Tools and resources to help your company expand globally

flag Chile Import customs procedures in Chile

 

Customs Procedures

Import Procedures
Chile is a very open market. All natural persons or legal entities are authorised to carry out import transactions. Special permission, certificates, and approval documents, such as sanitary and phytosanitary certificates, are required for most agricultural products and in certain cases for industrial products. The importer must present an "Informe de Importacion", a document that must go through the commercial bank. This license is used above all for statistical purposes.
The commercial forms used by both importers and exporters are commercial invoices, certificates of origin, bills of lading, freight insurance and packing lists. Special permission, certificates, and approval documents, such as sanitary and phytosanitary certificates, are required for most agricultural products and in some cases for industrial products.
All goods must be accompanied by original paperwork, including Waybill and Commercial Invoice.
- Waybills requirements: receiver’s complete legal name, company name (if applicable), complete phone number, complete address
- Invoice requirements: sender’s logo (if a company), date of issue, full sender & receiver’s information (name, address), company name or receiver name and commercial address, manufacturing country and brand, full description of products per item and/or Commodity Codes, contents, quantity, FOB (Free on Board) value, weight and model. Pro-forma invoices are not acceptable.
Certain items will require a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), a completed SAG (Agricultural and Livestock Service) Affidavit Form or permission from Chile’s National Health Service (Servicio Nacional de Salud, SNS) for release.

For more information, please visit the website of the Chilean National Customs Service.
Specific Import Procedures
Chile only approves the import of processed food products on a case-by-case basis. To bring in a product, the importer must obtain the permission of the Health Service Officer at the port of entry.
For more information about the import of agricultural products, please consult the website of the Chilean Ministry for Agriculture.
Importing Samples
It is possible to export temporarily to Chile according to the procedure in the ATA 12 documentation. It allows temporary admission of commercial samples, merchandise en route to markets, exhibitions and other commercial displays. The ATA carmet equally applies to postal and transit traffic; however, it is not accepted for unaccompanied merchandise.

To go further, check out our service Import Controls and Export Controls.

 

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

Customs threshold (from which tariffs are required)
USD 30
Average Customs Duty (Excluding Agricultural Products)
6%
Products Having a Higher Customs Tariff
Cigarettes (61%), cigars (51%) and processed tobacco (57.9%).
Preferential Rates
Chile applies the Harmonized Customs System. The customs duties are calculated ad valorem on the CIF value. Since the 1st January of 2003, the general tariff rate has been 6% on most products (uniform rate), one of the lowest in Latin America. However, Chilean customs reserve the right to apply some minimum prices for the valuation of imports (it can be the case concerning certain farm products such as wheat, edible oils and sugar, for instance).

Chile signed a certain number of trade agreements, especially with the USA, Canada (revised in 2019), Mexico and some of the members of the ALADI. Duties for most items between these countries are at 0%. Moreover, Chile is an associate member of Mercosur. Finally, Chile signed on November 18, 2002 a free trade agreement with the European Union, which led to a reduction of customs duties.

For all additional information, you can contact the Chilean Customs Administration.

Customs Classification
Chile applies to the Harmonised Customs System.
Method of Calculation of Duties
Customs duties are calculated ad valorem on the CIF value. Since the 1st January of 2003, the general tariff rate has been 6% on most products, one of the lowest in Latin America. However, Chilean customs reserve the right to apply some minimum prices for the valuation of imports (it can be the case concerning certain farm products such as wheat, edible oils and sugar, for instance).
Method of Payment of Customs Duties
The payment of taxes on foreign trade must be made to the Customs Service of Chile.
Import Taxes (Excluding Consumer Taxes)
Alcoholic beverages, certain non-alcoholic beverages (with high levels of sugar, hypertonic beverages), tobacco, and certain luxury items (like jewels, certain cars, etc.) are subject to an additional sales tax ranging from 10% to 50%.
Imports are also subject to VAT at a rate of 19%.
 

List of tariffs and local taxes that apply to your product on our service Customs Duties and Local Taxes.

Return to top

Any Comment About This Content? Report It to Us.

© Export Entreprises SA, All Rights Reserved.
Latest Update: July 2024