Expat Community > Ecuador

JP55301
Joined 2009
Posts: 737

Moving your household goods to Ecuador

15 years ago

Here is a posting from another forum that will answer most questions posted in this forum recently on this topic. BEWARE as the writer says these regulations change daily so check before you move!

Importing Household Goods into Ecuador
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
UPDATED JANUARY 2009: Ecuador allows you a one time duty free shipment of your household goods. You have six months from the time you enter the country with the intent to establish domicile to get your one time duty free shipment into the country. However, you must have your cedula or risk paying storage if it enters the country before you get your Visa. Your things can enter the country within two months of when you do. These days, however, Visas are once again being processed in 2-3 weeks or less. It is illegal to import used cars and incredibly expensive to import new ones, so go ahead and scratch that off your list. One last thing..WARNING: Aduana laws are subject to change even more rapidly than Visa laws, so please check with an Ecuador Aduana agent or an Ecuador attorney who specializes in Aduana issues to be sure you know the latest. Please make note of the suggestion to use an Ecuadorian attorney or Aduana agent as I would almost bet (and I'm no gambler) that customs agents elsewhere will NOT be up to speed on the latest.
You used to have a ceiling of $4,000 total and most tried to keep that around $3500. You determine the value of the item and every single item must be on an inventory in English and Spanish. You must have this inventory certified by an Ecuadorian Consulate in your country of origin. There are other ways of certifying your inventory if you are already in the country, but there is no way around creating the inventory, which definitely makes for slow packing.
Currently, if your goods are under $4000, you have to pay a private company to do the inspection upon arrival in Ecuador. And it is said they now inspect EVERY menaje de casa shipment. If your goods are over $4000, Aduana handles that. Now, you can bring in whatever declared amount you want, no price ceiling, however, duty free household (menaje de casa) import is not really duty free. You will have to pay 12% tax on the amount you declare...good thing to bear in mind when you do your pricing. (note: I suspect the shifting household goods regs has something to do with the increased number of Ecuadorians who are now returning to Ecuador given the US economic decline.)
Aduana in Ecuador (Customs) is not concerned with the value you place on an item, they are more concerned with you bringing in multiple items that might be for resale. I remember someone saying they placed a very low...like maybe $300 value on a huge maybe 41' television. Ecuador is VERY protective where its domestic market is concerned, so you're not allowed to bring in multiple refrigerators, washing machines, etc. You can insure your shipment separately from Aduana paperwork for replacement value. And, btw, miss this window and you've got a problem since it is illegal to import many used items, not just cars, into Ecuador.
Back to the inventory, it must be exact. If you use towels or pillows or sweaters for packing material, list them. You do not need to list individual book, cd, dvd, titles, etc...'box of 30 books' will suffice. If you pack smaller boxes inside a larger box, you must list those sub-boxes on your inventory. For example, I had a large wooden painting crate custom made and inside that, in addition to paintings, were other small boxes. So wooden crate was numbered 2, boxes inside were A, B, C. I had rugs that I also taped and marked the same as though they were an internal box.
Here is how the headers looked for my inventory, in Spanish=Inventario de Menaje de Casa...Inventory of Household Goods:
Caja | Caja Adentro | Articulo Ingles | Articulo Espanol | De cual cuarto | Valor c/u | Cantidad | Valor Total
You use Spanish headers since, well, you're moving to a Spanish speaking country. If they were in English, it would be:
Box | Inside Box | Item in English | Item in Spanish | For which room | Value of each one | Number Items | Total Value
Example:
INVENTARIO MENAJE DE CASA EXPAT NAME
caja caja adentro articulo ingles articulo espanol de cual cuarto valor c/u cantidad valor total
2 D books libros estar .50 10 $5.00
2 H kilim pillow covers fundas de alhomadas sala $3.00 2 $6.00
2 N rug alfombra sala $25.00 1 $25.00
9 pots and pans ollas cocina $5.00 4 $20.00
10 mixer batidora cocina $5.00 1 $5.00
11 sweaters sueters dormitorio $3.00 10 $30.00
14 chairs sillas patio $10.00 4 $40.00

