Do you pay import duty when importing into Chile?

How we work it out

1. We check the country where it was made against the agreements in force. SUBREI (Chile's trade undersecretariat) and Chilean Customs (Aduanas) publish that list.
2. Without an agreement, you pay 6% duty on what your cargo is worth on arrival (CIF).
3. VAT (IVA) is 19% on the cargo plus the import duty. If you do not pay the 6%, VAT also goes down.

Watch out for this

• Choosing the country the cargo ships from. What counts is where it was made.
• Shipping without the origin paper. Without it you pay the 6% and then must request a refund.
• Thinking everything enters at 0%. Many agreements have exceptions, like screws from China.

Questions

How much tax do you pay to import into Chile?

As a rule, you pay 6% import duty on what your cargo is worth on arrival. You also pay 19% VAT on that amount plus the duty. With US$ 1,000 of cargo, that is US$ 60 in duty and US$ 201.40 in VAT.

For China, is it Form E or Form F?

For Chile it is Form F. That is what Customs calls the Chile-China FTA origin paper. China Customs or the CCPIT issues it, and it is in English.

Can I still use the EUR.1 to import from Europe?

Not from the European Union. Since February 1, 2025, an exporter declaration on the invoice is what works. With Switzerland, Norway, Turkey or the United Kingdom, the EUR.1 still works.

Does the origin paper also lower VAT?

VAT stays at 19%. But it is calculated on the cargo plus the import duty. Without the 6%, you pay US$ 114 less VAT for every US$ 10,000. If your company recovers VAT, that amount comes back as a credit anyway.

Can I get the 6% back if the origin paper arrived later?

Yes, if the paper meets the agreement's rules. Your customs broker requests the refund. The general deadline is 1 year from the import. With the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom and Turkey it is 2 years. With Mercosur, only 6 months.

What SICE does

Before shipping, SICE checks the invoice, packing list, origin paper and transport document. A customs broker in its network files the declaration.

See also:

• Customs clearance with trusted brokers
• Importing from China to Chile

Sources

• Chilean Customs: How much tax do you pay to import?
• SUBREI: Trade agreements in force
• Chilean Customs: certificates of origin, trade agreements and treaties
• Chilean Customs: Payments Manual, chapter IV (validity of the proof of origin and refund deadline)
• SUBREI: Chile-China FTA and its Exclusion List
• Chilean Customs: Official Circular 9 of 2007, Hong Kong and Macao outside the FTA with China
• Chilean Customs: FAQ on the Chile-EU Interim Trade Agreement
• Chilean Customs: Law 20.690, 0% duty for Least Developed Countries
• Chilean Customs: Official Circular 177 of 2025, Chile-Mercosur rules of origin (Protocol 69)
• Chilean Customs: Official Circular 143 of 2025, errors in the proof of origin
• Chilean Customs: taxes on importing computers
• Chilean Customs: Customs Tariff in force
• BCN: Decree Law 825, Sales and Services Tax Law (VAT), article 23
• European Commission: EU-Chile Interim Trade Agreement (99.9% coverage)
• UN: resolution A/RES/76/8, graduation of Bangladesh, Laos and Nepal from the Least Developed Countries list

Updated on October 22, 2026