Ship to Colombia by ocean FCL or LCL into Cartagena (Buenaventura on the Pacific) or by air into Bogotá (BOG): 3 to 7 days by sea from Miami plus inland trucking, 1 to 2 days by air, DIAN clearance with an advance declaration 48 hours before arrival, and 19% VAT.
Colombia is a two-coast, two-direction market. Imports arrive on the Caribbean coast at Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta, or on the Pacific at Buenaventura, then climb into the Andes to reach Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, so the inland leg weighs as much as the ocean leg. Exports are just as significant for a Miami-based shipper: Colombian flowers, coffee and fresh produce move north every day, much of it by air into Miami. On the regulatory side, Colombia is demanding and getting stricter: the Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN) requires an advance import declaration at least 48 hours before arrival, VAT on imports is 19%, and since June 2026 a new customs sanctions law, Law 2586 of 2026, defines the fines and seizure procedures that apply when obligations are not met. Shippers who file correctly and on time clear quickly; shippers who do not face real penalties.
Ocean freight from Miami reaches Cartagena in 3 to 7 days port to port, air freight to Bogotá or Medellín takes 1 to 2 days, and Asian cargo needs 25 to 40 days, before the inland trucking leg.
| Route & mode | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Miami to Cartagena / Barranquilla, ocean LCL | 7-14 days, including consolidation | distributor restocks, mixed pallets under 15 CBM |
| Miami / US East Coast to Cartagena, ocean FCL | 3-7 days port to port | full loads, consumer goods, machinery |
| Miami to Bogotá (BOG), air freight | 1-2 days | electronics, pharma, spare parts |
| Colombia to Miami (MIA), air freight (perishables) | 1-2 days | cut flowers, fresh produce |
| China / Asia to Buenaventura, ocean FCL | 25-40 days, direct or via Panama | factory orders, electronics, steel |
| Europe to Cartagena, ocean FCL | 14-24 days | machinery, chemicals, food and beverages |
Transit times are indicative and do not include the inland leg to Bogotá, Medellín or Cali. Colombia is not part of the IWF published LCL rate table, so request a quote for current pricing. In Colombia the clock that matters most is not the sailing but the 48-hour filing deadline, which shapes every step below.
Shipping to Colombia follows eight steps, and the advance import declaration fixes the timeline: final documents must reach the customs agency well before the 48-hour cut-off.
Cartagena is the main entry point for US ocean cargo: services from Miami and the US East and Gulf coasts reach it in three to seven days, and Barranquilla and Santa Marta add Caribbean coast options for cargo bound for the north of the country. From the coast, containers move inland by truck, a trip of several days to Bogotá, so delivery planning has to include the road leg, not only the sailing.
Miami is the consolidation hub for US suppliers selling into Colombia. Pallets from several vendors are received, checked against invoices and loaded into consolidated containers to Cartagena. Consolidation needs particular care for Colombia because the advance import declaration must be filed at least 48 hours before arrival, which means the importer's broker needs final documents early; our explainer on how LCL container shipping works covers the cut-off logic. Full loads move as container shipping to Colombia in 20ft or 40ft equipment.
Air freight from Miami International (MIA) to El Dorado International (BOG) in Bogotá, or José María Córdova (MDE) near Medellín, takes one to two days. Air freight to Colombia is the standard mode for electronics, pharmaceuticals, spare parts and any cargo whose value justifies skipping the coast-to-highlands trucking leg. Colombia shares a long land border with Venezuela, but the two markets are planned separately: shipping to Venezuela adds a US sanctions screening step and has no trade agreement with the US, while Colombian imports run on DIAN's advance declaration and the CTPA.
Asian cargo reaches Colombia on two routings: Pacific services into Buenaventura, direct or after a transshipment, in 25 to 40 days from Chinese ports, or relays through Panama or another Caribbean hub to Cartagena. Buenaventura is the closest port to Cali and the southwest, while cargo for Bogotá and the Caribbean coast moves through the Panama relay; the Canal terminals that make this possible are covered in our guide to shipping to Panama. The choice depends on the final destination inside Colombia more than on the ocean leg, because the inland trucking from either coast is long.
LCL from Asia takes longer than FCL because consolidated cargo waits for both the origin consolidation and the transshipment. Buyers who also purchase in the US can route Asian goods via Miami and combine them into one consolidated container to Cartagena, simplifying the advance declaration and clearance to a single entry.
European cargo arrives at Cartagena and Barranquilla on direct or relayed services in 14 to 24 days, and qualifying EU-origin goods pay preferential duties under Colombia's trade agreement with the European Union when origin is correctly documented. Machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, vehicles and food products are the main European flows. Ecuador and Peru belong to the same EU agreement, so importers buying for several Andean markets apply one origin workflow, as our guide to shipping to Ecuador explains for Guayaquil. Every one of these routings ends at a Colombian port or airport.
