Service
Customs advisory for specific cases
For when an operation needs professional judgment on classification, special regimes, safeguards or an observation from SENAE, Ecuador's customs service. We work by the hour or by the case, with a documented legal basis and in coordination with your customs broker.
Types of case
Four areas where the difference shows up in the duty assessment.
Complex tariff classification
When a product could fall under two or three tariff headings, we support the correct one with the General Interpretative Rules, the section and chapter notes, the Explanatory Notes and WCO classification opinions. If you need certainty before importing, we prepare the advance ruling request to SENAE.
COMEX safeguards and quotas
We analyze how current safeguards, quotas, surcharges and trade defense measures affect your cost, and assess the preferences or regimes the rules allow for your case.
Special regimes
We structure temporary admission for inward processing, bonded warehousing, drawback, conditional duty refunds and ZEDE, and define the regime that best fits each case.
SENAE examinations and disputes
We prepare the technical and documentary grounds for physical and documentary examinations, ex officio reclassifications, customs value adjustments, fines and administrative claims, alongside your customs broker and, when the case requires it, a lawyer.
Pricing
USD 80 per hour or a per-case quote from USD 300.
Consultations and reviews are billed by the hour. Structured cases, with defined deliverables, get a formal quote.
Can I ask SENAE to confirm the tariff code before importing?
Yes. SENAE offers an advance ruling on tariff classification: you request it through ECUAPASS with the product's technical information, and the answer is binding on customs and on the applicant. It is worth it for new products, multi-function goods or cases with large duty differences between possible headings. Daleki Trade can prepare the technical grounds for the request.
What is a safeguard duty and when does it apply?
A safeguard is a temporary measure that adds a surcharge or limits imports of certain products to protect domestic production; in Ecuador it is adopted by COMEX resolution. It only applies to the tariff lines and origins the resolution names and while it is in force. Before calculating, check whether your tariff line is covered: ATLAS checks the records available, but it does not replace that review.
How does ATLAS work out the correct tariff code?
ATLAS suggests a tariff line by matching recorded codes against the product description, material and function. It is guidance, not an official classification: the customs broker must confirm it before filing. If there is real doubt between headings, you can ask SENAE for an advance classification ruling.
What happens if SENAE inspects my goods?
SENAE assigns every declaration an inspection channel based on its risk profile: automatic, electronic, documentary or physical. A documentary review checks the paperwork, while a physical one opens and examines the goods, which adds days to clearance. The customs broker handles the review and observations are answered with supporting evidence; storage costs during inspection are reviewed under the quote and the Terms, and nobody can guarantee a fixed release date.
Which customs regime applies to my operation?
The regime depends on where the goods end up: import for consumption when they stay in the country, temporary admission when they enter for a period to be re-exported or processed, bonded warehousing while they await clearance, and definitive or temporary export when they leave. Each regime has its own requirements and guarantees under the COPCI, Ecuador's production and trade code, and its regulations. Choosing the wrong one can cost you duties you did not owe or penalties.
Can I recover the VAT paid on an import?
VAT paid on an import can be used as a tax credit if the goods go to a taxable activity and you report it correctly; that is different from a refund, which only applies in the cases the law provides. The Daleki Trade invoice shows VAT separately for your books. Review your case with your accountant before assuming you will recover that amount.
A stuck case gets resolved with technical grounds
Send us the DAI or DAE, the SENAE notice if there is one and the product data sheet. We review the case and tell you in writing the scope, the estimated timeline and the cost before we start.
Other services
The same team at every stage.
Managed import
We import commercial goods from China, the United States, Panama, Peru or Europe, and give you the itemized cost in the formal quote before your first payment. We negotiate with the supplier, coordinate freight and the licensed customs broker, and deliver to your warehouse. You import under your RUC, your Ecuadorian taxpayer number, and we run the operation.
Export
We ship Ecuadorian cacao, bananas, shrimp, flowers and manufactured goods to the United States, the European Union, China, the Andean Community and other destinations we review case by case. We coordinate origin documents, sanitary certificates, refrigerated logistics and the review of duty refunds.
Supplier validation
We validate three to five factories under the agreed scope and deliver an executive report with compared quotes, MOQ, lead time and certifications. It lowers the risk of fraud and quality problems on orders over USD 3,000.