Translation: FTAA Secretariat
HEMISPHERIC GUIDE ON CUSTOMS PROCEDURES
INDEX
I. INTRODUCTION 2
II. LIST
OF COUNTRIES INCLUDED 3
1. ENTRY OF MERCHANDISE 4
1.1. Common procedures 4
1.1.1 Formalities prior to the arrival of
goods 4
1.1.2 Arrival and unloading of the goods . 5
1.1.3 Temporary storage 8
1.1.4 Commercial Operators 11
1.1.5 Declaration 12
1.1.6 Clearance procedure 17
1.1.7 Valuation of goods 24
1.1.8 Release
or removal of the goods 28
1.1.9 Review and Appeal 31
1.1.10 Information
supplied by Customs 35
1.2 Special procedures 36
1.2.1 Warranty repair or replacement 36
1.2.2 Temporary Admission subject to
re-exportation in the same condition 36
1.2.3 Temporary Admission for inward processing 38
1.2.4 Customs Warehousing 41
1.2.5 Personal effects of travelers 43
1.2.6 Couriers 47
2. DEPARTURE OF GOODS 50
2.1 Common procedures 50
2.1.1 Exportation 50
2.1.2 Temporary exportation for reimportation
in the same condition 52
2.1.3 Temporary Exportation for outward processing 53
2.1.4 Drawback 55
2.1.5 Duty-free replacement 57
3. TRANSIT AND FREE
ZONES 57
3.1 Common procedures 57
3.1.1 Transit 57
3.1.2 Free Zones 60
IV. GUIDE
ON CUSTOMS PROCEDURES BY COUNTRY
(Pending on countries' approval)
I. INTRODUCTION
The
Hemispheric Guide to Customs Procedures contains basic information on customs
procedures effective in FTAA countries, detailed in Section II. Country
information was provided as of November 12, 2000. The information contained in
the Guide is provided as a reference only, and does not replace or supersede
current domestic legislation or procedures of FTAA countries.
The
substance of the Guide, is contained in Section III and is organized in three parts:
(i) the entry of merchandise; (ii) the departure of goods; and (iii) transit
and duty-free zones.
The
Hemispheric Guide to Customs Procedures is available in English, French,
Portuguese and Spanish.
In the cases in which the name of the country is underlined in Section 3, this indicates that a hyperlink exists to that country’s customs web site, where information on the particular topic is more precise and detailed.
The Hemispheric Guide on Customs Procedures is available on
the internet at "http://www.ftaa-alca.org/spcomm/derdoc/cbfw3r7e.doc."
II. LIST OF COUNTRIES INCLUDED (34)
ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA
ARGENTINA
BAHAMAS
BARBADOS
BELIZE
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
CANADA
CHILE
COLOMBIA
DOMINICA
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
ECUADOR
EL SALVADOR
GRENADA
GUATEMALA
GUYANA
HAITI
HONDURAS
JAMAICA
MEXICO
NICARAGUA
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
PERU
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
ST. LUCIA
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
SURINAME
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
URUGUAY
VENEZUELA
III. HEMISPHERIC
GUIDE TO CUSTOMS PROCEDURES
1.1. COMMON
PROCEDURES
1.1.1 Formalities prior to the arrival of the
goods.
In some countries of the region, when a person or enterprise
wishes to import a good they must first complete certain Customs or other
formalities. Here follows a description of some of these formalities, together
with lists of the countries in which they are required.
1.1.1.1 The importation
of goods is subject to the procurement of a license or permit before import
formalities can be commenced; the license or permit is generally issued by the
Ministry of Foreign Trade or the Central Bank.
a) In the following
countries the license requirement is a general one and applies to any import
operation:
|
ECUADOR |
|
|
b) In the following countries a license is
required only for some imports:
|
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARGENTINA BAHAMAS BARBADOS BELIZE BOLIVIA BRAZIL CANADA COLOMBIA COSTA RICA |
DOMINICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC EL SALVADOR GRENADA GUATEMALA GUYANA HONDURAS JAMAICA MEXICO NICARAGUA |
PANAMA PARAGUAY ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ST. LUCIA ST.
VINCENT & GRENADINES SURINAME UNITED STATES (See "Restricted Merchandise") TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO VENEZUELA |
1.1.1.2 The following
countries have established quantitative restrictions on the importation of
certain products. These operate through a quota system, generally administered
by the Ministry of Foreign Trade authorities:
|
ARGENTINA BELIZE BRAZIL CANADA CHILE COLOMBIA |
COSTA RICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS |
MEXICO PARAGUAY ST. KITTS AND
NEVIS URUGUAY VENEZUELA |
1.1.1.3 A limited number
of countries have contracted with preshipment inspection companies to verify
the characteristics of goods which are intended for importation into those
countries. The inspection must be carried out in the country in which the goods
are located ready for export to the country of importation; it is the
responsibility of the importer to notify the nature of the operation and
request the intervention of the inspection company. The latter issues a
preshipment inspection certificate which is required by Customs as a document
needed to clear the goods or complete import formalities. At present, preshipment
inspection certificates are required in:
|
ARGENTINA BOLIVIA |
ECUADOR PARAGUAY |
PERU |
1.1.1.4 Most governments
have abolished the requirement that cargo manifests relating to goods bound for
their countries be stamped by their consular offices. Nevertheless, this is
still required in:
|
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC |
PARAGUAY |
|
1.1.2 Arrival and unloading
of the goods.
