Importing Steel from China to Chile: 0% FTA Duty, Requirements and Landed Cost
Verified 2026-10-29 against official Chilean and WTO sources. Chile is the friendliest steel import regime in South America for Chinese origin: the China–Chile FTA has eliminated duty on virtually all steel products — 0% instead of the flat 6% MFN rate, provided you ship with the correct certificate of origin (Form F).
Import duty (arancel ad valorem) on steel
| HS heading | Product group | MFN rate | China–Chile FTA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7208 | Hot-rolled flat, non-alloy (HRC, plate) | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7209 | Cold-rolled flat | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7210 / 7212 | Coated flat (galvanised, prepainted) | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7213–7215 | Bars, rods, wire rod | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7216 | Sections (angle, channel, beam) | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7225 / 7226 | Alloy flat — wear plate NM300–NM600, high-strength BS/Q grades, silicon steel | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7303 / 7304 / 7306 | Tubes and pipes | 6% | 0% with Form F |
| 7308 | Steel structures | 6% | 0% with Form F |
Sources: SUBREI trade-agreement schedules; Servicio Nacional de Aduanas tariff lookup; WTO Tariff Download Facility. Chile applies a single uniform 6% MFN tariff; the FTA covers ~98% of tariff lines and steel is not on the exclusion list (the ~2% exclusions cover items such as screws, nails and glass).
Trade-remedy measures on Chinese steel
None in force. As of our 2026-10-29 verification, Chile has no anti-dumping or safeguard measures on flat steel of Chinese origin. Chile is one of the few major steel markets that has consistently relied on its uniform low tariff rather than trade remedies for steel. Chile's price-band system (sistema de bandas de precios) applies only to selected agricultural goods — not steel.
What this means for wear plate and high-strength buyers: Chile is the lowest-friction South American destination for Chinese alloy plate — no AD, no safeguard, 0% duty with Form F. The landed cost is essentially steel + freight + 19% VAT.
The full landed-cost cascade
| Charge | Typical level | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Import duty | 0% (FTA) / 6% (MFN) | CIF value |
| VAT (IVA) | 19% | CIF + duty |
| Customs service fee | 0.4% of CIF (cap approx. US$310) | CIF value |
| Agente de aduana (broker) | agreed fee per declaration | per DIN |
With Form F, the duty line disappears and VAT drops slightly (its base no longer includes the 6%). VAT-registered Chilean importers recover IVA as input tax, so the effective friction on a compliant FTA shipment is minimal.
Documentation that matters
- Form F certificate of origin (China–Chile FTA): issued by China Customs or CCPIT at the supplier's request; validity 12 months. The agente de aduana must hold it when filing the Declaración de Ingreso (DIN) to claim the 0% rate.
- If the certificate arrives late: you can import paying the 6% and request a duty refund (SMDA amendment) — general deadline one year from import.
- Commercial invoice, packing list, BL consistent across all documents.
- Mill test certificate: Chilean converters expect the original MTC per heat.
- Wood packaging ISPM 15 stamping enforced.
Official sources for this page
- SUBREI — Dirección General de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales — trade agreements in force and schedules (gob.cl)
- Servicio Nacional de Aduanas — tariff lookup and import procedures (gob.cl)
- WTO Tariff Download Facility — applied MFN rates
Each figure on this page can be re-verified at the source portals above; our Chilean customs partner confirms the exact 8-digit subheading before every quotation.
Change log — what moved, and when
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-29 | Page published. Rates verified against SUBREI / Aduanas de Chile and WTO TDF: 6% uniform MFN, 0% under China–Chile FTA with Form F; no steel trade-remedy measures in force. |
| 2025–2026 | No changes to steel duty structure; EU–Chile interim agreement (Feb 2025) affects EU-origin goods only, not Chinese steel. |
Chile steel tariff FAQ
Is Form E or Form F used for Chile?
Form F — the certificate under the Chile–China FTA, issued by China Customs or CCPIT at the supplier's request. (Form E is the ACFTA certificate used for ASEAN destinations such as Vietnam.) Validity is 12 months.
What happens if my shipment arrives without the Form F?
Customs charges the 6% MFN duty. You are not stuck: if the goods actually qualified as originating, your customs broker can file an SMDA (document amendment) with the proof of origin and claim a refund — the general deadline is one year from the import date.
Does the FTA rate also reduce the 19% VAT?
Indirectly. VAT is charged on CIF + duty, so at 0% duty the VAT base is 6% smaller. VAT itself remains 19%, but registered importers recover it as input tax.
Is Chile's price-band system a risk for steel?
No. The price-band (banda de precios) variable tariff applies to selected agricultural products (e.g. wheat, sugar). Steel has never been included, and the uniform 6% MFN tariff applies to all HS 72–73 lines.
Sources & verification
- 1SUBREI — Chilean General Directorate of International Economic Relations (FTA schedules)
- 2Servicio Nacional de Aduanas — Chilean National Customs tariff lookup
- 3WTO Tariff Download Facility
Figures on this page were verified on 2026-10-29 against the official sources below. Data is reviewed and re-verified monthly; dates of each review are shown on this page.
