Onboarding Process and Incentives
Transparency and compliance at every step.
We establish clear guidelines and requirements for commercial and industrial users wishing to operate at our port terminal in Cartagena. Our goal is to ensure regulatory compliance, transparent processes and efficient onboarding, enabling every logistics operation to develop safely and in an orderly manner.
Requirements and Documentation
- Description of the Project to be developed.
- Determination of the capital composition, indicating its domestic or foreign origin.
- Cardique’s assessment of the project’s ecological impact.
- Bank and trade references.
- Name or legal business name and address of the applicant. Taxpayer Identification Number, legal representative, alternates, members of the Board of Directors and partners, except for partners and shareholders of corporations or limited partnerships with shares.
- Commit to obtaining certification for procedures, services, infrastructure, technology, and other elements inherent to the development of its activities, issued by the National Tax and Customs Directorate or a third party authorized by it, within two (2) years of qualification as an Industrial or Commercial User of the Free Trade Zone.
- A written statement, made under oath by the legal representative of the applying legal entity, indicating that neither the representative nor their partners have been convicted of non-negligent crimes during the five (5) years preceding the qualification application. This requirement does not apply to shareholders when the legal entity is incorporated as a corporation.
- An economic and financial feasibility study for the project demonstrating its soundness and export capacity. Export projections.
Incentives
By operating through our port terminal in Cartagena, commercial and industrial users gain access to strategic advantages designed to optimize their logistics processes and strengthen their competitiveness. Below, we outline the key benefits that support our operations and add value to every service.
Commercial Users
Tax
- Industrial users of goods and services pay a flat 15% income tax rate.
- Exemption from tax on the repatriation of profits.
- No tariffs or VAT on goods brought into the Free Trade Zone, including capital goods, for as long as they remain there.
- 20% tax exemption on interest and technical service payments in the Free Trade Zone.
- Users are not subject to export commitments and may sell part of their production in the domestic market.
- Lower tax base for profits generated from inflation adjustments.
- Partial processing outside the Free Trade Zone without any special customs procedures.
- They are not required to channel foreign currency earned from overseas sales through the foreign exchange market.
- Import exchange regulations (6 months) do not apply if the goods are subject to international redistribution.
Foreign exchange
- Possession and trading of foreign currency; opening of current accounts in any currency at banks abroad.
- Freedom to make payments abroad for goods and services purchased abroad.
- Freedom to borrow abroad.
- Longer period to reimburse foreign suppliers (starting from customs clearance).
Capital
- Unrestricted foreign investment.
- Freedom to remit profits abroad.
Procedures
- Simplification of foreign trade procedures.
- Greater security in operations, as inspections are carried out at the user's facilities.
- Easy exporting or redistribution to other countries.
- Ongoing advice on customs operations and foreign trade procedures.
- Extended customs operating hours, which may be extended as needed by the User, at competitive rates.
- DIAN's automated import system - SIGA, available exclusively to our users, allows electronic processing of customs documents (import and export declarations, etc.) on site.
- Inventory control software for incoming and outgoing goods, managed by the User Operator and accessible to Industrial Users of Goods, Services, and Commercial Users connected to the User Operator at their convenience, eliminating paper-based document processing at low access and usage costs.
- Simplified license processing, thanks to the availability of:
- A preliminary construction permit for urban development works.
- An environmental license that applies to industrial park Users whose operations have a medium or low environmental impact, significantly reducing the time and cost of the relevant procedures.
- An expedited processing agreement with municipal authorities.
Industrial Users
Tax
- Industrial users of goods and services pay a single tax rate of 15% on taxable income:
- Exemption from tax on the repatriation of profits.
- Zero duties and VAT on goods brought into the Free Trade Zone, including capital goods, while they remain there.
- 20% exemption on payments for interest and technical services in the Free Trade Zone.
- Users are not subject to export commitments and may sell part of their production on the local market.
- Lower tax base for taxes on profits generated by inflation adjustments.
- Partial processing outside the Free Trade Zone without any special customs formalities.
- They are not required to channel foreign currency earned from overseas sales through the foreign exchange market.
- Import exchange regulations (6 months) do not apply if the goods are subject to international redistribution.
Foreign exchange
- Possession and trading of foreign currency; opening of current accounts in any currency at banks abroad.
- Freedom to make payments abroad for goods and services purchased abroad.
- Freedom to borrow abroad.
- Longer period to reimburse foreign suppliers (starting from customs clearance).
Capital
- Unrestricted foreign investment.
- Freedom to remit profits abroad.
Procedures
- Simplification of foreign trade procedures.
- Greater security in operations, as inspections are carried out at the user's facilities.
- Easy exporting or redistribution to other countries.
- Ongoing advice on customs operations and foreign trade procedures.
- Extended customs operating hours, which may be extended as needed by the User, at competitive rates.
- DIAN's automated import system - SIGA, available exclusively to our users, allows electronic processing of customs documents (import and export declarations, etc.) on site.
- Inventory control software for incoming and outgoing goods, managed by the User Operator and accessible to Industrial Users of Goods, Services, and Commercial Users connected to the User Operator at their convenience, eliminating paper-based document processing at low access and usage costs.
- Simplified license processing, thanks to the availability of:
- A preliminary construction permit for urban development works.
- An environmental license that applies to industrial park Users whose operations have a medium or low environmental impact, significantly reducing the time and cost of the relevant procedures.
- An expedited processing agreement with municipal authorities.
