanized.  But, I still prefer a hammock.  When I returned to the States, and slept on
a mattress, I woke up feeling like I had slept on the ground.  (By the way, Yucatecos sleep in hammocks, at an angle, not 
longways.)  

Speaking of beds, I could probably bring beds, and mattresses, from the States.  Some of my Mexican friends
are looking into this, since they say the mattresses in mexico are overpriced.

Ben Eble
918-850-0615
www.livingmaya.blogspot.com

Hi Ben,

how are you? hope all is well there in Oklahoma

when are you making another trip down here?