Blog · Sourcing
How long an aluminum order takes from Mexico and what delays it
Importing aluminum from Asia takes, per Almexa's sales team experience, two to three months: two to three weeks of production plus three to four of transit, plus customs, with a 30% deposit. A Mexican mill delivers from the plant per its schedule, by truck to the US or Canada, and confirms the date in the quote. What delays an order most is not the plant: it is an incomplete specification. Source: Almexa, September 2026.
"When can you deliver?" is the question Almexa's sales team hears most, before price. This guide explains what the lead time is made of and what the buyer can do to shorten it.
What a mill's lead time includes
A coil, sheet or circle order goes through five points: spec review, plant scheduling, production (melting, rolling, annealing), slitting or conversion, and shipment. The date the sales executive confirms in the quote covers all five. A North American mill has no ship, no ocean customs and no 30% deposit between you and the material; what it has is a plant schedule, and that schedule gets reserved.
What an import includes
| Stage | Import from Asia | Mill in Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Production | 2 to 3 weeks | Per plant schedule |
| Transit | 3 to 4 weeks by ship | Truck, days |
| Customs and handling | Days to weeks, with origin paperwork | Land border crossing with USMCA paperwork |
| Deposit | Typical 30% on order | Per agreed terms |
| Typical total | 2 to 3 months | Confirmed in the quote |
Import times are those Almexa's sales team reports from customers who used to buy in Asia (September 2026). The hidden cost isn't only time: it is the inventory you must hold while the ship arrives, and the capital tied up in the deposit.
What delays an order, in order
- Incomplete specification. Temper, core diameter or tolerance is missing, and the order waits for an email. Most delays are born before the plant receives the order.
- Alloy or width outside the schedule. An alloy melted once a month goes into the next cast. Ask when yours is scheduled.
- Last-minute certifications. If your customer needs PPAP or a specific origin statement, say so at quote time.
- Quantity changes. Raising volume after scheduling can move the date.
How to shorten the lead time
- Send the full spec: alloy, temper, gauge with tolerance, width, core, volume and end use.
- Agree a program: recurring customers reserve monthly capacity and receive on fixed dates.
- Order coil already slit to your width: it removes a step at your plant.
- Confirm origin documentation from the start.
What happens if it slips
Your line's sales executive owns the date and is the one who tells you if it moves. There is no call center: there is a person with a name and a phone number, on your time zone, and that is the difference between a North American mill and an email to the other side of the world.
Frequently asked questions
What is Almexa's lead time?
It is confirmed in the quote by product and plant schedule. With no ocean transit, it is shorter than importing, which adds two to three months per Almexa's sales team experience.
Does Almexa require a deposit?
Payment terms are agreed in the quote by customer and volume. Unlike Asian imports, there is no standard 30% deposit with the material on the water.
Can I reserve monthly capacity at Almexa?
Yes. Customers with recurring volume agree a program and receive on fixed dates.
Leads Almexa Aluminio, Mexico's integrated flat-rolled aluminum mill. Writes about alloys, process, pricing and supply for industrial buyers in North America. LinkedIn