The launch of the Advance Goods Declaration at mutual border checkpoints between El Salvador and Guatemala, within the context of their deep integration process, is being celebrated as a constructive stride in expediting trade flows and stimulating economic activity. Carmen Aída de Meardi, the CEO of the Inter-Guild Commission for Trade Facilitation (Cifacil), highlighted the significance of this development.
“Anticipated Declaration is a tool aimed at facilitating trade between Guatemala and El Salvador, reducing clearance times and operational costs for businesses. It also helps decongest border posts and eliminates the lengthy queues of vehicles at the four shared border checkpoints,” noted the Cifacil spokesperson.
Moreover, it was explained that this declaration is applicable for definitive exports under DUCA-F, incorporating the bill of lading and cargo manifest into electronic procedures, eliminating the need for physical copies of these documents.
“In this platform, exporters input information and documents are digitized. They can then monitor the status of their DUCA-F for exports. If everything aligns with the process, they receive online acceptance and electronic transmission of the declaration from the Directorate General of Customs in El Salvador, the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT) in Guatemala, and the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA). It also provides details of the taxes to be paid through advanced electronic payment,” explained De Meardi.
De Meardi underscored that this bilateral effort signifies heightened customs integration with Guatemala, encompassing Customs and Single Windows for Foreign Trade. She added, “This marks a significant advancement in the digitization of foreign trade procedures and the incorporation of new technologies at border crossings.”
Concluding her statement, she highlighted that both governments have considered inputs from businesses in both nations that utilize the border crossings for trade.
“The perspectives of Salvadoran and Guatemalan companies involved in various pilot tests have been crucial in refining the process design, making it more functional to facilitate their export and import formalities,” she emphasized.