Chilean authorities maintain import and export licensing requirements, but they lost its supervisory functions and currently exist for statistical purposes. Import licenses (certificates of importation) are required and are issued on a pro forma or virtually automatically ground to the importer. For some imported goods this procedure can take 2-3 days. The importer (his agent) applies for the import permit at the Central Bank for all shipments valued at over $3,000. For shipments valued at less than $3000, any commercial bank is able to issue the import permit.
In the majority of cases, the importation of used passenger and cargo transport facilities is prohibited. This prohibition doesn't work in Iquique in the far north and Punta Arenas in the far south. Old cars can be sold in these zones, but not outside these zones.Also there are other exceptions: armored cars, used ambulances, mobile homes, prison vans, street and highway cleaning machines and cement-producing machines etc. Importers of these goods pay the 15 % import duty plus the VAT.
There are a number of other requirements and restrictions for imported goods.
Prohibited Imports: used vehicles including used motorcycles; plants and animals that belong to endangered species (except importers, who have a special import permit from the National Commission of Technological and Scientific Research); harmful waste and products with CFC in its composition; imports from countries that imposed trade restrictions on Chile etc. Importation of re-manufactured car parts is not prohibited, but may turn out to be long and complicated procedure.
Under the US-Chile FTA some of abovementioned rules may have been altered for US origin products.
Import Documentation: commercial invoice, certificate of origin, bill of lading, packing list, freight insurance.
Additional import documentation (if required): certificates, special permission and approval documents. They can be obtained from the National Health Service (Servicio Nacional de Salud, SNS), the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Servicio Agricola y Ganadero, SAG), and the National Fishing Service (Servicio Nacional de Pesca, SERNAP), depending on the type of the goods to be imported.
Import Tariffs and Taxes
Qualified US export goods under the US-Chile FTA enter the country tariff-free or the taxes are substantialy reduced for them since January 1, 2004. Complete elimination of tariffs will be finished by 2018. More than 90% of current US qualified export goods have very low or no tariffs. All other taxes remain.
Current Chilean tariff rate is 6% on the majority of goods from most countries, although many goods from countries with which Chile has trade agreements enter with lower duties or duty-free.
The tariff is estimated on CIF value (cost, insurance, and freight). Used goods are subject to a 50% tax surcharge on the running tariff rate, signifying a tariff rate of 9% for the used equipment at this time (under US-Chile FTA the surcharge is removed). Most finished vehicles are imposed by 15% tariff. The VAT rate is 19% from 2004. The VAT is assessed on CIF plus duty. There are some exceptions to the standard tariff and tax policies.
Labeling and Marking Requirements
US qualified exports under the US-Chile FTA are subject to the next rules:
1. Imported goods must have the country of origin indicated on the labels or other parts before entering market.
2. Packaged products have to be marked to indicate the quality, purity, components (mixtures), and the net weight or measure of the contents.
3. Canned or packaged food products have to bear labels in Spanish for all components, including additive compounds, manufacturing dates and shelf life of the goods, and the name of the manufacturer or importer.
4. All labels have to contain: name of producer (importer) or registered brand; country of origin;size and weight converted to metric system; quality, purity, components, or mixtures; and shelf life for canned or packaged food products.
5. All sizes and weights of the net contents have to be converted to the metric system.
6. Goods that don't qualify the above requirements may be imported but not sold to citizens until conversion is made. | 
