Customs Clearance for Colombia–USA Exports

Every export from Colombia to the United States has to clear customs twice — once to leave Colombia and once to enter the US. Connecta Logistics manages both ends of that chain as a single service: we file the DEX (Export Declaration) with the DIAN, prepare your Certificate of Origin under the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, confirm the right HS tariff classification (partida arancelaria), and coordinate the CBP formal entry on the US side. You deal with one team and one point of accountability, not a Colombian agent on one side and an unknown US broker on the other.

What does customs clearance for a Colombia–USA export involve?

Think of it as one document trail that follows your cargo across two customs authorities. On the Colombian side, the DIAN authorizes the goods to leave the country; on the US side, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorizes them to enter and assesses any duty. Each authority needs specific paperwork, issued by a specific party, for a specific purpose. Here is how the chain fits together:

What happens on the Colombian export side?

Export clearance in Colombia runs through the DIAN's MUISCA platform. For shipments over USD 10,000 FOB, a full DEX (Export Declaration) is mandatory; smaller shipments use a Simplified Export Declaration. Once the DEX is accepted, the SAE (Shipment Authorization Request) clears your cargo for loading. In parallel, we prepare the Certificate of Origin so your goods can claim preferential treatment on arrival. We classify your products, gather the commercial documents, and file everything before the cargo moves — so the paperwork is never the thing holding up your shipment.

What happens on the US import side?

When your cargo reaches the United States, it needs a formal entry with CBP. Until August 29, 2025, many low-value shipments cleared under the Section 321 De Minimis exemption with no formal entry and no duty. That exemption is now suspended, so every commercial shipment from Colombia requires a formal CBP entry, supported by a customs bond and the correct classification and valuation. The good news: the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (in force since 2012) remains fully active, so most qualifying Colombian-origin goods still enter at 0% duty — as long as the Certificate of Origin and HS classification are in order. That is exactly the documentation we prepare up front.

Why does a single point of accountability matter?

Most Colombian freight providers sub-contract the US side and hand you off to a broker they do not control. Connecta Logistics operates directly from our own warehouse in Miami, Florida, and coordinates the CBP entry as part of the same service that files your DEX in Colombia. One contract covers pickup, export clearance, transit, US customs and delivery — so when a customs question comes up, there is one team that already has your file, not two vendors pointing at each other. That continuity is what keeps qualifying shipments moving at 0% duty and on schedule.