Colombia

• Labeling Requirements
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

Labels must be in Spanish.  They must contain:

• Name and Address of Producer, Importer, or Bottler
• Sanitary Registry Number (granted by INVIMA)
• Lot production Number
• Alcohol Content
• Net content (metric units only)
• The following phrases:
• “El exceso de alcohol es perjudicial para la salud” (Excessive use of alcohol is detrimental to one’s health) – this must occupy 1/10th of the total area of the main label
• “Prohíbese el expendio de bebidas embriagantes a menores de edad” (The sale of alcoholic beverages to minors is prohibited)

Back to Top

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• An application (for the Sanitary Register Certificate) which contains:
• Name of the person or company who is applying for a Sanitary Register Certificate
• Name/Brand of the product to be imported, its producer, and address
• Name and Address of the Importer
• Certificate of Fit for Human Consumption
• Certificate of Free Sale
• Certificate of Analysis (completed by laboratory in country of origin)
• Labels (three copies): see above requirements
• Original copy of Power of Attorney (if applicable)
• Original or copy of Certificate of Establishment for the importer
• Carbon copy of receipt of payment for sanitary registry analysis

Please note: All documents originating from another country must be approved/certified by the Ministry of External Relations.

Back to Top

LICENSING

Importers must register with the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria, y Turismo (Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism).

An import license is also required for alcoholic beverage products.  Importers should fill out an Import Registration Form (Registro de Información) in order to bring products into the country.  This form requires a complete product description and tariff classification.

Back to Top

IMPORT PROCEDURES

Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages are considered Importaciones de licencia previa or “Prior License Imports,” as they require import registration with INVIMA, in addition to approval from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism.  The following are the steps that should be taken in order to obtain the necessary permits and/or licenses:

The importer should submit all the required documents mentioned in the above section in a folder to INVIMA.  Importers’ records and their products (i.e. alcoholic beverages) will be reviewed and then be issued an import permit, which will grant them a sanitary registry number.

The importer should also contact the Directorate of External Trade in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, to register as an importer, and register his/her products to be imported.

Importers must also receive approval from Customs (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales de Colombia – DIAN).  The following are the main steps:

• Complete the “Import Declaration” form (Declaración de Importación).  This declaration includes the same information contained on the import registration form and other information such as the duty and sales tax paid.
• Pay any import duties, value-added tax, surcharges and other fees

After presenting your documents to Customs, they will inspect the merchandise (if considered necessary), and authorize the removal of goods.  The importer must keep import documents for a period of not less than five (5) years.

Back to Top

TAXES/TARIFFS

For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products for this country, please visit the Online Tariff Database provided by Tariffic at: http://www.tariffic.com/ITA/, and click on “On-The-Fly Tariffeed”.  Please ensure you have a 10-digit HS classification code in order to obtain tariff information.  Also see the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search function (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html), which allows you to classify your product according to United States export codes. Simply click "Search" and enter the keyword (i.e. beer) that best describes your product.

Back to Top

CONTACTS

Most of the information in this guide was obtained from direct contact with various governmental organizations and embassies, as well as online sources.  The FAS Attaché reports at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp served as the primary (online) sources used for this report.

Back to Top