Colombia is our second core market after Mexico, and it has its own customs rhythm. The Colombian regime has tightened over the last two years, so a shipment that was routine before can need more preparation now. Here is what to know before you import from China to Colombia.

Time-sensitive: customs procedures and tariff measures below were enacted in 2024–2025; some have phased or delayed enforcement. Confirm the current rules for your product and entry date before you ship.

The main entry points

Most China–Colombia ocean freight arrives through one of these:

Buenaventura — Colombia’s main Pacific port and the natural gateway for cargo from Asia; it handles a large share of the country’s container trade.
Cartagena — the major Caribbean port and transshipment hub, well connected and often used for cargo routing via Panama.
Barranquilla — a secondary Caribbean river port, useful for certain cargo and regions.

Which gateway is best depends on your final destination inside Colombia, the service available and the transit time. We route each shipment through whichever fits.

DIAN and the advance declaration

Colombian customs is run by the DIAN (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales). A significant change came with Decree 659 of 2024, which requires importers to file an advance declaration (declaración anticipada) at least 48 hours before the goods arrive in Colombian customs territory.

Two things to keep in mind:

This shifts work earlier in the process — documentation has to be ready and accurate before arrival, not after.
Enforcement has been phased and repeatedly delayed pending DIAN’s IT systems. Treat the 48-hour advance declaration as a legal requirement to plan around, and confirm its live status for your shipment rather than assuming it is or isn’t being enforced on your entry date.

Either way, the practical lesson is the same: prepare Colombian customs documentation early.

Tariffs: a more protectionist stance

Colombia has moved to protect domestic industry from low-priced imports, and several measures touch Chinese goods specifically:

Steel — Colombia raised import tariffs on certain steel products to as high as 35% (the WTO ceiling) under its 2024 “Steel Pact,” explicitly aimed at a surge of low-priced Chinese steel.
Apparel and textiles — Colombia has applied elevated tariffs and specific duties on confections/apparel to curb under-priced imports.

If you import steel, textiles or apparel from China, check the current Colombian duty for your exact HS code before you price the deal — the rate may be materially higher than the base tariff.

Documents you will need

For a clean Colombian import, have ready:

Commercial invoice and packing list
Bill of lading / air waybill
HS classification for each product (drives the duty)
Any import registration or licenses required for your product category
Certificates of origin where they affect duty, plus any product-specific compliance documents

Colombia also applies IVA (VAT) on imports in addition to duty, so factor both into your landed cost.

How we make it smoother

We prepare documentation early so the advance declaration and clearance are not last-minute.
We classify your goods and flag the duty — including any elevated steel or apparel rates — before you commit.
We offer DDP to Colombia where it fits, so freight, duties, clearance and delivery come as one price; the same logic as our DDP to Mexico service.
We route to the right port — Buenaventura, Cartagena or Barranquilla — for your destination and timeline.

The bottom line

Importing from China to Colombia is very doable, but the DIAN advance declaration and a more protectionist tariff stance reward preparation. Get your documents ready early, confirm the current duty for your HS code — especially for steel, textiles and apparel — and route through the gateway that fits your destination. Send us your cargo details and target city and we will map out the ports, the timeline and the all-in cost.

Shipping from China to Colombia: Customs, DIAN and Tariffs Explained