Customs Clearance in Peru
Import entries into Peru are administered by SUNAT — Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas. Cargo typically sits 3–8 days at the gateway before release, and most of that window is documentation rather than physical inspection. We handle the entry itself — classification, valuation, duty and tax settlement, and the release — either as part of a delivered duty-paid movement or as a standalone brokerage service on cargo somebody else is shipping.
Clearance profile — Peru
| Customs authority | SUNAT — Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas |
|---|---|
| Duty and tax | IGV 18%; duty 0–11%, with 0% on most goods under the China–Peru free trade agreement |
| De-minimis | USD 200 for courier consignments |
| Certification | Certificate of origin for FTA preference; DIGEMID or DIGESA registration for health and food products |
| Typical port dwell | 3–8 days |
| Sea gateways | Callao, Chancay, Paita |
| Air gateways | LIM (Lima Jorge Chávez) |
Compiled from the destination customs authority and port operators as a buyer-planning reference. It is not a customs ruling — the binding position depends on your HS heading and the consignee's status.
What we do on the entry
- Classification. We agree the HS heading before the cargo sails, not after it lands. A heading argued at the border costs storage every day it runs.
- Valuation. We build the customs value the way Peru expects it — including or excluding freight and insurance according to the local rule, with the supporting evidence attached.
- Entry filing and duty settlement. Lodged in the consignee's name or, where the market allows it, under our own importer arrangement.
- Release and onward delivery. Terminal release, any inspection attendance, and delivery to the door if you want the movement quoted duty-paid.
What actually holds shipments here
FTA preference requires a valid certificate of origin. Health, food and cosmetic products need consignee-side registration before arrival. Chancay's inland connections are still maturing — confirm the final trucking arrangement.
None of that is unusual, but all of it is easier to resolve before the container sails than after it arrives.
How the lane behaves
The Chancay megaport opened in late 2024 and created the first direct Shanghai–South America service, cutting roughly a week off the traditional Callao routing that transships in Mexico or Panama. For cargo destined to Lima it is now worth quoting Chancay and Callao separately — the difference in transit is material, and Chancay is positioning itself as a redistribution hub for the whole west coast.
Documents we will ask for
- Commercial invoice and packing list matching the goods exactly
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- Certificate of origin where a preference is claimed
- Consignee registration or tax identifier for the market
- Product certification, permits or licences where the commodity requires them
Mismatches between the invoice and the transport document are the single most common reason an entry is queried. We check them before filing rather than after a query lands.
Clearing agents in Peru
Our entries in Peru are filed by licensed local brokers, not sub-contracted blind. If you hold a customs broker licence or AEO authorisation here, we are open to adding capacity — we send referred volume from an ocean freight book that already discharges at your gateways.
The network is vetted rather than open: licence verification with the issuing authority, insurance, two contactable references and supervised trial entries before any unsupervised volume.
Apply to become our Peru clearance partner →Freight rates into Peru
Clearance is quoted alongside the freight. These are the priced lanes we currently run into this market.
- Ningbo to Callao Container Shipping — 40HQ Rates
- Shanghai to Callao Container Shipping — 40HQ Rates
- Shanghai to Paita FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Ship Ningbo to Chancay — FCL Container Cost from China
- Ship Ningbo to Paita — FCL Container Cost from China
- Ship Shanghai to Chancay — FCL Container Cost from China
- Ship Yantian to Chancay — FCL Container Cost from China
- Shipping a Container from Yantian to Callao: Cost & Transit
Destination guide
Gateways, inland legs, port behaviour and seasonal pressure for Peru — the background this clearance page assumes.
Peru destination guide →Common questions
Who administers customs clearance in Peru?
Import entries are administered by SUNAT — Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas.
How long does clearance take in Peru?
Cargo typically sits 3–8 days at the gateway. Complete paperwork lodged before arrival is what keeps a shipment at the short end of that range.
What duty and tax applies in Peru?
IGV 18%; duty 0–11%, with 0% on most goods under the China–Peru free trade agreement The rate that applies to your shipment depends on the HS heading — send the specification for a firm figure.
Can you clear cargo in Peru that you did not ship?
Yes. Brokerage is available as a standalone service on cargo moved by another forwarder, as well as bundled into a duty-paid movement we carry ourselves.
Do you work with local brokers in Peru?
Yes — our clearance network is built on vetted local licence holders. Brokers in this market can apply to join through our partner programme.