Customs Administration - Guatemala - April 6, 2020 - Customs and Supply Chains Continue in Action

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Tawan

Customs and Supply Chains Continue in Action outlines Guatemala’s customs response during the worldwide calamity tied to COVID-19. It explains how customs operations continue normally while prioritizing essential goods and supports relief shipments through faster procedures and published guidance for COVID-19 state-of-calamity imports. The document details border closures for foreigners, VAT/DAI exemptions for specified humanitarian actors, institutional crisis management, staff protection measures, and remote-work and communication protocols to maintain continuity of international trade.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Customs and Supply Chains Continue in Action

Government measures affecting customs operations

Relief shipments and guidance for imports

Institutional crisis management and staff continuity

Customs administration (Superintendency of Tax Administration-SAT-) -Guatemala 6 April 2020 Our mission is collect tax, but our vocation is to serve. Together we will get ahead Customs and Supply Chains Continue in Action: Aware of the state of calamity that we are facing worldwide and abiding by the provisions determined by the Government of Guatemala, we inform the general public that the country's Customs maintains the development of its operations in a normal way, prioritizing the flow of goods necessary to face this crisis. Actions: 1. The Guatemala Government ordered the closure of borders for foreigners, suspended commercial flights, allowing only the entry of cargo by maritime, land and air customs. 2. The Guatemala Government approved the exemption from Value Added Tax-IVAand Import Tariff Duties-DAI-to the National Coordinator for Disaster ReductionCONRED- , Churches, organizations and charitable associations that import in order to bring critical goods for the emergency attention of COVID-19. 3. The Institutional Crisis Management Committee was created, which is made up of the higher authorities of the Customs Service (Superintendence of Tax Administration) and is in permanent session, which , according to the decisions of the Government of Guatemala , is taking institutional actions to effectively support them, including actions to protect internal staff and the form of institutional interaction with external users. 4. There is an agile procedure for Relief shipments. 5. A “Guidance Document for imports during the State of Calamity by COVID-19” was prepared and published. 6. Coordination of attention hours with the Temporary Customs Depositaries at Seaports and Airports. 7. Physical verification of the goods without the presence of the declarant. 8. Attention to Customs brokers for continuity of international trade operations. 9. Continuity of attention to files and requests for Auxiliaries of the customs public function. 10. Institutional Protocol COVID-19, which includes training for personnel and protocols for entrance of facilities, activities at work, use of institutional vehicles, return home after work and to identify symptoms. 11. As a security measure for the staff delegated to the different customs facilities in the country, each of the facilities has been supplied with masks and antibacterial gel, in addition to a series of recommendations and guidelines for maintaining sanitized spaces. 12. The personnel of the Customs Service , following the decisions of the Government of Guatemala , were included within the public and private entities that have no mobility restriction, in order to carry out customs functions for the benefit of the country. 13. The Customs service is part of the National Coordinator for Disaster ReductionCONRED- , which allows us to have immediate information on the management of the crisis and to be clear on the procedure that must be applied to receive donations and humanitarian aid, at the different customs from the country. 14. For the administrative areas, the initiative of the Government of Guatemala “Stay at Home” is being supported, promoting work from home and only an essential number of people is working in institutional offices. 15. Work from home or vacation authorization for staff at risk: Pregnant or nursing women, mothers of children under 12 years of age, people with chronic conditions and people over 65 years of age. 16. Support for essential personnel of SAT, who work in administrative offices, considering the curfew ordered by the Government of Guatemala, departure at 1:00 p. m. and option of transportation from home to office. 17. Management of institutional correspondence electronically and not physically. 18. The official means of communication of the Customs Service was established, which emanates from the Superintendent and institutional communication channels (Web Portal, Yammer, SAT Guatemala on Facebook and @sat

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the document for Guatemala’s customs during COVID-19?

To inform the public that customs operations in Guatemala continue in a normal development mode while prioritizing the flow of essential goods to address the crisis.

Which measures were ordered or approved by the Government of Guatemala that affect customs?

It ordered border closures for foreigners and suspended commercial flights while allowing cargo entry by maritime, land, and air customs; it also approved VAT and import duty exemptions for designated disaster-reduction, church, organizational, and charitable actors importing critical COVID-19 goods.

How does the document ensure customs continuity and staff safety?

It establishes an institutional crisis management committee, a procedure for relief shipments, remote and electronic correspondence and communications, and health and security steps such as masks and antibacterial gel, sanitized-site guidelines, and work-from-home or authorization for at-risk personnel.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Tawan