The Legislature has approved a law reform that reduces to $300 fines for driving outside of established routes or non-compliance with the deadlines set for the customs transit regime.
From a statement issued by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador:
During the Plenary Session on Thursday, MPs authorized an amendment to article 6 of the Special Law to Sanction Customs Offenses, in order to reduce to fines of $300 for driving outside of established routes or failing to meet deadlines set for customs transit procedures.
With the new intermediate custom post built in Sonsonate, El Salvador, the idea is to relieve traffic of heavy transport moving through the border of La Hachadura.
Construction of the new intermediate customs facility has already started at Metalío, and it is expected to be ready to start operations within three months.
A court ruling has overturned the SAT resolutions authorizing Empresa Portuaria Quetzal y Terminal de Contenedores Quetzal to operate as temporary customs warehouses.
Although the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) has announced that it will be appealing the ruling given by the Second Administrative Appeals Chamber, the reality is that since June 28, the activities of the customs warehouses in Empresa Portuaria Quetzal (EPQ) have been suspended as well as those at the Terminal de Contenedores Quetzal (TCQ)."...The resolution orders that the SAT no longer has the customs service under its administration, which contravenes the Central American Customs Code CAUCA, therefore the Superintendency will file an appeal against the decision made by the Court."
With advice from the government of South Korea, the Customs Directorate is preparing a plan to implement an electronic dispatch system to expedite procedures.
From a statement issued by the Directorate General of Customs:
Officials from the Korean Customs Service, KCS, are in the country to make a diagnosis on the current status of customs in El Salvador, during the period from May 11 to June 8 of this year.
The Salvadoran business sector is opposed to the decision of President Sánchez Cerén to veto reforms to the customs simplification law, which established concrete measures to streamline foreign trade procedures.
From a statement issued by the Inter-Trade Commission for Trade Facilitation (CIFACIL):
The Trade Facilitation Commission (CIFACIL), which groups together seven production unions from El Salvador, deplores the decision of the President of the Republic, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, to veto the reforms to the Customs Simplification Law, which were aimed at advancing the adoption of concrete measures to facilitate trade and which will help overcome the stagnation of foreign trade by our country.
It has been announced that the service for processing foreign trade procedures between the customs posts Pedro de Alvarado and La Hachadura is to operate 24 hours a day.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy of Guatemala:
The export processing service between the customs posts Pedro de Alvarado and La Hachadura will operate continuously 24 hours a day as a result of pilot plan agreed between the authorities in Guatemala and El Salvador which aims to guarantee customs operations.
The business sector has applauded the approval of a reform to the Customs Simplification Law, which is expected to achieve the much needed speed in foreign trade procedures.
From a statement issued by the Inter-Trade Commission for Trade Facilitation (CIFACIL):
April 17, 2017.The Inter-Trade Commission for Trade Facilitation (CIFACIL), wishes to express its satisfaction with the approval of the reforms to the Customs Simplification Law.The Legislative Assembly approved this initiative with 43 votes from the parties GANA, ARENA, PCN and PDC, which represents a great step forward to improving and facilitating foreign trade which has been severely affected in recent years.
Complaints have been made about an increase in the number of companies whose goods are subject to physical inspection, which is causing delays of several days when clearing customs.
From a statement issued by the Intergremial Commission for Trade Facilitation (CIFACIL) of El Salvador:
In the absence of a commitment from the Directorate General of Customs (DGA), under the new administration which took office on November 1, 2016, for the implementation of measures to simplify and streamline the operations of foreign trade, and in the absence of a permanent communication with the productive sector, represented by business associations formed to promote public-private work.
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January 1 saw the coming into force of a new nomenclature, which extends Tariff System Codes to 10 digits.
The implementation of the Sixth Amendment to the nomenclature of the Tariff Description and Coding System (SAC by its initials in Spanish) and the extension to more digits of codes for goods that are exported and imported was approved by the World Customs Organization (WCO) on June 27, 2014 in order to maintain, in terms of tariff nomenclature, a common language which facilitates international exchange.
The union of exporters has reported losses of $145 million, and more than 12,000 shipping containers held up because of the blockades which have now been going on for more than a week.
Reports indicate that two shipping companies have suspended operations at the ports and announced they will not disembark because of "inability to ensure the safety of their staff."This is just one example of the serious damage caused to in the country by the blockades and demonstrations held by truckers for almost a week at customs offices and ports in Guatemala.
On January 1, 2017 the new nomenclature comes into force, which extends codes used in the Tariff System to 10 digits.
From a statement issued by the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI):
The Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI) held on this day a conference with the aim of informing its members about the implementation of the Sixth Amendment to the nomenclature in the System for Tariff Description and Coding (SAC) and the enlargement to ten digits of the codes for goods that are exported and imported.
Employers have pointed to limitations on the certificate extended by the Customs Office and doubt its efficiency as there is no certainty that it will be valid at the regional level.
The purpose of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status is to contribute in the implementation of safety guidelines in order to have a secure supply chain, but in El Salvador the certificate granted by the Directorate General of Customs has, in the opinion of local entrepreneurs, some limitations which hinders its optimal use. One of them is that the benefits only apply on the borders of El Salvador, without making any change to the market with the countries of Central America.
In the customs offices of Tecun Uman working hours have been extended both on the Guatemalan and Mexican side in order to allow passage of trucks which until now had been left stranded.
The Superintendent of Tax Administration is also operating an extraordinary timetable, a measure which could be extended for a few days, depending on what is decided at the end of the weekend.
Alcoholic beverages, technological equipment and chemical products are some of the products most affected by the disappearance of containers which has been denounced by the union of importers in Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican Chamber of Importers has expressed its concern at the "extreme" security measures which have to be taken to ensure that containers with imported goods reach their destination without being stolen in transit.Its director, Katherine Chaves, told Diarioextra.com that in some cases the containers disappear from thestorage zones.