How to import from Colombia to the US: the Colombian side, the US side and who does what

Colombia sells the US coffee, flowers, fruit, apparel, cosmetics and a long list of manufactured goods, and many US businesses (boutiques, distributors, roasters, online sellers) want to buy directly from Colombian producers. The product is rarely the hard part. The hard part is that an import from Colombia involves two countries, two customs authorities and two sets of paperwork, and most guides only explain one of them.

This guide covers both. It explains what happens on the Colombian side, what happens on the US side, who is responsible for each step and what changed in 2025. If your supplier has never exported, we can act as the Colombian exporter of record so you can export from Colombia without the supplier setting up anything.

How to import from Colombia to the USA: the process at a glance

	Colombian side (export)	US side (entry)
Who is responsible	The exporter, or a trading company acting as exporter of record	The importer of record, usually the US buyer
Main filing	Export declaration with DIAN, Colombia’s customs authority	Customs entry with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Supporting documents	Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document	The same, plus any agency permits the product needs
Origin	Information needed to certify Colombian origin	The importer claims preferential treatment under the trade agreement
Product controls	Colombian permits if the product requires them	FDA, USDA or labeling rules depending on the product
Taxes	Exports pay no duties in Colombia	Duties by classification and origin, plus any additional tariffs in force

The practical consequence: nobody in Colombia can clear your goods into the US for you. Someone in the US has to be the importer of record.

What does the Colombian side of the export require?

For a shipment to leave Colombia legally, the exporter has to:

1. Classify the product under its tariff code, which also determines US duties and agency rules.
2. Get Colombian permits if the product needs them, for example sanitary or phytosanitary certificates for food and plants.
3. Issue the commercial invoice and packing list, with a precise description, quantities, values and the agreed Incoterm.
4. Prepare the origin information needed for duty-free treatment under the trade agreement.
5. File the export declaration with DIAN and ship.
6. Receive the payment from abroad through Colombia’s foreign-exchange system.

If your supplier has never exported

Many small Colombian producers have great products and no export experience: no exporter registration, no customs broker, no idea how to receive a foreign payment. That does not have to stop the deal.

A Colombian trading company can act as exporter of record: the export goes out in its name, and it takes responsibility for the legal, customs and foreign-exchange side in Colombia. The condition is that payment comes from abroad to the trading company, which then pays the supplier. That is exactly how Excolbi works for US buyers: you deal with your supplier; we handle the Colombian export.

What does the US side of the import require?

On arrival, the goods must be entered with CBP by an importer of record: the person or company responsible for the declaration, the duties and compliance. In practice:

• Importer of record. Usually the US buyer. It needs to be identified to CBP and is legally responsible for the entry.
• Customs bond. Most commercial entries require a bond, either for a single entry or continuous.
• Licensed customs broker. Most importers hire one to file the entry and the entry summary on their behalf.
• Importer Security Filing (ISF). For ocean shipments, certain data must be transmitted to CBP before the cargo is loaded in Colombia.

Then come the agency rules, which depend on the product:

Product	What the US typically requires
Coffee, food and beverages	FDA food facility registration and prior notice for each shipment
Flowers and fresh fruit	USDA inspection at entry; phytosanitary certificate from Colombia
Cosmetics	FDA requirements for cosmetics, including labeling
Apparel and textiles	Fiber content, country of origin, manufacturer identity and care labels (FTC rules)
Handicrafts and décor	Usually no prior registration; watch wood and natural fibers

This table is a guide. Your customs broker confirms the exact requirements for your product before you buy.

Are goods from Colombia duty-free in the US?

The US–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement has been in force since May 15, 2012. Under it, most Colombian goods are eligible to enter the US duty-free if the importer claims preferential treatment and can support it with a certification of origin, which can be prepared by the importer, the exporter or the producer. Without that claim, the general duty rate applies.

In 2025 two things changed:

• Additional tariffs. The US introduced additional tariffs by executive action that may apply on top of the product’s normal rate, and the rates changed several times. Check the rate in force for your product at the time of entry.
• End of de minimis. Since August 29, 2025, under Executive Order 14324, low-value commercial shipments no longer enter duty-free: they need an entry and may pay duties, however small they are.

Air or ocean?

Small, urgent shipments and samples usually travel by courier. From about 100 kilos per shipment, air cargo is the practical option: it costs roughly half of an express courier because it is charged per kilo of cargo rather than per package, and it is delivered to the destination airport, where your broker clears it. That is how our air freight from Colombia service works, with cargo received in Medellín or Bogotá. Large, non-urgent volumes go by ocean. How to choose between the three, in shipping from Colombia to the US.

What the US buys from Colombia

Beyond oil and gold, the US buys from Colombia cut flowers, coffee, bananas and other fruit, apparel, cosmetics and a growing range of manufactured goods. Each category has its own entry rules, so the product decision and the compliance plan go together. Product by product, in what the US imports from Colombia.

Before you buy

Tell us what you want to buy, from whom and how you plan to pay. We will tell you what the Colombian side requires, whether your supplier can export on their own and what your US broker will need from us. The consultation is free.

Sources

• US Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov): importer of record, entry process, customs bonds and Importer Security Filing.
• Office of the US Trade Representative and CBP: US–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, in force since May 15, 2012.
• The White House, Executive Order 14324: suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment, effective August 29, 2025.
• US Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture and Federal Trade Commission: product-specific entry and labeling rules.
• DIAN (dian.gov.co): Colombian export declaration.