Our Team of Customs and International Trade provides comprehensive advice to national and international companies in the different operations regarding foreign trade of goods or services. We provide assistance to national and international entities, public and private entities, in the planning of their cross-border operations, formulating operative and strategic alternatives for customs optimization based on the national regulation, applying and implementing the different international treaties ratified by Colombia.

We advise on customs procedures, administrative investigations and litigations before the different authorities. We carry out due diligence to analyze the foreign trade operations and we provide legal advice on current foreign trade mechanisms in projects and operations where applicable, such as Free-Trade Zones, Authorized Economic Operator, import-export mechanisms, drawbacks, International Distribution Warehouses, Permanent Customs Users (UAP), Highly Exporting Users (ALTEX), Customs Trusted Users, among others. We provide legal advice on the application of the different customs and taxation benefits that Colombia offers.

We advise and help our clients in the commercial investigations regarding trade remedies, including anti-dumping measures, safeguards and countervailing measures.

We design, structure and provide seminars and workshops on national customs and foreign exchange regulations and procedures related to the different foreign trade operations:

Portfolio of services
Trade agreements
  • Negotiation of prominent trade agreements for Colombia.
  • Implementation of rules of origin in the trade of goods.
  • Actions before relevant authorities.
  • Training workshops and seminars on the operation and benefits of trade agreements.
     
Reciprocal promotion and protection of investments
  • Agreements for the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments.
  • Investment planning to obtain protection benefits.
  • Controversies regarding the rules of promotion and protection of investments.
Customs and international trade operations
  • Processes before relevant authorities.
  • Management of requests and administrative procedures indicated by the relevant authorities.
  • Customs planning of goods and services flow and transnational operations.
  • Alternatives for the optimization of international trade operations.
  • Dumping practices and trade defense measures.
  • Compliance with technical rules and regulations of mandatory compliance.
  • Customs valuation studies.
  • Schemes of government programs for promoting foreign trade.
  • Tariff Classification.
  • Manuals and instructions on customs and international trade.
  • Special regimes (Permanent Customs Users and Highly Exporting Users).
  • Resolution of customs litigations.
     
Free-Trade zones
  • Structuring and application as Free-Trade zone.
  • Application as Free-Trade Zone user in the different modalities.
     
Experience
Provided advice to MATTEL on the compliance of technical regulations for the importation of toys to Colombia.


 

Provided advice to AUTOGERMANA, BMW’s distributor I Colombia, on customs matters connected with the importation of vehicles and parts to Colombia.
Provided legal advice to ASTELLAS US LCC in relation to the legal requirements for importing pharmaceutical products in Colombia.

Revision of the relevant documents for the import operations and review of its customs procedures in order to determine whether Astellas is complying with Colombian Customs regulations.

Provided legal advice to H&M HENNES & MAURITZ, GBC, AB in order to operate within the Colombian territory.

The legal advice on customs and international trade consisted of the general and specific requirements for the importation of goods into Colombia, as well as the review of customs mandates and legal advice on technical regulations for the importation of its products into Colombia.

Provided advice to TOPCO Associates LLC on the revision and analysis of the requirements and import preferences for goods covered by the Commercial Treaty signed between Colombia and the United States of America.
Provided legal advice to SANOFI AVENTIS COLOMBIA S.A.S. on preferential treatment based on the origin of its goods.
Provided successful advice to RIZZANI DE ECCHER S.P.A. Sucursal Colombia during its request for classifying parts of machinery as a Functional Unit in order to import it to Colombia.
Provided legal advice to VOLVO GROUP COLOMBIA S.A.S. in relation to the importation of its products in Colombia.

The legal advice included the revision of the relevant documents to perform import operations, and preparation of documents to request the authorization as a Trusted User.

Provided advice to ITAÚ BBA in the USD370 million financing of Puerto Bahía, a new port terminal in a free-trade zone in the Cartagena bay, Colombia.

As part of the advice, the firm performed a due diligence procedure related with customs and free trade zones.

Provided successful advice and representation to SYKES, PROTISA (CMPC), IMPALA TERMINALS, among others before the national authorities for the declaration of special free trade zones
Provided successful advice and representation to EXPRESS LUCK to become a Free-Trade Zone User in the Pacific Free-Trade Zone. Development of the authorization request in compliance with the current regulation.
Provided advice and representation of DSM NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS before the highest administrative court in proceedings related with tariff classification of nutritional products.
Provided successful advice and representation of TAM AIRLINES before the customs authorities in administrative procedures related with its operation in Colombia.
Provided legal advice to ASCENSORES SCHINDLER DE COLOMBIA Regarding the applicable regulation on customs and international trade for importing elevators and legal advice during and administrative procedures related to tariff classification.