Most sourcing comparisons fall apart because the two quotes were never on the same basis.
One number includes rigging, the other does not. One assumes DDP, the other EXW. One is valid for 30 days at an FX rate nobody wrote down.
By the time procurement notices, engineering is frozen and the comparison has become a negotiation about scope rather than a decision about value.
Our position is simple: if the basis is not stated, the comparison is not a comparison.
What we compare — and what we do not
We do not offer two full quotes for every line item. Dual sourcing is worth the effort on a specific subset of packages, and we will tell you which of yours qualify before we start.
| Typically suited to dual sourcing | Typically not |
|---|---|
| Structural steel and building envelope — high volume, standardisable specification | Equipment where your group has already homologated a manufacturer and it is not open for discussion |
| Air handling, chillers, precision cooling | Packages requiring intensive field service or emergency spares |
| Cleanroom wall systems, FFUs, filtration, doors | Programmes too tight to absorb ocean transit |
| Switchgear, containment, cable management | Cases where regional-content requirements outweigh the delta |
| Non-critical process equipment and utilities | Anything where a single-source obligation already exists |
We say no to packages as a matter of course. A comparison that produces a saving but breaks your programme or complicates a compliance review is not useful to you, and it is not good business for us either.
The delivered-cost basis we quote to
Every line in a dual-source comparison states the following. If an item is excluded, it says so rather than staying silent.
| Basis element | What is stated |
|---|---|
| Incoterm | The named rule and the named place (e.g. DAP jobsite, or CIF port with onward scope shown separately) |
| Freight | Ocean or overland, FCL or LCL, port pair or route |
| Insurance | Whether marine cargo cover is included, and at what value basis |
| Duties and taxes | The tariff assumption used and the classification it rests on — stated as an assumption, not as a determination |
| Customs clearance | Who lodges the entry and whose account the charges sit on |
| Inland haulage in Mexico | Port or border to site, including permits for oversize loads where relevant |
| Rigging and installation | Explicitly included or explicitly excluded — never assumed |
| FX validity | Currency, reference rate and the date the quote lapses |
Import and clearance are part of our normal operation. We move equipment and materials into Mexico by sea for our own construction projects on a regular basis, so customs entry and inland haulage are handled inside the same contract rather than passed to a broker meeting your project for the first time.
Codes and certification — the path, not a promise
We will not tell you that every certification is completed before shipment. Depending on the equipment and the authority involved, some approvals can only be obtained after arrival, after installation, or by a third party on Mexican soil.
What we commit to is that the path is identified and agreed before an order is placed:
- Applicable standards identified — which NOM applies, and whether NFPA, ASME, UL, IEC or a client standard also governs the package
- Conformity route defined — factory testing, third-party certification, accredited laboratory testing in Mexico, or a combination, with responsibility named
- Documentation set agreed — test reports, material certificates, data sheets, marking and manuals, in the language your authority or auditor requires
- Sequence and risk written down — what must be complete before shipment, what happens after arrival, and what the exposure is if an approval is refused
Warranty and field support — named party by party
A single blanket statement that "CTECP warrants everything in Mexico" would not survive contact with reality. Responsibility differs by package, and the comparison says which applies:
| Who responds | Typical scope |
|---|---|
| CTECP | Installation workmanship, integration and commissioning of the systems we install, under our construction contract |
| Authorised service provider in Mexico | Equipment where the manufacturer maintains a local service network — response time and spares availability confirmed in the quote |
| Manufacturer, direct | Product warranty on the equipment itself, including cases where support is provided from outside Mexico — with the route and response expectation stated up front |
Where local field support does not exist, we say so in the comparison. That is frequently the deciding factor, and it belongs in the decision rather than in a surprise eighteen months later.
Regional content
We provide information only on the regional-content implications of each sourcing route, so your trade compliance and tax advisers can work from a clear picture of origin, tariff classification assumptions and shipment structure.
We do not issue legal, customs, tax or origin-qualification opinions and nothing in a comparison should be read as one. Determinations under USMCA/T-MEC, including regional value content and certification of origin, rest with you and your advisers.
Who we are
Design-build / EPC general contractor, founded in Mexico in 2016, operating in 8 countries. Engineering, permitting, civil and structural works, MEP/HVAC, cleanrooms, commissioning and handover documentation — under one contract.
NOM · CFE · IMSS · STPS · SEMARNAT permitting handled in-house · REPSE registered · trilingual project management English · Español · 中文, so specification questions go straight to the factory without a translation layer in between.
Clients include: BMW · Magna · Faurecia · Johnson Controls · CRRC · Whirlpool · Luxshare · LEONI · Nucor-JFE
Request a Dual-Source Comparison
Tell us what you are buying
We will confirm which packages are worth dual sourcing before doing any pricing work. If none of them are, we will tell you that too.
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