Customs Brokerage

Operational Service

Customs brokerage is much more than a simple procedure. It's the legal and technical representation of your company before the Colombian National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) and other regulatory bodies, with direct responsibility for ensuring compliance with customs regulations in every transaction.

Our team acts as a partner to customs authorities, guaranteeing the proper execution of customs regimes and foreign trade procedures. A tariff classification error, an omitted approval, or an incomplete declaration can lead to penalties, cargo detentions, and damage to your supply chain. Intradecon eliminates these risks.

Nine capabilities that protect your operation:

1. Tariff classification: We accurately determine the tariff subheading that corresponds to your merchandise within the Harmonized System (HS), applying the DIAN nomenclature criteria and current international agreements. An incorrect classification can triple the applicable tariff or generate violations with legal consequences. Our specialists analyze the technical description, composition, use, and nature of the product to ensure the optimal and defensible classification in any audit.

2. Purchase order coordination: We manage the issuance, negotiation, and confirmation of the international purchase order from the beginning of the operation. We verify that the contractual conditions—price, term, technical specifications, payment method—are correctly established, avoiding ambiguities that could lead to disputes or breaches affecting the supply chain.

3. Shipment tracking: We monitor the transit of your cargo in real time from the supplier's warehouse to final delivery in Colombia. We coordinate with shipping lines, airlines, freight forwarders, and port terminals to anticipate potential issues. Every deviation from agreed-upon timelines is proactively managed, without waiting for the problem to impact your production or business commitments.

4. Incoterms Consulting: Incoterms 2020 defines who assumes costs, risks, and obligations at each stage of the international journey. Selecting the wrong term can transfer risks your company is not equipped to manage or costs that erode your profit margin. We analyze your logistics profile, the nature of the supplier, and the product to recommend the Incoterm that best protects your position in each transaction.

5. International Supplier Sourcing: If you don't yet have established suppliers for the product you wish to import, our network of contacts in Asia, Europe, and the Americas gives you access to qualified manufacturers and distributors. We verify the supplier's business reputation, compare market prices, and negotiate preferential terms on your behalf, reducing the risk of fraud or non-compliance in transactions with new international partners.

7. Verification of Approvals: We proactively identify all the permits, approvals, and certifications your product requires from entities such as ICA, INVIMA, the Ministry of Commerce, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, the National Mining Agency, and other regulatory authorities. We process these before the shipment departs, preventing cargo delays at the port that generate additional storage costs and supply chain disruptions.

8. Pre-settlement and Cost Settlement: Before committing to the operation, we provide a detailed pre-settlement with all total and unit costs: FOB value, international freight, insurance, import duties, VAT, agency fees, port taxes, storage, and inland transportation. The complete formula is: CIF Value × Customs Duty + (CIF Value + Customs Duty) × VAT + Logistics Expenses. No surprises at the end of the transaction.

9. Logistics Options Analysis: We evaluate and compare all available transportation alternatives for your operation: full container load (FCL) or less-than-container load (LCL) maritime freight, air freight, land freight, and multimodal transport, both for international distribution and domestic distribution. We analyze routes, transit times, shipping and airline rates, the most efficient ports of entry, and domestic distribution costs, designing the most cost-effective logistics solution for your product.

9. Coordination of Entry to Authorized Warehouses and Free Trade Zones: OTM and DTA Modalities: We manage the transfer of your merchandise from the port of arrival to an authorized warehouse (public or private) or a Free Trade Zone, with suspension of customs duties. We coordinate the two main modalities: the Customs Transit Declaration (DTA), where we act as declarants before the Colombian Tax and Customs Authority (DIAN), and the Multimodal Transport Operation (OTM), where the multimodal operator manages the continuation of the journey with a single transport document. This capability allows you to defer the payment of tariffs and VAT, partially nationalize the merchandise according to your inventory needs, and optimize the cash flow of your imports.

Operational Process:

A flawless customs process isn't a matter of luck; it's the result of a documented protocol executed by specialists. This is how we manage every operation.

1. Preliminary Analysis of the Operation: We classify the merchandise, identify required approvals, calculate the pre-settlement, and select the Incoterm and optimal route.

2. Document Management: We verify the commercial invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading or Air Waybill, certificate of origin, prior declarations, and other required documents.

3. Filing with the DIAN (Colombian Tax and Customs Authority): We submit the import or export declaration in the MUISCA system, with the advance declaration required by Decree 659 of 2024.

4. Selectivity Process: We manage the DIAN's selectivity process (green, yellow, or red channel) and coordinate inspections when required.

5. Customs Transit Document (DTA/OTM) if applicable: If the goods require transit to a free trade zone or authorized warehouse, we manage the DTA or the continuation of the OTM shipment with suspended duties.

6. Release and final settlement: We obtain the release of the goods, complete the final settlement of duties, and coordinate delivery to their final destination.

What you get when you hire Intradecon as your customs broker:

1. Zero exposure to DIAN sanctions: Our team has in-depth knowledge of the customs sanctions regime. Every declaration is reviewed before submission to eliminate errors that could lead to fines, withholdings, or administrative proceedings.

2. Optimal and defensible tariff classification: A correct classification can mean up to a 15% difference in the applicable tariff. Ours is technically sound and documented to withstand any DIAN audit.

3. Faster clearance: The advance declaration under Decree 659 of 2024, when properly managed, enables the green channel with immediate clearance. Unprepared operators face delays of days; our clients do not.

4. Knowledge of the actual cost before operating: The detailed pre-settlement of all total and unit costs allows you to make purchasing decisions with calculated, not estimated, profitability. No surprises at the bottom of the barrel.

5. Cash flow optimization with DTA and OTM: Customs transit allows you to defer payment of duties and VAT until you actually need the merchandise, freeing up working capital for your operations.

6. A responsive team, not a delegated one: Your company has direct access to the technical specialist managing your operation, not a call center. In a customs contingency, minutes matter. Intradecon responds with the decision-makers.

"Customs brokerage in Colombia involves coordination with multiple government entities. Our team is familiar with the procedures and requirements of each, ensuring that no process is left unfinished." Certified B Corporation™