Customs Brokerage in Chile

Why having our own broker matters

Most freight forwarders in Chile subcontract customs clearance. That adds a company, a margin and — the part that actually costs you — a handover. When a document is queried, the forwarder asks the broker, the broker asks the client, and two days go by.

Segucargo holds its own brokerage certified by Chile's National Customs Service. The person clearing your cargo works in the same office as the person who booked it, and sees the same file.

What we handle

• Import declarations (DIN) and export declarations (DUS)
• Tariff classification, which is where most disputes and most savings live
• Trade agreements and certificates of origin, so you pay the preferential rate you are entitled to
• Permits and prior authorisations: SAG, ISP, the health authority, Sernapesca
• Temporary admission and re-export regimes
• Representation in inspections, physical examinations and valuation queries

Tariff classification is the whole game

The HS code you declare decides the duty rate, which permits apply and whether a trade agreement covers the goods. Get it wrong one way and you overpay for years without noticing; get it wrong the other way and you face a reassessment with penalties and interest.

We classify before the cargo ships, not when it arrives. If a product sits on a boundary between two codes, we tell you and, where it is worth it, we request a binding ruling from Customs so the position is settled.

What you actually pay to import into Chile

• Ad valorem duty: 6% as the general rate, but 0% for most goods under Chile's trade agreements with a valid certificate of origin
• VAT: 19% on the CIF value plus duty
• Specific taxes on certain goods, such as alcohol, tobacco and luxury items
• Port, storage and handling charges, which are not tax but reach the same invoice

Where delays actually come from

Cargo rarely waits because Customs is slow. It waits because the commercial invoice does not match the packing list, because a certificate of origin is missing a signature, or because the goods need a SAG permit nobody applied for.

We review the documentation while the vessel is still sailing. Every one of those problems is cheap to fix at sea and expensive to fix at the port.