Mexico Adopts Fuel-Quality Conformity And Laboratory Rules

Mexico's energy ministry, SENER, has published guidelines for bodies assessing compliance with Mexican quality standards for hydrocarbons, petroleum products and petrochemicals. The agreement appeared in the Diario Oficial on 28 October 2026 and takes effect on the next business day, 29 October.

It covers approval, updating and surveillance of conformity-assessment bodies. It also establishes registration requirements for foreign laboratories issuing equivalent quality-assessment documents.

Foreign Laboratory Registration

Article 21 requires foreign laboratories to provide accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, or its successor, through the specified recognised accreditation arrangements. Applicants must document the technical scope covering the relevant test methods. Documents must be supplied in their original language with a Spanish translation where required.

Under Article 23, registration may last up to four years. Laboratories must retain valid equivalent accreditation during that period. A new application before registration expires must be submitted at least 60 business days before expiry.

Earlier Approvals And Pending Applications

The transitional provisions repeal CRE Agreement A/60/2024, which addressed foreign laboratories and the petroleum-product quality standard NOM-016-CRE-2016.

Conformity-assessment bodies with valid earlier CRE or National Energy Commission approvals may continue their approved activities until those approvals expire. The new surveillance provisions apply during the remaining period, and updates must follow the new procedures.

Earlier applications are to be decided under the rules applicable when they were submitted. Until SENER's digital application platform is available, applications must go through the ministry's receipt office.