Cartagena is Colombia's main container port, Buenaventura its Pacific gateway, and El Dorado (BOG) in Bogotá its main air cargo airport.
Colombian imports clear through the Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN) under Decree 1165 of 2019, as amended, and the defining rule is the mandatory advance import declaration filed at least 48 hours before the cargo arrives, according to the U.S. Commercial Service guide to Colombian customs regulations.
Law 2586 of 2026: Colombia's new customs sanctions and seizure regime, Law 2586 of 2026, was issued on June 19, 2026 (Diario Oficial 53.527). It replaces Decree Law 920 of 2023, which the Constitutional Court struck down in ruling C-072 of 2025. The court gave Congress until June 20, 2026 to issue a replacement. The law classifies infractions as minor, serious and very serious, with fines set in UVT tax units that rise with each level, regulates DIAN's seizure procedure and preventive measures, and creates a Seizure Review Committee (Comité de Revisión de Aprehensiones). It rewards voluntary correction: an operator who corrects a minor infraction, with no other in the previous three years, avoids a monetary penalty. For importers, the message is that accurate declarations and prompt corrections now carry clear benefits, and errors carry defined consequences. Once the declaration is accepted, the tax bill follows.
Most US goods enter Colombia duty free under the Trade Promotion Agreement, but nearly every import pays 19% VAT, and goods from non-preferential origins pay duties of up to 20%.
For Chinese and other non-preferential origins, the MFN tariff applies in full and VAT compounds on top. Claiming the CTPA rate depends on the document set.
A Colombian import needs the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, the advance import declaration filed 48 hours before arrival and, for shipments of $5,000 FOB or more, the Andean Customs Value Declaration.
Regulated products need those agency approvals before the advance declaration can be filed.
Colombia controls food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, agricultural products and certain chemicals through prior approvals filed on VUCE; some products also need an import registration or license through VUCE, so check the HS code before shipping.
Choose by the final inland destination as much as by volume: LCL fits 2 to 15 CBM, FCL wins above 15 CBM, and air into Bogotá or Medellín beats ocean plus trucking for small, high-value cargo.
Which mode wins also depends on what moves, and Colombia's freight runs in both directions.
Colombia imports machinery and equipment, vehicles and parts, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, steel and consumer goods, supplying an industrial base concentrated around Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla. Construction and mining add demand for heavy equipment and spare parts, and retail chains run steady consolidated flows of US-sourced goods.
The northbound flow is just as important for a Miami forwarder. Colombia is a leading exporter of cut flowers, and US Customs and Border Protection has reported that Miami International Airport handles roughly 89% of fresh-cut flower imports into the United States, most of them from Colombia and Ecuador. Shippers moving product north can see our page on shipping containers from Colombia to the USA, and perishables rely on cold chain solutions from farm to Miami. We cover that flower lane in detail in our guide to Colombian cut flowers to the US and the cold chain through Miami.
Colombia demands timing and documentation discipline: advance declarations filed on time, invoices that match the Andean value declaration, and a delivery plan that includes the inland leg. Interworld Freight has operated from Miami since 1992, with a Miami warehouse for receiving and consolidation, ocean FCL and LCL, air freight and customs coordination with Colombian brokers. For shippers serving several South and Central American markets, our guide to shipping from Miami to Latin America shows the hub model in full. Quotes are answered within one business day.
Ocean freight from Miami to Cartagena takes three to seven days port to port for a full container, plus consolidation time for LCL and several days of trucking to inland cities. Air freight to Bogotá or Medellín takes one to two days. From China, allow 25 to 40 days.
Freight cost depends on volume, equipment, season and the inland leg from the coast, so request a current quote: LCL is priced per cubic meter, FCL per container and air per chargeable kilogram. Landed cost adds 19% VAT, duty on non-preferential goods, customs agency fees and trucking to Bogotá, Medellín or Cali.
It is a declaration that importers must file with DIAN at least 48 hours before the cargo arrives, mandatory for nearly all merchandise under Decree 659 of 2024. Late filing exposes the shipment to penalties and delays.
It is Colombia's new customs sanctions and seizure regime, issued on June 19, 2026, replacing Decree Law 920 of 2023 after the Constitutional Court struck it down. It classifies infractions as minor, serious and very serious, regulates DIAN seizures and rewards voluntary correction.
The general VAT rate is 19%, applied at import. A reduced 5% rate and specific exemptions apply to listed goods.
Yes. The US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement has been in force since May 15, 2012, and after its ten-year phase-out most US consumer and industrial goods enter duty free, provided origin is documented. Goods from non-preferential origins pay MFN duties from 0% to 20%, and VAT applies to both.
Yes. Importers need a NIT and RUT registration with DIAN, registration on VUCE and an ONAC-certified digital signature. Regulated products also need INVIMA or ICA approvals.
Photo: Container port, Cartagena, Colombia. Joe Ross from Lansing, Michigan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.