Everything you want to know about courier shipping from China to Colombia

There are many Colombian clients who want to start the import business from China little by little and they always ask us about the shipment process of the products and what the requirements are.

Now we will answer all the frequently asked questions regarding the courier (we currently have an agreement with these three companies: DHL, FedEx and UPS) that is used for urgent or small quantity shipping.

· What items can I send by courier?

Clothes, shoes, small appliances, toys, spare parts, computer parts, and many more objects that are involved in the daily life of people and companies and that, additionally, comply with Colombian customs regulations. Basically the points that have to be taken into account of these regulations are the following:

-Maximum weight allowed per box: 50 kg or 110 lbs
-Maximum measurements allowed: 1.5 meters or 59 inches on its sides
-Maximum value allowed: US$ 2000
-Maximum 6 units per reference (In practice, many customers send items that exceed this amount and have managed to receive the package. If you do not want to risk, it is recommended to divide the merchandise into several boxes in such a way that the content of each one contains the limit of 6 units. The possibility of fines and / or sanctions by the DIAN will be avoided. See more details in the following paragraphs.)

· What items CAN’T I send by courier?

Money, weapons, ammunition, military clothing, drugs, jewelry, plants, live animals, dangerous material, war toys, used motor vehicles, pornographic magazines or publications that violate morality and other articles cited in the law.

Although it may surprise you, some seemingly harmless products can be dangerous on board an airplane if they are included in luggage / cargo.

An airplane is not like a car. During flight, variations in temperature and pressure, and the movement of the aircraft itself, can cause liquid leaks or ignition of some items. For this reason, you should not carry, for example, the following products in your cargo:

-Explosives (which includes detonators, fuses, grenades, mines and pyrotechnic products)
-Gas (which includes small camping gas bottles, aerosols)
-Flammable liquids (which includes gasoline, methanol, paints, thinners, glues, and lighter charges)
-Flammable solids (which includes magnesium, matches and lighters, fireworks and sparklers)
-Oxidative substances (such as bleaches and abrasives)
-Toxic and infectious substances (such as rodenticides, infected blood)
-Radioactive material (includes isotopes for medical or commercial use)
-Corrosive (such as car batteries)

· Can customs open my package?

Yes. But it must be done in the presence of an official of the courier's company.

If the declared value is less than the commercial value of the products, the shipment could be subject to a tax readjustment by the DIAN (Tax and Customs National Authority). DIAN physical inspections are random, but should be kept in mind.

· If the Colombian customs does not accept the declared value, can the package be lost?

No. But customs can do two things:

a.Make a value proposal on the package and if it is less than US$ 2000, the consignee decides to accept or not. If you accept it, you will only pay the excess of the tax. Otherwise, you must reliably demonstrate to customs that the original declared value is the legitimate one.

b. If the value proposition is higher than US$ 2000, it must be subject to change of modality as a normal import and said procedure must be done through a SIA (Customs Intermediation Company), that is, a customs agency. The recipient will have 60 days for nationalization through an SIA.

· What are the risks of not making a correct declaration of the content of the shipment?

In the case of not having made a complete or true declaration of your merchandise, this may produce the following incidents:

1) In the case of not having declared and trying to send merchandise considered dangerous by IATA regulations, the aviation security authorities can sanction you by law with up to US$ 200,000 depending on the severity, since you have committed a crime putting the safety of the aircraft and therefore the passengers at risk.

2) In the case of not having declared electronic devices connected to lithium batteries, for security reasons these shipments will be rejected by the airline and cannot be transported, and the consequent expenses of removing the batteries from the electronic equipment and repacking will be borne by the sender. .

3)In the case of not having made a correct declaration of the content of the shipment, omitting the existence of the items mentioned above together with computer equipment, tools, etc. and this shipment has a physical inspection at the destination customs office, they will penalize the shipment with a tax assessment.

· Who delivers my merchandise in Colombia?

The shipments are delivered at home in Colombia by the courier company, packed in plastic and with security tapes and straps, which provides the greatest security in the case of tampering attempts by unauthorized third parties. All deliveries are certified by signature and presentation of the identity document / ID of the recipient.

· Are there any freight forwarder who can offer me the option of sending vehicles, machinery, commercial merchandise without any kind of paperwork for the customs or with minimum requirements?

When it comes to sending commercial merchandise, machinery, temporary exports, we recommend that you always make a prior consultation with the DIAN in Colombia about the requirements / tariff to be paid / requested documentation, etc. For some merchandise, the DIAN in Colombia requests to obtain a prior license before the merchandise arrives. If you do not perform this document management correctly, you may find yourself with sanctions, fines, and even confiscation of the merchandise by the Colombian customs.

It is also recommended to verify with the customs agent (SIA) who will represent you in front of the DIAN, which could be approximately the expenses at destination in order to have a provision for those expenses and not be surprised at the time of payment of these expenses before customs clearance.


If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us at Guangzhou China-Latin Logistics, a professional freight forwarder that makes all your shipments from China to your country. We hope your import business from China goes extremely well!