Shipping from China to Chile — City Guides, Customs and Transit Times
China → Chile · clearance by Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile
We move freight cargo from South China into Chile through SCL air / San Antonio sea. Chile is served through San Antonio, Valparaíso, Coronel, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
On the destination side, Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile handles clearance; budget 2–6 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
How this lane actually runs
Chile was the first South American country to sign a free trade agreement with China, and most goods now enter at 0% duty against a valid certificate of origin — leaving 19% IVA as the main landed-cost element. Clearance at San Antonio and Valparaíso is comparatively fast and predictable by regional standards, which makes Chile a common first market for exporters testing South America.
| Air gateways used | SCL (Santiago) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4–6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | San Antonio, Valparaíso, Coronel |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 26–35 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Chile | SCL air / San Antonio sea |
| Inland leg to Chile | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2–6 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Delivery cities in Chile
Principal delivery points: Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, Antofagasta, La Serena, Temuco. Pick a city for the gateway it uses and the inland leg beyond clearance.
What you will pay on arrival in Chile
Imports into Chile are cleared by Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile. The headline position is: IVA 19%; general duty 6%, but 0% on most goods under the China–Chile free trade agreement with a valid certificate of origin. The de-minimis threshold is USD 41 for courier consignments.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: SEC certification for electrical products; SAG clearance for wood packaging and agricultural goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Chile: FTA preference depends on a correctly issued certificate of origin; without it the 6% general rate applies. SAG inspects wood packaging strictly — ISPM-15 treatment must be visible and valid. SEC certification is required for electrical goods.
Air, sea or overland into Chile?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 4–6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 26–35 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Chile gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Chile and 2–6 days of clearance.
Pre-shipment checklist for Chile
- Put the Chile delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Chile lane.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Check the de-minimis position (USD 41 for courier consignments) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Chile take?
China to the Chile gateway is 4–6 business days by air, 26–35 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 2–6 days of clearance with Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile and a same-day inland leg to Chile.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Chile?
Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile applies: IVA 19%; general duty 6%, but 0% on most goods under the China–Chile free trade agreement with a valid certificate of origin. The de-minimis position is USD 41 for courier consignments. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Chile.
What certification do I need for Chile?
For regulated goods, plan for: SEC certification for electrical products; SAG clearance for wood packaging and agricultural goods. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Chile?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Chile?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via SCL (Santiago). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Chile?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 26–35 calendar days by sea versus 4–6 business days by air to the Chile gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Chile change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Servicio Nacional de Aduanas de Chile or your broker before you ship.
- Servicio Nacional de Aduanas
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
Page data last reviewed: July 2026.
Get a rate for Chile
This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.