This should give you an idea of how to do the inventory. I did mine in Microsoft Access, but most would probably be more comfortable in Excel. I left a blank field for Spanish and completed it in English before translating the individual items. I then simply published a print out in Microsoft Word.
Typically these are the rooms you would use:
• Kitchen = Cocina
• Comedor = Dining Room
• Bano = Bath
• Sala = Living Room
• Dormitorio = Bedroom
• Bodega = Storage
• Estar or Estudio = Library or Studio
• Patio = Patio (if you're bringing any outdoor furniture)
• Garaje = Garage
Shipping:
I can't recommend any specific shipper, but I was advised to originate the job in Ecuador due to the fact that Aduana and the import laws here are so strict that most outside the country won't be aware of them. I think that was sound advice.
The laws are constantly shifting here, too, which is another problem. For example, my aforementioned custom wooden painting crates were a real problem for me at first because they did not have some special seal to certify that the wood was fumigated or treated. Fortunately, that law changed while I was trying to figure out how to repack things from a distance yet retain the integrity of the inventory. But get this, they had to be fumigated to leave the country they were being shipped out of!
The reason the inventory is important is because of horror story after horror story expats in Ecuador can share. Especially if your goods come into Guayaquil, which is the norm. Apparently, it is customary for Aduana to open one box and if the inventory is lacking or not exact, that gives them a reason to tag your entire shipment for an inspection. And they don't always get around to doing the inspections quickly, so you will have to pay storage for each day it sits there waiting to be inspected. And then, of course, extra inspection fees. This could really add up depending on what you're bringing in. I knew of someone who paid $75 a day for 2 months for a 40' container!
Some people I knew failed to list certain items and were charged duty on those and others in the same boat had Aduana threaten to return their shipment to the point of origin. So you want your inventory to be done as perfectly as possible. Because Guayaquil has the worst reputation, many people have been able to have their shipments pass through Guayaquil for a nominal fee ($150+) and sent to various other locations with Aduana like Quito, Cuenca, or Manta. In Cuenca, for example, I have never heard of a shipment sitting at Aduana for longer than 4 days. Your shipping agent can arrange this for you. It should not cost a fortune as some may try to charge you.
If you are moving specifically to Cuenca and opt to have your goods clear Aduana in Cuenca, beware. There are not many truly pro agents in Cuenca and some could even end up costing time and money you by not being up to speed on new regulations themselves. So be absolutely sure you have a great agent before going this route. Most Aduana agents charge $200-$300. Found a fairly decent list of Ecuador shipping companies here.
Which brings up another thing that drove me nuts. Shipping companies never give you a real quote. They lay out the individual costs for you to figure out yourself and 99% do not even include all the costs. So unless you receive quotes from various companies to learn the many different fees involved (different for every country based on port fees), you won't even know what the quote doesn't include nor will you know to ask them what other costs are involved. So that low price on the original quote might end up being 3 times the original quote. Another BEWARE.
I don't mean to scare you with this article, on the contrary, it was written to prepare you which should save you time and trouble. People often wish to come with only a couple of suitcases and begin over again. They often ask, "What should I bring that I can't get in Ecuador?" The answer is very little in the event this route is more appealing than shipping your things. I had art I absolutely could not part with which was the primary reason I decided to ship. And as long as I was shipping anything, I might as well throw in more. The actual cost of the freight is relatively small compared to various port, Aduana and other shipping fees, so it didn't matter too much if I shipped 1 cubic meter or a container.
Some of the things that are more expensive in Ecuador include appliances, televisions and various electronics, especially now in 2009. Correa just made imports very economically unfriendly, so lots of retailers are very concerned. Think clothing, shoes, electronics, etc and a new tax that pretty much makes these imports unaffordable. You definitely want to bring any computers or computer related peripheries, a digital camera and if high end stereo gear is your thing, you won't find it here or it will cost a lot more than the US. Some small items you might consider include: good kitchen knives, good cookware, sheets, a down comforter if you're in the mountains, cast iron skillets, extra shoes or snorkeling fins if you are a man with big feet. For the hassle, most small and large appliances here aren't that much more costly with the sole exception being a bread making machine, but blenders, rice cookers, crock pots, coffee machines, etc are abundant. Furniture I would definitely buy here. Actually, I would get heirloom quality furniture handmade in exotic woods instead of schlepping anything from the US, unless it was maybe my grandmother's highboy. Again, for me, it was bringing art and things of sentimental value that mattered the most. Many men feel strongly about bringing tools with them due to the quality of what they have only being replaced at great expense here if they can even replace what they left behind.
Just don't forget that you only have six months from the time you enter Ecuador with the intent to live here. They are pretty strict about that.
If you are moving to Cuenca and would like help, there is a lady who specializes in handling all of it for you. She does not speak English, but does understand written English. Her fee is $100-200 (depending on your shipment). She is so well versed in Aduana and imports that I promise she will remove all of the headaches for you. And nothing is a bigger headache than dealing with importing your goods. Her name is Katy Quezada. Email her at: [email protected]
Most decent Aduana agents here will not take small accounts, so it becomes very tricky to find proper help. Getting in touch with Katy will save you lots of time, money and certainly frustration.

If you can't read the table go to their site @ moveto ecuador.com

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