Peru's Mincetur Establishes Provisions for Direct Transport in Trade Agreements

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) of Peru, in coordination with the National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration (Sunat), established the provisions for direct transport contemplated in the trade agreements signed by the country, in order to provide greater clarity and predictability in the evaluation by the customs authority and in the accreditation of said requirement by foreign trade operators.

According to the document, direct transport is a requirement of the rules of origin, stipulated in most agreements. Its purpose is to ensure that goods requesting preferential tariff treatment have not been diverted or traded in a third country during their transit from the exporting country to the importing country.

The provisions include temporary storage during the transit of goods through third countries not party to a trade agreement, providing facilities for foreign trade operators to accredit direct shipment.

Thus, importers will be able to prove that the goods were not subject to temporary storage in a non-party country, by means of a letter issued by the international transport company or by the international freight forwarder.

Likewise, in cases where transport documents covering the entire route from the exporting country to the importing country are not available, a letter issued by the international transport company or by the international freight forwarder may be presented, detailing the transshipment ports and vessels, confirming that the goods were not subject to operations other than those authorized in the corresponding trade agreement.

In the case of trade agreements that require justification for transit through third countries, due to geographical reasons or specific transport requirements, a letter issued by the international transport company or by the international freight forwarder supporting these circumstances may be presented.

Mincetur assured that with these actions, it reaffirms its commitment to provide greater clarity and legal certainty to foreign trade operators, promoting trade facilitation and ensuring greater utilization of existing trade agreements.