'Chocolate cars' could soon have path to legality in Mexico
Owners of used cars illegally imported into Mexico could soon have an easy path toward complying with the law.
Tens of thousands of cars on Hermosillo’s streets alone are estimated to be so-called carros chocolates, used cars purchased in the United States and then brought to Mexico without going through the formal importation process. That practice has largely been tolerated for years, allowing them to become a significant portion of the cars in northern states.
But with a payment of a little more than $100, owners of such vehicles could soon bring them into compliance with federal authorities. That’s according to Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and a recently published decree.
Security officials have expressed concern that carros chocolates can be used by criminals because they are difficult to trace. Proceeds from the regularization will be used for road repairs, according to AMLO, as Mexico’s president is widely known.
