Export documents in Colombia: costs and waiting time

export it is a crucial step for thousands of companies in Colombia. This process is described by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (Dian) as the exit of goods from the Colombian customs territory destined for another country, a free zone or a free warehouse, with the fulfillment of the requirements set forth in the standard.

But in order to get merchandise out of the country, it is necessary to comply with the regulations, which include several documents.

The necessary export documents may vary depending on the type of product being shipped and the country of destination.

However, below are some of the documents that are commonly required for the export of products from Colombia

The Port of Buenaventura has access to the Pacific Ocean, which makes it one of the most important reception and dispatch terminals for the country.

Photo:

Santiago Saldarriaga. TIME

1. Commercial invoice: It is a document that details the merchandise that is being exported, including its quantity, value and description. It also includes information about the buyer and the seller, as well as the terms of the sale, this can be a contract.

2. Packing list: It is a document that indicates the content of each box or package that is being sent. It includes details such as the number of boxes, weight and dimensions of each one, as well as the description of the products inside.

3. Certificate of origin: It is a document that indicates the country of origin of the merchandise. It may be necessary to obtain tariff benefits in the destination country.

4. Transport documents: They include the bill of lading (maritime), the air waybill (air), or the bill of lading (overland). It includes the Express Manifest that groups them for exports by postal traffic and urgent shipments. They are necessary for the entire journey of the merchandise.

5. Sanitary and phytosanitary certificates: They are necessary for the export of certain products, such as food or plants. These certificates indicate that the merchandise complies with the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of the country of destination.

6. Licenses and permits: They may be required to export certain products, such as chemicals and weapons. These documents are issued by the competent authorities in Colombia such as the National Mining Agency or the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority – AUNAP, among others.

The Dian recommends that users keep, for a term of 5 years, the supporting documents in original, whether in physical or electronic media.

Times and costs of export documents

Times are short with some documents, since the invoice and the packing list may be in the possession of the exporter.

«But some more delicate items require a prior inspection, such as cell phones, for example, it depends on someone else. If the cargo has to enter the Free Zone or if they are going to check it on the ship, that normally depends on the merchandise and these times already depend on others”, explains Laura Sandoval, logistics coordinator of a multinational.

You must also make a drug review and this can take time. «The time to issue these documents is very relative,» she says.

The dispatch time will also be produced by the transport, whether it is by air, sea or land.

On the other hand, the costs were based on weight, volume and the number of containers. Those other expenses related to export documents about the rates handled by the freight forwarder you hire.

What you need to do to import

To import into Colombia you must belong to the Common Regime, for this you must be registered in the Chamber of Commerce and have a Single Tax Registry-RUT, which is the only mechanism to identify, locate and classify the subjects of obligations managed and controlled by the Dian.

The import registration must be processed before the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, as they expose on their website www.vuce.gov.co, where you can do the management, consult costs, among others.

You must also take into account the Customs tariff to verify if the product you will bring into the country is subject to approval and prior registration with entities such as ICA, INVIMA, the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of the Environment-ANLA, among others.

«The merchandise arrives in the country and Customs enters to review it. Apart from VAT, the products must pay the tariff subheading, which also reflects the treaties that the country has on certain products and with some countries,» Sandoval mentions.

And ensures that you always have to have the import declaration for each product.

You must also define logistics and for this purpose there are specialized companies such as international cargo agents, airport agents, maritime agents or land agents, multimodal transport operators and transporters.

The price came from the quantities and what is negotiated directly.