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| Chile National Customs Service | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chile National Customs Service |
| Native name | Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile |
| Formed | 1974 |
| Preceding1 | Direccion General de Aduanas |
| Jurisdiction | Chile |
| Headquarters | Valparaíso |
| Chief1 name | (Director) |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Finance (Chile) |
Chile National Customs Service The Chile National Customs Service is the national authority responsible for customs administration, tariff collection, and border control in Chile. It operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Finance (Chile) and interacts with regional ports such as Valparaíso, San Antonio, Chile, and Antofagasta as well as international partners including World Customs Organization, World Trade Organization, and bilateral counterparts. The agency's mandate touches on trade facilitation, revenue protection, and enforcement of laws including the Customs Code of Chile and instruments deriving from treaties such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and Free Trade Agreement between Chile and the United States.
Chile's modern customs administration traces roots to colonial institutions operating in the Viceroyalty of Peru and later republican reforms in the Republic of Chile. Nineteenth-century measures following the War of the Pacific and the Chilean Civil War of 1891 shaped tariff regimes and port administration in Valparaíso and Iquique. The institutional precursor, the Dirección General de Aduanas, evolved through twentieth-century fiscal reforms associated with administrations like that of Arturo Alessandri and later technocratic restructuring during the 1970s led by governments linked to economic policy shifts involving figures such as Hernán Büchi. The formal establishment of the present service in 1974 followed broader public sector reorganizations and later legislative consolidation reflecting international commitments, including accession to GATT and participation in APEC frameworks.
The Service is organized with a central Directorate in Santiago, Chile and regional directorates in major maritime and land crossings including Punta Arenas, Iquique, and Colchane. Leadership appointments are tied to the Ministry of Finance (Chile) and interact with units modeled after organizational best practices promoted by the OECD. Internal departments cover revenue collection, risk management, legal affairs, anti-smuggling units, and operational divisions coordinating with municipal authorities like the Municipality of Valparaíso and port administrations such as the Empresa Portuaria San Antonio. The workforce comprises customs officers, analysts, and auxiliary staff with professional training linked to institutions like the University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Statutory responsibilities derive from the Customs Code of Chile and include collection of customs duties, application of tariff schedules aligned with the Harmonized System, administration of preferential origin rules under agreements such as the Mercosur–Chile agreements, and enforcement of prohibitions on contraband. The Service processes declarations for importers and exporters, issues customs clearances for shipments to and from zones like the Zona Franca de Iquique, and administers fiscal controls for excise regimes influenced by legislation such as the General Appropriation Law (Chile). It also enforces measures under international instruments including CITES listings and public health-related notifications coordinated with the Ministry of Health (Chile).
Operational activity centers on seaports, airports, and land borders. Key maritime terminals include Valparaíso, San Antonio, Chile, Antofagasta, and Puerto Montt, while airports such as Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport are focal points for air cargo controls. Land border posts at crossings like Chacalluta and Colchane integrate customs checks with adjacent agencies including the Carabineros de Chile and the Investigations Police of Chile. The Service administers bonded warehouses, free trade zones, and special economic areas, coordinating logistics with private terminal operators and shipping lines involved in trade routes transiting the Panama Canal or connecting to markets such as China and United States.
Enforcement tools derive from statutory powers granted by the Customs Code of Chile and related criminal and administrative procedure laws, enabling inspections, seizures, fines, and prosecutions for smuggling and evasion. The Service collaborates with prosecutorial bodies including the Public Ministry of Chile and courts such as the Supreme Court of Chile when pursuing litigation. Specialized anti-smuggling operations have targeted illegal flows tied to narcotics interdiction coordinated with international partners like Interpol and regional initiatives under the Andean Community framework. Judicial appeals and administrative disputes may reference Chilean constitutional protections adjudicated in venues such as the Constitutional Court of Chile.
Modernization programs have introduced electronic systems for declarations, risk analysis platforms, and cargo tracking interoperable with standards promoted by the World Customs Organization and interoperable trade single windows aligning with WTO trade facilitation principles. Electronic processing initiatives link to maritime information systems used by terminals like ESI providers and employ databases for tariff classification using the Harmonized System. Investments in scanners, non-intrusive inspection equipment, and data analytics have been implemented in partnership with vendors and technical assistance from organizations including the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Service engages multilaterally through the World Customs Organization, APEC, and regional trade arrangements like Mercosur accession talks and multiple bilateral free trade agreements with partners including China, United States, and European Union. Cooperation includes mutual administrative assistance, information exchange under customs mutual assistance protocols, and joint operations with counterparts such as the United States Customs and Border Protection and Argentina Customs Administration. Technical cooperation projects have been supported by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to strengthen compliance, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling capacity.