The Superintendency of Tax Administration reported that the critical accumulation of containers continues in four ports of the country, where the lack of space has become an urgent problem.
On September 8, the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) reported 10,792 containers stranded at the port customs points. A month later, far from decreasing, the figure increased to 12,781 containers, according to the October 7 update, representing an increase of almost 15%.
This has already become a critical problem of space in customs warehouses, the authorities in charge show.
Distribution of containers stranded by port
The containers that are saturating the ports are distributed as follows:
- APM Terminals: 4,000 261
- Chiquita: 3,000 014
- St. Thomas of Castile: 2,688
- Port Company Quetzal: 2 4,418
Marco Livio Díaz, superintendent of the SAT, explained that this crisis is not the responsibility of the Tax Administration, but of the owners of the companies, who have not managed the withdrawal of the containers, aggravating the lack of space in the ports.
In the case of containers stranded in APM Terminals, 2,722 have no customs declaration submitted or have the process of customs office begun.
Classification of imported containers
In the context of the import of goods, containers are often classified by colours indicating their customs review status. The use of these colours helps to speed up the customs process and manage the flow of goods.
The four categories of containers, depending on their customs review status, are:
Unselective containers are the ones who have passed through customs without being selected for additional inspection, as they meet all documentary requirements. In this case the owners can continue the process of de-aling.
Green selective, they are the containers that are released quickly, as they do not present problems in the documentation or content. Like the previous one, owners can continue the process of de-esad.
Selective red, in this case the containers require a thorough inspection due to doubts about the documentation or content.
Without destination, it refers to goods that have arrived in Guatemala without a specific assigned destination. This may be due to the lack of documentation or delays in the import process, and this precise classification requires a thorough inspection as it may present risks of non-compliance with rules.
Containers with red selective
In the most recent update, it was reported that of the more than 12,000 containers stranded in ports, approximately 500 are classified with red selective and pending action by the SAT.
IN THIS MOMENTO
Díaz called on the private sector to speed up the process of removing the containers and making the corresponding tax payment. Despite the communications sent to importers and customs agents, no active response has been observed to address the problem.
This article has been translated after first appearing in Prensa Libre