International convention and customs procedures of Chile
- International Conventions
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Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Party to the Kyoto Protocol
Party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
- International Economic Cooperation
- Chile is a member of the following international economic organisations: Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), IMF, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), G-15, G-77, ICC, Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System, OECD, Mercosur (associate), among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Chile click here. International organisation membership of Chile is also outlined here.
- Non Tariff Barriers
- The Chilean Customs Administration has reserved the right to apply minimum prices to increase the value of imports. This is used specifically in the cases of certain agricultural products, such as wheat, edible oils and sugar. However, some products are more watched over than others, especially pharmaceuticals or farm products. These products are subject to an authorisation from the Ministry of Agriculture. Some very strict standards prevent the import of beef. The import of second-hand vehicles is forbidden, with the exception of ambulances, armoured vehicles and mobile homes. Imported goods that are considered inconsistent with Chilean 'morals, public health, national security or the environment' require special authorisation to enter Chile. These include certain chemicals/processes and some media products that face review and possible censorship. Firearms can be imported, but they require a special permit from a military authority in Chile. Controls for importing firearms are becoming more stringent.
- Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports
- 6%
- Customs Classification
- Chile applies to the Harmonised Customs System.
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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.
- 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.
- For Further Information
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Chilean Customs
Ministry of Economy
National Chamber of Commerce
Santiago Chamber of Commerce
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Latest Update: July 2024