How to import from China to Colombia: steps, taxes and documents

Colombia buys more from China than from almost any other country, and every year more small and medium-sized businesses take the step of importing directly, without local intermediaries. The reward is a better price and more control over the product. In return, you need to know the requirements, the taxes and the timelines. This guide sums them up in plain language.

Before you start: what you need to have ready

• A RUT (tax registration) with import activity registered and an active NIT (tax ID number) with the DIAN (the Colombian tax and customs authority).
• An agencia de aduanas (customs agency): it is mandatory for imports over USD 1,000 FOB. Talk to it before you order, not after.
• The tariff subheading (subpartida arancelaria) of your product, which determines the duty and whether you need permits.
• Any permits that apply, processed through the VUCE (Foreign Trade Single Window): for example INVIMA (the health regulator) for food-contact articles and cosmetics.
• The technical and labeling regulations for your product: textiles, footwear, toys and electrical appliances have their own rules.

The most important step is the first one: confirm the tariff subheading and the technical regulations with your customs agency before confirming the order. Changing a label in China costs little; fixing it at the port costs a lot.

Step by step

1. Define the product, the quantity and the target price, and ask for a written quotation.
2. Review and approve the samples before committing.
3. Confirm the order with a proforma invoice and pay the deposit (usually 30%).
4. During production, ask for progress photos; before shipment, an inspection with a report.
5. Pay the balance and receive the documents: commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading (B/L).
6. Ocean transit: about 30–35 days to Buenaventura and 35–40 days to Cartagena.
7. Your customs agency files the import declaration and the Declaración Andina del Valor (Andean Value Declaration), and you pay the duty and VAT.
8. Once release (levante) is authorized, the goods leave the port for your warehouse.

Taxes: duty and VAT

In Colombia, goods pay two main taxes. The duty is calculated on the CIF value (goods, freight and insurance) and generally ranges from 0 to 15%; apparel and footwear can reach 35–40%. Then 19% VAT (IVA) is charged on the CIF value plus the duty (some goods are at 5% or are excluded). For a VAT-registered company, that VAT is usually deductible.

Colombia does not have a trade agreement with China, so Chinese goods pay the general duty: there is no reduction for a certificate of origin.

Freight and local charges change with the season and with your destination city. Use this as an order of magnitude and ask your customs agency for the figures for your product.

Mistakes that most often delay an import

• Discovering the technical or labeling regulation when the goods are already at the port.
• Declaring a value that does not match reality: the DIAN monitors prices and can hold the cargo.
• Not having the documents ready on arrival: every extra day at the port generates storage and container charges.
• Paying to a new bank account received by email without confirming it by phone.
• Confirming the order too late before Chinese New Year.

Summary

• You need a RUT with import activity and a customs agency for more than USD 1,000 FOB.
• You pay duty on the CIF value (generally 0–15%) and 19% VAT on CIF plus duty.
• There is no free trade agreement with China: no duty reduction based on origin.
• Allow about 30–40 days of transit depending on the port, plus production and customs.