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| Servicio Nacional de Aduanas (Chile) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Servicio Nacional de Aduanas |
| Native name | Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile |
| Formed | 1979 |
| Preceding1 | Dirección de Aduanas de Chile |
| Jurisdiction | Santiago, Chile |
| Headquarters | Valparaíso |
| Employees | 4,000 (approx.) |
| Chief1 name | Director Nacional |
| Parent agency | Ministerio de Hacienda (Chile) |
Servicio Nacional de Aduanas (Chile) is the Chilean customs administration responsible for fiscal control of cross-border trade, revenue collection and enforcement of import-export regulations. It operates across ports, airports and land borders coordinating with fiscal, security and trade institutions to facilitate legitimate commerce while combating smuggling and fraud. The agency interacts with international organizations, bilateral partners and regional blocs to align procedures with global customs practices.
The origins trace to 19th-century colonial customs practices centered in Valparaíso and Santiago, Chile, evolving through reforms during the presidency of Pedro Aguirre Cerda and later codifications under administrations such as Arturo Alessandri Palma and Eduardo Frei Montalva. Institutional consolidation accelerated under Augusto Pinochet era restructurings leading to the creation of the modern customs service by statute in 1979, succeeding earlier entities like the Dirección de Aduanas. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the service adapted to regional integration efforts with Mercosur partners and bilateral agreements such as those negotiated with Estados Unidos, China, Unión Europea, and Canadá, while participating in multilateral forums including the Organización Mundial de Aduanas and the Comunidad Andina technical dialogues. Recent leadership changes have aligned customs policy with fiscal priorities established by Ministerio de Hacienda (Chile) ministers and legislative reforms promoted in the Congreso Nacional de Chile.
The agency is structured into a central Dirección Nacional headquartered in Santiago, Chile with regional Direcciones zonales located in major ports and border crossings like Iquique, Arica, Chile, Antofagasta, Punta Arenas, and Chacalluta Airport. Key internal divisions report to the Director Nacional including the División de Fiscalización, División de Política Aduanera, División de Operaciones, Unidad Jurídica and Unidad de Inteligencia. It maintains coordination units with the Servicio de Impuestos Internos (Chile), Carabineros de Chile, Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, Armada de Chile, and Aeronáutica de Chile for maritime and aeronautical operations. The organizational chart integrates administrative directorates, customs offices at points of entry, and special units for trade facilitation and anti-smuggling.
Primary functions include collection of customs duties and tariffs administered alongside the Servicio de Impuestos Internos (Chile), enforcement of tariff classification under the Arancel Aduanero, administration of preferential regimes derived from treaties like the Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (in comparative frameworks) and bilateral Tratado de Libre Comercio de Chile–China, and application of non-tariff measures tied to agencies such as the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero and Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile. Competencies extend to customs valuation, origin verification under rules of origin negotiated in accords with Unión Europea, issuance of customs clearances, transit regimes, and bonded warehouses oversight. The service executes seizure, forfeiture and sanctioning actions coordinated with the Poder Judicial de Chile and fiscal prosecutors like the Ministerio Público de Chile.
The legal framework rests on national laws enacted by the Congreso Nacional de Chile, including the Ley de Aduanas and complementary regulations promulgated by the Ministerio de Hacienda (Chile), as well as decrees and ordinances from the Director Nacional. International obligations derive from accession to instruments administered by the Organización Mundial de Aduanas, commitments under Acuerdo General sobre Aranceles Aduaneros y Comercio precedents in trade rounds, and bilateral Acuerdo de Asociacións. Regulatory interaction involves agencies such as the Servicio Nacional de Menores in specific control contexts and compliance with standards from the Organización de las Naciones Unidas specialized bodies. Judicial review of administrative acts is processed through the Corte Suprema de Chile and appellate procedures within the Chilean legal system.
Operational deployment covers maritime facilities at ports like Valparaíso, San Antonio, Chile, and Talcahuano, aerial operations at airports including Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez and Aeropuerto Diego Aracena, and land controls at crossings such as Paso Los Libertadores and Paso de Jama. Field units employ risk profiling, targeting and inspections coordinated with Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, Subsecretaría de Salud Pública, and law enforcement partners like Carabineros de Chile and Policía de Investigaciones de Chile for interdiction of narcotics, weapons and contraband. The service participates in joint operations with international partners such as Interpol and regional initiatives with ALADI to dismantle smuggling networks and enforce sanctions related to transnational crime addressed with the Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública (Chile).
Customs modernization has emphasized electronic cargo manifests, single-window platforms interoperable with systems used by Servicio de Impuestos Internos (Chile), adoption of the Modelo SAFE standards promoted by the Organización Mundial de Aduanas, and implementation of non-intrusive inspection scanners at ports coordinated with the Armada de Chile and private terminal operators like Terminal Pacífico Sur Valparaíso. Investments include data analytics, risk management software, blockchain pilot projects in trade facilitation aligned with initiatives from Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo and technical assistance from Banco Mundial. Collaboration extends to academic partners including Universidad de Chile and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile for research on supply chain security and customs policy.
Performance indicators monitor revenue collection relative to forecasts set by the Ministerio de Hacienda (Chile), clearance times at points of entry, seizure counts in coordination with Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, and trade facilitation metrics reported to the Organización Mundial de Aduanas. Annual reports present statistics on import-export volumes with major trading partners such as China, Estados Unidos, Brasil, Argentina, and Unión Europea members, container throughput at terminals like Terminal San Antonio S.A. and air cargo volumes through Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez. Trends track shifts in commodity flows including minerals from Codelco, agricultural exports coordinated with SAG, and manufactured goods tied to firms like Enap and SQM, informing policy adjustments and operational priorities.