Import Restrictions

In Chile the importation of used vehicles is prohibited. Chile does allow imports of used ambulances, funeral hearse cars, fire-fighting vehicles, street cleaning vehicles, irrigation vehicles, towing vehicles, television projection equipment vehicles, armored commercial vehicles, workshop vehicles, cement making trucks, prison vans, radiological equipment vehicles, motor homes, off-road transportation vehicles, and other similar vehicles for special purposes, different from common transportation vehicles. These used vehicles pay a 9 percent import duty plus VAT. Fire-fighting vehicles are not subject to import duties, and pay the VAT on the CIF value only. A vehicle is considered new if: 1) It is of the current year; or The model is of the last year but the importation occurred before April 30th, and 2) the vehicle has no more mileage than that required to transport the vehicle from the factory to the point of sale and according to customs it corresponds to a first transaction vehicle (i.e., the invoice is from the distributor or the factory). Special laws allow tax-exempt new/used car imports by persons returning from exile or returning after living abroad (for one complete year or more) for studies or work after a determined number of years. People domiciled in two domestic free trade zones, Iquique in the north and Punta Arenas in the south may also import used cars. Imports in these areas are exempt from customs duties and VAT. (See Various Trade Arrangements).
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Automotive investment in Chile is governed by the "Automotive Statute", which allows any car assembly company to operate in Chile. The Statute establishes a 13 percent minimum of local content in vehicles assembled from completely knocked-down (CKD) kits and 3 percent for vehicles assembled from semi-knocked down (SKD) kits. Local vehicle assemblers and part manufacturers benefit from Article 3 of Law 18,483, which exempts imported auto parts and components from customs duties if the importer exports parts and components of specific, certified quality worth the same amount ex-factory. If exported alone, the parts must include in country value-added of at least 50 percent. If they are built into vehicles that are assembled in Chile and then exported, then the value-added component must be at least 70 percent. (This law is being replaced by a new law called the Arica Law which gives incentives to establish in the Arica industrial free trade zone for any manufacturing plant)
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An import report to the Central Bank is required, free of cost, for shipments above US$500, CIF for statistical record keeping purposes.
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In the Metropolitan Area gasoline powered vehicles under 2,700 Kgs., need to comply with TIER1 Federal/EURO III; diesel powered vehicles under 2,500 Kgs., must comply with TIER California 1/EURO IV. Vehicles over 2,700 Kgs., but under 3860 Kgs., must comply with EPA 91. Buses must follow EPA 98/EURO III. Trucks must abide with EPA 94/EURO II. As of October 2011, new emissions requirements were being developed.