Mexico Clothing Label Compliance: NOM-004-SE-2021 Spanish Labelling Guide

Mexico clothing label compliance centres on NOM-004-SE-2021, a mandatory Official Mexican Standard that replaced NOM-004-SCFI-2006. It requires garments, accessories and household linens sold in Mexico to carry, in Spanish, the trade name, fibre composition, manufacturer or importer details, country of origin, care instructions and size — permanently attached in a visible place.

This guide breaks down the mandatory information list under NOM-004-SE-2021, the Spanish-language rule, fibre and recycled-fibre declaration, care symbols and country-of-origin wording, plus sampling checks and the failures seen most often.

1. The Framework: What NOM-004-SE-2021 Is

• A mandatory Official Mexican Standard (NOM) — unlike voluntary NMX standards, a NOM is enforced through Mexico's economy ministry system, applies equally to imports and domestic production, and non-compliant goods can be denied entry or pulled from sale
• It supersedes NOM-004-SCFI-2006 — the new standard formally cancels the 2006 version, so layouts still built on the old edition are non-compliant by definition
• Wide coverage — textiles from T-shirts, jeans and curtains to socks, plus accessories such as scarves and gloves, whether imported or locally made

2. The Six Mandatory Label Items

3. Spanish Is Not Optional

The standard requires label information in Spanish. Other languages may appear as additional translations, but the Spanish text itself must be complete, clear and readable on its own — treating Spanish as decorative small print, or labelling in English only, is the most common reason for rejection.

• Spanish accents and inverted punctuation (á é í ó ú ñ ¿ ¡ °) must render correctly — pick a font that supports them for care labels and confirm the jacquard can weave them, otherwise they read as unreadable
• Use wording Mexican shoppers expect: Lavar a mano (hand wash), No usar blanqueador (do not bleach), Plancha a baja temperatura (iron at low temperature)
• Mexico's size system differs from the US and EU, so sizes must follow local convention (CH / M / G / XG, or numeric codes such as 26, 28, 30)

4. Fibre Declaration and Recycled Fibres

• Recycled fibres must be declared in the composition — when recycled polyester or cotton is used, list it separately, e.g. 60% algodón, 40% poliéster reciclado
• Percentages must total 100% — calculated from actual weighings and matched to real material usage, since audits cross-check them
• Explain how ornamentation, lining and reinforcement are treated — the standard gives labelling examples for ornamental, protective or reinforcing parts, and small components can be handled with an exclusive-of-ornamentation note
• Declare components of a set separately — where a top and a trouser differ in material, list each part's composition instead of one combined figure for the set

5. Attachment, Visibility and Online Consistency

The label must be clear, easy to read and firmly attached in an obvious place — the collar, waistband or another clearly visible spot — without interfering with wearing. For online sales, the product name, composition and care information in the listing must match the physical label, or marketplaces will flag an information mismatch.

1. Main label for brand, care label for compliance — keep composition, care, origin and importer details on the permanently attached care label, and let the main label and hang tag carry brand identity
2. One label per piece in multipacks — in a two- or three-piece pack, every garment needs its own compliant care label rather than one label on the outer pack
3. Run a wash test — simulate laundering before shipment to confirm printed care labels do not peel or fade and woven labels do not fray
4. Keep the technical file — weigh sheets, care substantiation and label proofs on file make customer audits and importer requests painless