Chile is one of the easiest markets in Latin America to import into from China: a free trade agreement removes the duty on almost all goods. The real work is certification and paperwork. Here is what a company in Chile pays and prepares when it buys equipment from a Chinese factory — checked against official Chilean sources in October 2026.
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Duty: 0% with a certificate of origin
The general import duty in Chile is 6% of the CIF value — the goods plus insurance and freight. Goods originating in China enter duty-free under the Chile–China free trade agreement, in force since 2006; only about 2% of products, on the agreement's exclusion list, keep a duty.
The 0% rate needs a certificate of origin issued in China under the agreement by an authorized body. It is filled in in English, is valid for 12 months from issue and must be in the importer's hands when the import declaration is filed. We request it from the factory together with the commercial invoice. Consignments with a customs value of up to US$1,000 do not need one, and if goods were imported without it, the duty paid can be reclaimed within a year by presenting the certificate. If the cargo passes through a third country, it must stay under customs control there to keep the 0% rate.
Example: kiosks worth US$10,000 CIF. With a certificate of origin the duty is US$0 and the IVA is US$1,900. Without one the duty is US$600 and the IVA is US$2,014.
IVA: 19% at customs
Import VAT (IVA) is 19% of the CIF value plus the duty and is paid at customs. A company registered for VAT normally offsets it as a tax credit against the IVA on its sales — confirm this with your accountant.
A customs agent above US$1,000
For goods worth more than US$1,000 FOB, Chilean Customs requires the importer to use a licensed customs agent (agente de aduana). The agent files the declaration and checks the tariff code and the documents before the cargo arrives. Express courier companies may clear shipments of up to US$3,000 FOB themselves, without a customs agent (Ministry of Finance Decree 9 of 2019) — handy for samples.
SEC: electrical safety
Electrical products on SEC's mandatory certification list — the products covered by the certification protocols of the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels — can be sold in Chile only once they are certified. Certified products carry the SEC label with a QR code that anyone can check on the SEC website.
Certification is carried out by bodies authorized by SEC. For some products they can rely on test reports from foreign accredited laboratories, but samples are often tested in Chile. Ask the factory for its IEC test reports and CB certificates before you order — they speed up the process. If no authorized body certifies a product, SEC can grant an authorization to sell it.
Solar inverters and batteries: a grid-connected solar system is declared to SEC by an authorized installer (form TE4), together with the equipment used.
SUBTEL: a QR label for anything with Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth
Kiosks, robots, interactive panels and mini PCs almost always have Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth. Since 22 February 2026 the telecommunications regulator SUBTEL no longer certifies such short-range devices before sale — certification letters are now issued only for medical devices. Instead, before selling, the manufacturer or importer needs a test report from a laboratory with at least one international accreditation, a declaration of conformity with SUBTEL's technical standard for short-range devices, and a readable QR code on the outer packaging — if that is not feasible, on the device or in its manual or warranty. The QR code leads to a public page in Spanish with the importer's or representative's details in Chile, the device's technical data, the test report and the declaration, and it must also be visible wherever the device is displayed or advertised, including online (SUBTEL Exempt Resolution 1247 of 2026, consolidated text of the standard). According to SUBTEL's answers to frequently asked questions, in online sales the QR code goes on one of the product photos, and FCC or EU certificates are not recognised.
The test report must show the laboratory's accreditation and the maximum radiated power for each frequency band. We get the report from the factory, check these details and prepare the declaration and the content of the QR page with you.
Lithium batteries: shipping as dangerous goods
Batteries and devices with batteries travel as dangerous goods. The batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests, and the factory must make the test summary available — the carrier or forwarder may ask for it; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet, although IATA rules do not require one. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own travel on cargo aircraft only, and those shipped on their own or packed with (not inside) equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% state of charge.
Documents for the shipment
Commercial invoice; packing list; bill of lading or air waybill; certificate of origin under the free trade agreement; insurance policy for CIF terms; SEC certificates and test reports; the radio test report and declaration of conformity behind the SUBTEL QR label; for batteries — the UN 38.3 test summary and, if the forwarder asks, a safety data sheet.
How we help
We match the model to your task, request the certificate of origin and the test reports from the factory before production and check that the documents match the goods. Your customs agent in Chile clears the cargo; we prepare everything the agent needs.
Rules and rates were checked on the websites of Chilean Customs, SUBREI, SEC and SUBTEL in October 2026 and re-checked on 24 October 2026; they can change. Confirm them with your customs agent before shipping.