Importing products from China or the United States has become a viable option for many people who want to generate a profitable business, while collaborating with the development of a country. The demand for items that are not found in the national market is increasing day by day and that is where the opportunity to undertake may arise.

There are several important points that you should know before you start importing into the country.

Here we will tell you a few tips on how to prepare more agilely for this work step.

Me, an importer?

Yes, although you may not believe it, it is important to note that from the beginning every natural or legal person, Ecuadorian or foreign, living in the country, has the opportunity to import items from different parts of the world. Either with the application of the 4×4, specific taxes or commercially; With the help of an importer record in the Ecuapass system that is approved by the National Customs Service of Ecuador.

Stay tuned to the market

According to LaarBox , this is an important step to become a successful entrepreneur, since it will allow you to know the market in which you want to focus both as an import business as a consumer or even a target audience, in this way you can stock up on the products that your target required.

Define your type of business

With a perspective of the market you want to focus on, it is vital that you get involved and investigate what type of business would have the greatest impact on your consumers; know what products you would import to fill a gap or create satisfaction. For this you must take into account your skills and specialties to also find the best product to import.

Do not forget the requirements to be an importer

You must complete a series of points to be a true importer:

1. Obtain the Unique Taxpayer Registry (RUC) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (SRI).

2. Obtain the digital Certificate for electronic signature and Authentication granted by the Central Bank of Ecuador and Security Data at http://www.eci.bce.ec/web/guest and http://www.securitydata.net.ec

3. Register in the Ecuapass Portal: http://www.ecuapass.aduana.gob.ec

4. A Customs agent will proceed to carry out the customs clearance procedures for the merchandise, who will advise the importer which merchandise may or may not be imported, as well as the respective requirements that the product must meet according to the requirements established by law. .

Import to consumption

You must take into consideration that your products must enter under import for consumption, that is, you must nationalize the foreign goods that enter the country for their free disposal, use or definitive consumption, once the respective payment of taxes has been made and the release of these by the capacity officer.

What products can I and cannot import?

It must be analyzed which products in Ecuador have a greater demand and what costs would have their import for a greater benefit.

For this reason, we present a small list of the main import products in Ecuador:

  • Organic chemicals, drugs.
  • Electrical machines, plastics and their manufactures, machinery and equipment.
  • Makeup.
  • Editorial products for the press and printing industry.
  • Wood or metal furniture.
  • Toys.
  • Candies.
  • Kitchen items.
  • Clothes and shoes.
  • Car accessories (tires, engines, gearboxes, transmissions, etc.).

On the other hand, the restrictions that the country has with respect to objects that cannot enter its territory must be taken very seriously , so we suggest that you consult with specialists so that your products are not returned. These are some of those that do not allow entry:

  • Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
  • Explosive, flammable or other dangerous materials, as well as radioactive materials.
  • Obscene or immoral objects.
  • Objects that, by their nature or their packaging, may present a danger to employees, stain or damage other shipments or postal equipment.
  • Firearms.
  • Lithium batteries.
  • Items that require a cold chain for their mobilization (medicines, perishable foods).
  • It is forbidden to include coins, banknotes, paper money or any other bearer values, traveler’s checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, rhinestones, jewelery and other objects.

The waiting time…

There are different processes behind, before knowing the estimated time in which your import will arrive in the country, you must know where it is coming from, and that the different processes have specific descriptions, says Laarbox . We specify them below:

  • Preparation of the order. Normally the seller has a time that can vary from three to seven days to prepare the product you ordered before delivering it to a courier .
  • Transportation in the country of origin. In the case of imports from China, sometimes the merchandise has to travel a long way to reach the city where it will be imported, so you will have to contact the seller to get an estimate of the day it will leave that country.
  • Transfer from the point of origin to your country. After the shipment of the merchandise there are different services of parcel companies that will give you the option of fast shipping and that the most likely thing is that the product will arrive in Ecuador in eight to fifteen working days, that will always depend on the country of origin of the commodity.
  • Customs in your country. Finally, you should know that because it is an international purchase, imports must follow a customs process of two to three days so that they can reach your hands and thus commercialize them. (F)