Columbia with new duty regime for apparel, footwear and textile made-ups

The Colombian government issued a decree and established a new most favoured nation mixed duty system for apparel, footwear and textile made-ups.

Currently such goods face an ad valorem duty of 15 %, with footwear parts and a handful of textile made-ups  are subject to five or ten percent duty. As of March 1, 2013, imports of the named merchandise will affront a 10 % ad valorem duty and a specific duty of USD 5.00 per gross kilogramme or USD 5.00 per pair of footwear. Importers of such goods will be required to provide the gross weight of the goods on the import declaration. The new duties are in force up to February 2014 and will not apply to imports entering under FTA Free Trade Agreement. Imports already on their way to Colombia as of March 1 and entering Columbia on or before March 21 will be subject to the current duties.

In November 2012 the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos stated that the goal of this new duty system is to prevent the importation of goods priced at unreasonably low values or undervalued.