Carriers arriving in the territory of a country are subject to
Customs authority or control. By virtue of this authority, those responsible
for means of transport arriving from abroad or their representatives must
present a general cargo declaration or manifest. This section examines the way
in which this obligation is fulfilled in each of the countries:
1.1.2.1 In the following countries, the manifest must be produced to
Customs:
|
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARGENTINA BAHAMAS BARBADOS BELIZE BOLIVIA BRAZIL CANADA CHILE COLOMBIA DOMINICA |
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EL SALVADOR GRENADA GUATEMALA GUYANA HAITI HONDURAS JAMAICA MEXICO NICARAGUA PANAMA |
PARAGUAY PERU ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ST. LUCIA ST.
VINCENT & GRENADINES SURINAME TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO UNITED STATES Link#1 (See "Arrival of Goods")
Link#2 URUGUAY VENEZUELA |
1.1.2.2 The following
countries allow the information contained in the manifest to be transmitted to
Customs before the arrival of the vehicle:
(a) By air:
|
ARGENTINA BARBADOS
(couriers only) BRAZIL CANADA CHILE (courier
only) COSTA RICA |
GUATEMALA HAITI PANAMA PARAGUAY PERU |
TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO UNITED STATES
Link#1 (See "Arrival of Goods")
Link#2 URUGUAY |
(b) By sea:
|
ARGENTINA BAHAMAS BRAZIL CANADA COSTA RICA EL SALVADOR |
GUATEMALA HAITI PANAMA PARAGUAY PERU TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO |
URUGUAY UNITED STATES
Link#1 (See "Arrival of Goods")
Link#2 VENEZUELA |
(c) By land:
|
ARGENTINA BRAZIL CANADA COSTA RICA |
EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HAITI |
PANAMA PARAGUAY PERU |
(d) By river:
|
ARGENTINA BRAZIL |
CANADA HAITI |
PARAGUAY PERU |
1.1.2.3 This information may be transmitted electronically to the
Customs of:
|
ARGENTINA BAHAMAS (by sea
only) BARBADOS
(couriers by air only) BRAZIL (by air
only) CANADA CHILE (courier
only) COLOMBIA |
COSTA RICA DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC (by air/ by sea) EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA JAMAICA
(courier only) NICARAGUA (by
air/by sea) |
PANAMA PARAGUAY PERU Link#1(See "Arrival of Goods") Link#2 URUGUAY (by sea/by
air) |
1.1.2.4 The manifest must be produced within the following time-frame:
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 24
hours
ARGENTINA Arrival
BAHAMAS 24
hours
BARBADOS 24
hours
BELIZE 24
hours
BOLIVIA Arrival
BRAZIL Arrival
CANADA Arrival
CHILE 24
hours
COLOMBIA Before
beginning the unloading of the merchandise
COSTA RICA Arrival
DOMINICA 24
hours
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC Arrival
ECUADOR Arrival
EL
SALVADOR Arrival
GRENADA 24
hours
GUATEMALA Before
the arrival of the medium of transport
GUYANA 24
hours
HAITI Arrival
HONDURAS 24
hours
JAMAICA 24
hours
MEXICO Arrival
NICARAGUA Arrival
PANAMA 48
hours
PARAGUAY Arrival
(2 hours by air)
PERU 24
hours
ST.
KITTS AND NEVIS 24
hours
ST. LUCIA 24
hours
ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES 24 hours
SURINAME 24
hours
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 24
hours
UNITED STATES Link#1 (See "Arrival of Goods")
48
hours
URUGUAY 24
hours
VENEZUELA Arrival
1.1.2.5 Sometimes, once
the goods have been unloaded, the number of packages may be found not to
coincide with that declared in the manifest. In this case the following
situations may arise:
(a) In general, countries
allow the particulars relating to packages which are found to be short at
unloading to be amended under the following conditions: the carrier or his
representative must inform Customs of the reasons why the packages are missing
and Customs may allow a period of time for the production of the corresponding
evidence. Any of the following is considered to be an acceptable reason for
packages being missing, provided the explanation can be substantiated: packages
shipped by mistake to a different destination, not loaded at the point of
shipment or lost during transport.
|
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARGENTINA BAHAMAS BARBADOS BELIZE BOLIVIA BRAZIL CANADA CHILE COLOMBIA |
DOMINICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EL SALVADOR GRENADA GUATEMALA GUYANA HAITI HONDURAS JAMAICA NICARAGUA PANAMA |
PARAGUAY PERU ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ST. LUCIA ST.
VINCENT & GRENADINES SURINAME TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO UNITED STATES Link#1 (See "Arrival of Goods")
Link#2 URUGUAY VENEZUELA |
(b) The following countries
also allow particulars relating to packages found to be in excess at unloading
to be amended, provided Customs is informed of the reasons for the surplus and
supporting evidence is produced within an established period:
|
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARGENTINA BAHAMAS BARBADOS |