Importing from China to Latin America: a country guide, 2026

Six major economies in the region do not apply the same trade policy toward China. Chile, since October 1, 2006, and Peru, since March 1, 2010, each apply a bilateral free trade agreement with Beijing. Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Panama, on the other hand, have no such agreement as of September 27, 2026: Chinese goods enter under the general tariff regime, sometimes combined with measures specific to each country.

The absence of an agreement does not prevent large scale trade. In 2022, Brazil imported 67.77 billion dollars worth of goods from China, or 23.18% of its total imports, according to the World Bank's WITS database. In 2023, China supplied 25.77% of Peru's imports, despite the bilateral agreement already in force.

Negotiations for a free trade agreement between Panama and China began on June 12, 2018, then were put on hold. As of September 27, 2026, no agreement is in force: Chinese goods enter under the general regime, capped at 15% except for agricultural exceptions, with an average applied rate of 5.88% according to WITS (2023). The ITBMS, Panama's tax equivalent to VAT, stands at 7%.

The Colón Free Zone, built around the Colón and Manzanillo port hub, functions as a free zone for re-importing and re-exporting goods to Latin America and the Caribbean, a relevant option once a project outgrows the Panamanian market alone. Declarations are filed through the DUCA system of the Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, and no import license is required for most goods.

Mexico has no free trade agreement with China. Several recent measures target, without naming it, shipments outside the T-MEC framework. Since January 1, 2025, every import declaration must carry the importer's tax ID (RFC). The Manifestación de Valor, an electronic customs value declaration filed on the VUCEM platform, becomes mandatory on December 9, 2025.

Since August 15, 2025, a flat rate of 33.5% applies to express shipments from outside T-MEC, including those from China; North American origin goods remain exempt up to 50 dollars and then duty free up to 117 dollars under certain conditions, against 19% above that threshold. The general VAT stays at 16%, and Mexico's weighted average tariff stands at 5.24% according to WITS (2023). A product covered by an official standard (NOM) must present, on entry, a certificate issued by a body accredited by the EMA.

Colombia has no free trade agreement with China: on May 14, 2025, a non binding protocol covered only infrastructure cooperation, with no tariff impact. Colombia's tariff averaged a simple 6.8% in 2025, with about 51% of tariff lines duty free; the standard VAT is 19%.

Decree 659 of 2024 requires an advance declaration at least 48 hours before the goods arrive, under penalty of a fine equal to 1% of the FOB value capped at 300 UVT; its rollout by the DIAN remained non operational as of May 2025, with entry into force expected in late 2025 or early 2026, to be confirmed. The DIAN oversees customs procedures, with support from INVIMA for food products and ICA for agricultural goods.

Chile applies the oldest agreement in the region with China, signed in November 2005 and in force since October 1, 2006, complemented by agreements on services, investment, and a modernization protocol in force since 2019. Outside the agreement, Chile applies a uniform national tariff of 6%: the actual average applied, across all origins, falls to 1.03%, with 81.44% of tariff lines duty free, according to WITS data as of December 12, 2024.

Chile's 19% VAT applies to all imports. Chile has very few restricted products, aside from certain agricultural products controlled by the SAG. The STI terminal in San Antonio passed the one million TEU mark for the 14th consecutive year in 2024.

The free trade agreement between Peru and China, signed in April 2009, has been in force since March 1, 2010; it excludes about 10% of Peru's tariff lines, notably textiles. Peru's applied tariff, across all origins, averages 1.13% according to WITS, 2023 data, and 93% of imports remain subject to an 18% VAT.

The port of Chancay, opened on November 14, 2024, is owned 60% by COSCO Shipping Ports and 40% by Peruvian mining company Volcan, representing an investment of around 3.5 billion dollars and a first phase capacity of roughly one million containers per year. It adds to the port of Callao as an entry point for Chinese freight.

Brazil, a Mercosur member, has no free trade agreement with China, which accounted for 23.18% of its imports in 2022 according to WITS. A standard import stacks the II (import duty) on the CIF value, IPI of 0 to 15% on CIF plus II, then the state level ICMS, typically 17 to 19%: a product worth 100,000 dollars FOB ends up costing 168,931 dollars once cleared, according to the US Department of Commerce.

Since 2023, a separate regime targets low value parcels bought online: according to the US Department of Commerce, a 60% tax applies to any imported goods worth less than 50 dollars, under the Remessa Conforme program. The detailed thresholds by sales platform remain to be confirmed before committing to a volume of parcels to this market.

Sorva is a sourcing and trading house based in Guangzhou, in the Tianhe district, backed by a Chinese subsidiary whose corporate purpose covers purchasing, reselling, and exporting goods, and by a parent company in France. Our Mandarin speaking team finds and vets factories, negotiates, arranges quality control before loading, and organizes freight to the chosen port, including through the Colón Free Zone or to Chancay and Callao.

Our base service is billed in dollars, complemented by options specific to each region, such as a compliance review for Mexican NOM standards or INMETRO and ANATEL requirements in Brazil, quoted on request. Sorva never acts as the official importer of record in the client's country and does not clear customs locally.