Core service
We import any commercial product from China, the United States, Panama, Peru or Europe, and give you the fixed total cost before your first payment. We negotiate with the supplier, coordinate freight and the customs broker, and deliver to your warehouse. You provide the RUC, your Ecuadorian taxpayer number, and we run the operation.
50/50 payment model · Daleki Trade does not advance capital · Electronic invoice with VAT
How it works
Step 1
Send us the product link or a description. ATLAS works out the tariff classification, taxes, freight, broker and local delivery, and from that we give you the fixed total cost in writing before you pay anything.
Step 2
We vet the supplier you already have or find you a verified one. We settle terms, MOQ, lead time and the right Incoterm. Daleki Trade pays the supplier from its corporate account.
Step 3
We coordinate air freight or ocean freight, LCL or FCL, depending on volume and urgency. When it pays off, we consolidate cargo to lower the unit cost. You can check the tracking at any time.
Step 4
We prepare the full documentation and the customs declaration under your RUC, with an assigned customs broker. If SENAE, Ecuador's customs service, assigns the red channel, we stay with you through the inspection until it is resolved, and that is included.
Step 5
We move the cargo from the port or airport to your warehouse in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Manta or any other city in Ecuador. That cost appears from the first calculation.
Step 6
You receive an electronic invoice from D-Legacy SAS or D-Legacy USA LLC, depending on the operation, with VAT shown separately for your tax credit. Everything stays traceable in your books.
What the service includes
Daleki Trade takes charge of the entire operation. You do not have to coordinate separately with the freight forwarder, the customs broker, the local carrier and the supplier: you get one quote and one point of contact.
Who it is for
They restock inventory on a regular cycle and do not want to learn ECUAPASS, the customs filing system, or SENAE tariff codes, or deal with customs brokers every cycle.
They run a trial import to validate the product in Ecuador before committing capital to a new supplier or category.
They regularly import inputs, machinery or finished goods from China, the United States, Europe, Panama or Peru.
They prefer to outsource the entire international operation and keep their people focused on selling and operating in Ecuador.
Pricing
The commission depends on the size and complexity of the order. ATLAS includes it in the calculation and the quote shows it on its own line, with no hidden commissions or last-minute surcharges. Complementary services, such as supplier validation or pre-shipment inspection, are quoted separately.
| FOB range | Commission | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| FOB under USD 3,000 | 12% to 15% | Small orders, first import or new category |
| FOB from USD 3,000 to 15,000 | 10% to 12% | Recurring operations or mid-size volume |
| FOB over USD 15,000 | 8% to 10% | Large imports or clients with 3+ operations a year |
Under the 50/50 model you pay 50 percent when you place the order, which covers FOB and freight, and the remaining 50 percent before customs clearance, which covers SENAE taxes, the broker and local delivery. Daleki Trade does not advance its own capital or offer financing.
The total cost of importing from China to Ecuador is the sum of the FOB price (the factory price), international freight, insurance (1.5% of FOB), the COMEX tariff (0% to 30% depending on the tariff line), FODINFA (0.5% of CIF), IVA (Ecuador's VAT) at 15%, the customs broker's fees (USD 150 to 400) and local delivery (USD 50 to 220). In practice, a USD 5,000 FOB order ends up costing between USD 7,100 and USD 8,000 delivered to a warehouse in Quito or Guayaquil, depending on the transport mode and the tariff category. ATLAS, Daleki Trade's digital consultant, builds the referential estimate with the full breakdown in 30 seconds from the product link, and the team confirms it in writing.
Consolidated air freight from China to Ecuador takes 7 to 12 days door to door. LCL sea freight takes 30 to 45 days, the same as a full FCL container. Clearance with SENAE, Ecuador's customs service, adds 3 to 7 business days. Air costs USD 8 to 12 per kilo and makes sense for electronics, product launches or fast-moving products. Sea costs USD 80 to 120 per cubic meter (LCL) or USD 2,800 to 4,500 per 20-foot container (FCL), and it is the best option for high volume, apparel, accessories and machinery.
Every commercial import to Ecuador pays four taxes built on the CIF value (FOB + freight + insurance). The COMEX ad valorem tariff ranges from 0% to 30% depending on the tariff line. FODINFA is a fixed 0.5% contribution earmarked for child development. ICE (Impuesto a Consumos Especiales, Ecuador's special consumption tax) applies only to alcoholic beverages, premium cosmetics, perfumes, vehicles and tobacco, at variable rates. IVA (Ecuador's VAT) at 15% is calculated on the sum of CIF, tariff, FODINFA and ICE. The IVA rate rose from 12% to 15% in April 2024 under the Ley Orgánica de Urgencia Económica. ATLAS runs the full formula before your first payment.
Every commercial import to Ecuador requires at least six documents: the Declaración Aduanera de Importación (DAI, the import customs declaration), the signed commercial invoice with a 10-digit HS code, the packing list, the transport document (a Bill of Lading for sea or an Air Waybill for air), the insurance policy and, when applicable, the certificate of origin to access tariff preferences under CAN or ALADI. Some categories require additional documents: ARCSA for food and cosmetics, ARCOTEL for electronics with radio, INEN for textiles and toys, ANT for vehicles and AGROCALIDAD for agricultural products. Daleki Trade gathers the documentation with the customs broker and checks that it complies before clearance.
You do not need a company, but to import commercially into Ecuador you must be registered as an importer in ECUAPASS, the SENAE system, and that requires a RUC (Ecuador's taxpayer ID) and an electronic signature. An individual with a RUC can import for personal use or for their own small business; a company does it for its regular commercial operation. Imports under the 4x4 regime (courier packages up to USD 400 and 4 kg) have a simplified process and require no prior registration. Daleki Trade advises you on the initial registration and operates under your RUC. We never import under a RUC other than the end client's.
With Daleki Trade's 50/50 model you pay 50% of the agreed total cost when you place the order and the remaining 50% before customs clearance in Ecuador. The first half covers the supplier's FOB and international freight. The second covers SENAE taxes, the customs broker's fees and local delivery. Daleki Trade does not advance its own capital: those two payments fund the operation, and you know the exact amount of each one before you commit. We do not offer financing or credit.
Daleki Trade's commission for managed importing ranges from 8% to 15% of the order's FOB value, depending on size and complexity. Small orders (FOB under USD 3,000) pay in the upper range, 12% to 15%. Midsize orders (USD 3,000 to 15,000) pay between 10% and 12%. Large and recurring orders (FOB over USD 15,000, or clients with more than three imports a year) get preferential rates starting at 8%. The commission is included in the ATLAS calculation and appears itemized in the quote; there are no hidden commissions or last-minute surcharges. Complementary services, such as supplier validation and pre-shipment inspection, are quoted separately. ATLAS, the AI advisor, is free and requires no subscription.
If SENAE assigns you the red channel, an officer physically checks the cargo against the customs declaration and clearance takes one to three extra days. Every import gets a channel during the aforo, the customs assessment: green (free release), yellow (document review) or red (physical inspection). Daleki Trade covers the customs broker's attendance during the inspection and resolves minor differences in the declaration. If the inspection finds a material difference between what was declared and what was shipped, the additional costs (fines, tax adjustments, repacking) are the client's responsibility, because the declaration is based on the supplier's information. That is why ATLAS asks you to verify the description and the tariff line before any payment.
Tell us what product you need and where it ships from. We send you a formal quote with the fixed total cost and, if you decide to go ahead, the operation starts that same day.
