Colombia Provides Duty-Free Treatment to Low-Value Postal and Courier Shipments

Not long after Mexico announced that it was increasing its single tax rate for postal and courier imports that benefit from simplified entry procedures, Colombia took the opposite route by providing duty-free and VAT-free treatment to such shipments with an FOB value of US$200 and below, not including delivery costs. Previously, low-value postal shipments (except for correspondence) as well as courier shipments were exempt from VAT but faced a duty of 10 percent. Subject merchandise must still be entered under HTSCO 9807.10.0000 (postal) and 9807.20.0000 (courier).

Colombian authorities indicate that this action is aimed at boosting e-commerce, one of the most successful sectors during the pandemic, while complying with the provisions of the World Trade Organisation Trade Facilitation Agreement. In this last regard, in early August Colombia formally notified the WTO that it had ratified the TFA.