Friday, 31 December 2021 03:50

New Central American Tariff System to take effect january 1, 2022

Written by Evelyn Alas

The Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) announced that as of january 1, 2022, the new Sistema Arancelario Centroamericano (SAC 2022), which was adapted to the seventh amendment of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System of the World Customs Organization (WCO), and was approved by Consejo de Ministros de Integración Económica (COMIECO), will come into force.

The SAC is a tool that helps classify goods in foreign trade operations and is updated every 5 years to meet new trends in international trade.

These reforms are only related to the nomenclature (codes and descriptions) and do not affect Import Tariff Duties (DAI). 

Likewise, the WCO's mission is to increase the efficiency of Customs administrations around the world, and to achieve this it must:

Establish, apply, support and promote international instruments for the harmonization and uniform implementation of simplified and efficient customs procedures and systems governing the movement of goods, persons and means of transport across customs borders.

Enhance the efforts of members to ensure compliance with their legislation, seeking to maximize the level of cooperation among themselves and with other international organizations to combat customs violations and other crimes committed at the international level.