Chile

• Labeling Requirements
• Oenological Practices (Winemaking Standards)
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Industrial Alcohol
• Tobacco Products
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The label of a beverage alcohol product must indicate, at minimum, the following:

• Product name and type (e.g. red wine) of product
• Country of Origin
• Bottler’s Name and Address
• Importer’s Name and Address/Distributor’s Name and Address (if different from importer)
• Alcohol Content (must be expressed in degrees Gay-Lussac; if original label contains this information in other units, an additional label must be placed on the bottle with the converted information)
• Net volume (must be expressed in metric units; if original label contains this information in other units, an additional label must be placed on the bottle with the converted information)
• Basic ingredient information (for cocktails, only)

Labels on wine bottles must also describe the origin, variety of grape, and year of harvest. At least 75% of the grapes used to produce the wine must fit the description used. The expression "Estate Bottled" or similar expressions may be used when the wine comes from grapes grown on lands owned or rented by the vineyard and located in the same geographical area as the denomination of origin. If a product is imported in bulk and bottled in Chile, the product’s label must clearly include the content’s country of origin and also mention the product was bottled in Chile, if that is the case.

The authority of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero or SAG) to enforce the labeling law is found under Article 35 of Law No. 18.455 (PDF in Spanish, only) and Article 63 of its regulations.

GM (Genetically Modified) Food Labeling:

Please refer to the GMO Labeling section of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s FAIRS reports for the most up-to-date information on changes in Chilean regulations concerning genetically modified organisms and food containing ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms. The 2013 FAIRS report contains further details.

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OENOLOGICAL PRACTICES (WINEMAKING STANDARDS)

The U.S. and Chile are signatories to the Mutual Acceptance Agreement on Oenological Practices, which recognizes differences in countries’ winemaking practices. Through this Agreement, signatory countries (U.S., Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, and New Zealand) accept that wine made in another signatory country should be allowed to be sold in its market, despite the differences in oenological practices. The Agreement, however, does not apply to variances in labeling regulations; therefore, U.S. exporters are still required to verify their labels are in accordance with Chilean regulations (refer to the Labeling Requirements section for more information).

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Refer to Import Procedures section below.

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LICENSING

The Chilean importer must first register as an importer of alcohol beverages with the Internal Revenue Service (Servicio de Impuestos Internos, or SII) and obtain a tax identification number or RUT.  Refer to the SII website for more information on these registration requirements.

Once registered with the SII, the Chilean importer must also register as an importer of alcohol beverages with the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Servicio Agricola y Ganadero, or SAG).  This process must be completed within 30 days of registering with the SII. Refer to the SAG website for more information on this registration requirement.

The Chilean importer must also complete a one-time registration for each alcohol beverage product in SAG’s Alcohol Beverage Registry, via the SAG website or in person.  In order to register the product, the importer must provide the following information:

• Name of the producer
• Brand and/or fanciful name
• Country of origin
• Generic composition of the product and list of ingredients
• Alcohol content

For further information, please visit SAG’s website on the registration requirements (in Spanish).

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IMPORT PROCEDURES

At the time of importation, the Chilean importer or their representative must fill out an application of inspection (and have previously completed required registrations, see Licensing section above, for details). The form to completed is known as a Certificate of Customs Destination (Certificado de Destinación Aduanera, or CDA), which is issued by SAG offices located at ports of entry.  The CDA must be accompanied by documents identifying the shipment and a sworn statement relating to the nature of the product being imported.

Distilled spirits are sampled at the port of entry by an inspector and analyzed in a SAG laboratory.  The product cannot be removed during this time, until the results of the analysis are complete, unless the importer requests the sampling be done at their warehouse.  If cleared, the product will be declared "suitable for import" ("apto para importar"), which means the product is free to clear Customs and to be entered into commerce, or "not suitable for import" ("no apto para importar"), which would require the product to be re-exported or destroyed.

The results of the sample analysis are communicated to the importer through a Notification Act (Acta de Notificación), which classifies the product and its final destination (e.g., warehouse, storage facility, etc.). Future importations of identical product are exempted from the sampling requirement for a two-year period.  Imported beer and wine produced in the United States are also exempt from the sampling requirement.

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INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL

Similar to importers of beverage alcohol products, an importer of industrial alcohol must first register with the SII. The SII will issue the importer a tax identification number (RUT), similar to an EIN number in the U.S.  Refer to the SII website for more information on this requirement.

Within 30 days of having registered with SII, the importer must also register with SAG, as an importer of alcohol. Refer to the SAG website for more information on this registration requirement.

In addition, the importer must also register for an ethyl alcohol purchase credential with SAG, which will allow the importer to import with alcohol for industrial purposes.  The importer must have previously completed the above registrations with the SII and SAG.  The permit must be renewed by January 31st of each year.

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TOBACCO

Tobacco importers are not required to obtain permits, but a certificate of origin must accompany all shipments in order for the product to be considered duty-free. Please also refer to the Import Procedures section for other documentation requirements.

Taxes on tobacco depend on the type of product to be imported: there is a 60.4% tax on cigarettes, 51% tax on cigars, and 57.4% tax on manufactured tobacco products (other than cigarettes).

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TAXES/TARIFFS

Wine, beer, and other alcohol beverages of domestic and/or import origin are subject to a tax, which is 27% for distilled spirits (e.g., vodka, whisky, etc.) and 15% for wine and beer.  Additionally, all alcohol beverages are subject to a 19% Value Added Tax (VAT).

For information on foreign tariffs that may apply to your product, please visit the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Import Tariffs Overview website.

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CONTACTS

The information in this guide was obtained from external sources, including the websites of various governmental agencies and organizations, direct contact with those agencies and organizations, and from Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Attaché reports. Consequently, the accuracy of this information depends upon the accuracy of the sources.

TTB is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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