Bogota, January 23, 2013.- The Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Sergio Diaz-Granados, said that with the signing of Decree 74, which partially amends the customs tariff on imports of goods belonging relating to the sectors of textiles, clothing, and footwear, the Administration has increased the protection of domestic production and, at the same time, boosted the conditions for job creati

Bogota, January 23, 2013.- The Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Sergio Diaz-Granados, said that with the signing of Decree 74, which partially amends the customs tariff on imports of goods belonging relating to the sectors of textiles, clothing, and footwear, the Administration has increased the protection of domestic production and, at the same time, boosted the conditions for job creation.

According to the Minister, this provision seeks halt technical contraband, which is entering the country at below market prices and leading to unfair competition for domestic products.

For clothing, Decree 74 provides for mixed tariffs that consist of an ad valorem tariff of 10% and a more specific one at USD 5 per gross kilo imported.

For footwear, the measure provides the same mixed tariff as that of clothing, with the only difference being that payment is made per pair of shoes and, in the case of heading 64.06, the charge is per gross kilo.

He said that the Administration will be monitoring the results of the measure, and he reiterated that these charges do not apply to imports from countries with which the nation has free trade agreements (FTAs) in force.

The Minister also noted that the private sector has been working on a formal request for the adoption of measures to protect trade, and that these have the support of the Productive Transformation Program (PTP).

Moreover, the Minister said that his portfolio is fully committed to implementing measures to curb such contraband, and he stated that as soon as this legislative session begins, the PTP will present a bill to address the issue. He added that this bill came about with the help of the private sector and various public entities.

Link Decree 74, signed today:
https://www.mincomercio.gov.co/descargar.php?idFile=3958

AAC/ LSC

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