Export to Chile: a 2026 guide for US manufacturers

The US-Chile Free Trade Agreement

According to USTR, the US-Chile FTA entered into force on January 1, 2004, and as of January 1, 2015 all goods originating from the United States enter Chile duty free.

According to Chile’s National Customs Service, imports generally pay a 6% ad valorem duty on the CIF value plus 19% VAT on the CIF value plus the duty. Originating US goods avoid the 6% duty.

Documents and approvals

• Commercial invoices, certificates of origin, bills of lading, freight insurance and packing lists.
• Sanitary and phytosanitary certificates for most agricultural products and, in special cases, industrial products; a certificate of free sale for food products. These come from USDA agencies (FSIS, APHIS, AMS), NOAA or the FDA, depending on the product.
• If the goods are worth more than US$1,000 FOB, your Chilean buyer must hire a customs agent.
• Electrical and fuel products need certification from Chile’s SEC, which tests electrical products at 220 V and 50 Hz and has a procedure to recognize foreign certification.

US-side steps for every shipment

• Classify the product with its 10-digit Schedule B number (Census Bureau search tool); the first 6 digits are the Harmonized System code your buyer uses for their own tariff.
• File Electronic Export Information (EEI) in AES, through ACE AESDirect or a direct connection, when the value under an individual Schedule B number is over $2,500 or an export license is required. The USPPI or its authorized agent files it.
• Check your export classification. According to BIS, items subject to the EAR that are not listed on the Commerce Control List are EAR99 and, in most situations, need no license, unless they go to a restricted end user, end use or destination.
• Screen your buyer, consignee and end user against the Consolidated Screening List, which combines export screening lists of the Departments of Commerce, State and the Treasury.

Frequently asked questions