How to import from China to Chile step by step: a guide for companies

Importing from China can seriously cut your costs, but coordinating it alone — supplier, freight, insurance, customs and transport to your warehouse — becomes a second job. And it only takes one slip: a botched tariff classification or an incomplete document, and your cargo sits at the port racking up storage day after day. This guide walks you through the whole process, step by step, so you know exactly what to expect before you put down a peso.

Why importing from China still pays off

China is Chile's main trading partner: during 2025 it accounted for 32.7% of the country's trade, with US$65,332 million, according to the SUBREI report. Behind that figure lies a concrete advantage for your company: the Chile–China FTA, in force since 2006, allows most manufactured goods to enter with a 0% tariff, provided you present the correct origin certificate.

In money terms: on a US$ 50.000 CIF order, that 6% tariff is US$ 3.000 you don't pay if you activate the treaty properly. But you only capture it if the process is set up right from the start.

The whole process, step by step

1. Vet the supplier before you wire money

Ask for samples, check that the company is registered, confirm production capacity and require the certificate of origin (Form E) to activate the FTA. A supplier who can't issue it costs you the full 6% tariff.

2. Set the Incoterm and calculate the *landed cost*

The FOB price isn't what the goods cost you delivered to your warehouse. Before closing the order, calculate the total cost in Chile: goods value + freight + insurance + tariff + VAT + clearance + domestic transport. That number is what determines whether the deal works or not.

3. Choose the freight: ocean, air or consolidated

• Ocean FCL (full container): worth it from ~15 m³. Direct transit of roughly 25 to 35 days port to port.
• Ocean LCL / consolidated cargo: you share a container and pay only for the volume you use. Ideal for small volumes.
• Air: 3 to 10 days door to door, for urgent or high-value cargo.

The usual origin ports are Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Qingdao; at destination, San Antonio and Valparaíso.

4. Take out cargo insurance

If you buy FOB or EXW, the goods travel at your risk. Something almost no one tells you: if you don't present a policy at clearance, the National Customs Service (Servicio Nacional de Aduanas) estimates the insurance at 2% of the FOB value to calculate the duties — far above a real premium. In other words, not insuring doesn't just leave you exposed: it raises the base on which you pay taxes.

5. Customs clearance and DIN

For commercial imports over US$ 1.000 FOB, the law requires a licensed customs broker. They prepare and file the Import Declaration (DIN) electronically with the National Customs Service (Servicio Nacional de Aduanas), which then assigns a review channel. This is where misclassifying the goods costs you dearly: penalties for errors range from 10% to 200% of the tax omitted, and Customs can look back up to three years.

6. Pay the duties and taxes

On the CIF value (goods + insurance + freight) the tariff applies (6% general, 0% with an FTA) and then the 19% import VAT on the CIF plus the tariff. If your company files VAT, that 19% is recoverable as a tax credit on your Form 29: it's a cash-flow cost, not a final one. You have up to 15 days from the issuance of the declaration to pay the duties.

7. Domestic transport to your warehouse

Collect the container within the port's free days (usually 3 to 7) and coordinate the inland freight. If you go past the deadline, storage and demurrage (*demurrage*) start running, and they can escalate until they exceed the international freight itself.

The mistakes that cost you the most

• Not requesting the Form E certificate of origin: you pay the 6% you could have saved.
• Under-declaring the value: Customs checks against reference prices and adjusts the base, fines included.
• Ignoring the SAG: if your product has any component of plant or animal origin, the SAG steps into the process and can hold the cargo.
• Not accounting for inland transport in the *landed cost*.

Mini-FAQ

Do I need a RUT and registration to import?

Yes. For recurring commercial operations you need an active RUT and registration as an importer with the National Customs Service (Servicio Nacional de Aduanas).

How long does the whole door-to-door process take?

By ocean, counting pre-shipment, transit and clearance, it's usually 45 to 60 days. By air, it drops to days.

Does the tariff really drop to 0% with China?

Most manufactured goods do, but only with the certificate of origin. Without it, you pay the general 6% even if you're entitled to the exemption.