Shipping guide · Americas

Shipping from China and Hong Kong to Colombia

Colombia has coasts on two oceans, and for cargo from Asia that is the central planning question: Buenaventura on the Pacific is the shorter sea route, Cartagena on the Caribbean has the better infrastructure and connectivity.

Talk to us about Colombia

Customs authority: DIAN, Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales
Advance filing: The import declaration is filed before arrival for most shipments
Import VAT: IVA, standard rate 19 percent
Geography: Pacific and Caribbean coasts, each with a different routing logic
Customs agent: A licensed customs agency is required above the value threshold
Main entry points: Buenaventura and Cartagena by sea, Bogota by air

Buenaventura is closer to Asia and closer to Cali and the industrial southwest, but its inland road connection to Bogota crosses difficult terrain and has historically been the weak link. Cartagena is a longer sail, often with a transhipment, but it is efficient, well connected and the natural choice for cargo destined to the north and the Caribbean coast.

For Bogota, which is the largest market, both work and the decision comes down to the specific service, the season and the state of the inland corridor. It is one of the few countries where recalculating the routing per shipment genuinely pays.

Colombian customs requires the import declaration to be filed in advance of arrival for most shipments. That is a useful discipline when it is planned for, and a source of delay when it is not.

Where cargo lands

Main freight and distribution centres

Bogota

The dominant market and the main air gateway, inland at altitude and served by road from both coasts.

Medellin

The second industrial centre, with textile, manufacturing and retail import flows.

Cali

The southwestern industrial city, closest to Buenaventura and the natural destination for Pacific cargo.

Barranquilla and Cartagena

The Caribbean coast, with port infrastructure, free zones and industrial activity.

Sea freight

Ports of entry and what they mean for your cargo

Buenaventura

The main Pacific port and the shortest sea route from Asia, serving Cali and the southwest directly. The inland road corridor to Bogota is the constraint to plan around.

Cartagena

The most efficient Colombian port, on the Caribbean, with strong transhipment connectivity and good inland links.

Barranquilla and Santa Marta

Caribbean ports handling bulk, containers and industrial cargo, with free zones alongside.

Pacific versus Caribbean is the real decision. Buenaventura is shorter at sea and better for the southwest; Cartagena is better run and better connected for everything else.

The inland corridor from Buenaventura to Bogota has been the historical weak point, with terrain and weather both playing a part. When the cargo is time sensitive, that risk belongs in the routing choice.

Colombian free zones are used actively for distribution and light manufacturing, and they can defer duty and VAT until goods leave the zone, which is worth considering for stock rather than direct sales.

Air freight

Airports and when air is the right answer

Bogota El Dorado (BOG)

The main air cargo gateway in the country and one of the busiest in Latin America, with full customs facilities.

Medellin Rionegro (MDE)

Serves the second market directly with genuine cargo capability.

Cali (CLO)

Regional gateway for the southwest.

Bogota has strong air cargo infrastructure by regional standards, so urgent shipments into Colombia are generally well served once they reach the Americas.

Air freight from Asia routes through a hub, usually in North America, so the transit is longer than for a direct market and adds a transit jurisdiction.

Indicative transit times

How long the movement usually takes

Sea FCL, South China to BuenaventuraAround 25 to 34 days port to portThe shorter Pacific routing. Add the inland leg to Bogota where relevant.
Sea FCL, South China to CartagenaAround 32 to 45 days port to portUsually with a transhipment, but arriving at the better connected port.
Sea LCL, South China to ColombiaAround 38 to 52 days door to doorConsolidation and deconsolidation add time at both ends.
Air freight, Hong Kong or South China to BogotaAround 6 to 10 days door to doorVia a hub, including handling and clearance.

These ranges are indicative and exist to help you plan. Real transit time depends on the service, the season, the routing and the clearance itself, and we confirm it per shipment rather than publish it as a promise.

Customs

How clearance into Colombia actually works

The competent authority is DIAN, Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales.

Colombia requires an advance import declaration for most shipments, filed before the goods arrive. Planning for it means the cargo can be released promptly; ignoring it means the process starts only once storage charges have already begun.

IVA at 19 percent applies to imports and is recoverable by registered businesses. Duty depends on the tariff classification and Colombia applies protective rates to certain categories, particularly textiles, clothing and footwear.

A licensed customs agency must act for imports above the value threshold, and in practice most commercial shipments use one.

DIAN applies valuation controls, and textiles and footwear in particular are subject to reference pricing and additional scrutiny. Declaring a value that looks implausible attracts inspection rather than saving money.

A foreign company without a Colombian entity needs a local importer or an importer of record arrangement, since the declarant must be established in Colombia.

Documentation

What you need to have ready

Commercial invoice

Value, terms and a clear description consistent with the transport document.

Packing list

Piece counts, weights and dimensions per package.

Bill of Lading or Air Waybill

The transport contract and the release instrument.

Advance import declaration

Filed before arrival for most shipments.

Colombian tax identification (NIT)

For the importer of record.

Certificate of origin

Where a trade agreement provides preferential treatment.

INVIMA or ICA registration

For food, health products, cosmetics and agricultural goods, obtained before import.

Technical conformity certificate

For regulated products subject to Colombian technical regulations.

Controlled and restricted goods

What gets stopped, and why

Textiles, clothing and footwear face protective measures, reference pricing and heightened scrutiny. This is the most common area of difficulty for importers from Asia.
Food, medicines, cosmetics and health products require INVIMA registration, obtained before the goods arrive, not afterwards.
Plants, wood and animal products fall under ICA with phytosanitary requirements.
Regulated products, including many electrical goods, require conformity certification against Colombian technical regulations.
Security screening is thorough given the country history with contraband, and legitimate cargo is occasionally caught in it.
Wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15.

Working with Velonex

What clients usually bring us in for on this lane

Choosing between the Pacific and Caribbean routings on the specifics of the shipment rather than by habit, since the right answer changes with the destination city.
Textile and footwear importers dealing with reference pricing and protective measures, where documentation and valuation have to be defensible.
Using the advance declaration properly so the cargo clears quickly instead of accruing storage while paperwork catches up.
Companies using Colombian free zones for regional distribution, deferring duty and VAT until the goods actually move.
Foreign companies with no Colombian entity, who need an importer of record structure in place before shipping.

Get a quote

Tell us what needs to move to Colombia

We listen before we quote. Share the cargo, the deadline and the constraint, and we will come back with a route that accounts for all three, the documents it will need and a timeline we can stand behind.

Your details

Includes your name, company name and email address

Shipment route

Includes your pickup location and destination

Cargo type

Includes the type of cargo you are shipping

Special requirements

Includes a short note about your challenge

Timeline

Includes your desired timeline

Your quote

A tailored response based on everything above

Corporate logistics partner

Trust, clarity and operational follow through for complex cargo.

Not ready for a quote? Email info@velonex-hk.com or message us on WhatsApp with the question and we will answer it.

Sources

Where this information comes from

General guidance, last reviewed August 2026. Customs rules and product requirements change, and the treatment of any specific shipment depends on its classification, origin and value. Confirm the detail with us or with the authority before you commit to a movement.

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