Aviomar Moving in Colombia has announced a new service for its import customers that will save around 30% on customs clearance charges and help provide a better delivery service in the country.

Until recently all goods arriving at Colombian ports had to be cleared at the port of arrival.  This would often take 12-15 days with the high storage and demurrage charges being charged to the client.  However, Aviomar has an agreement with a bonded warehouse in the freeport zone just outside the port of Cartagena.  According to Miguel Angel Florez Palacios, Gerente General for Aviomar, this makes customs clearance and delivery much less expensive and more flexible for customers.

“We can now remove the containers from the port soon after arrival and take them to the bonded store in the freeport zone,” he explained. “Here we can unload and separate the shipments, clear them through customs and deliver them on smaller vehicles to their final destinations (cross-docking).”

Miguel said that this system allows shippers to leave the goods in the store for up to 30 days at a fixed price. Using smaller vehicles for delivery also allows easier access to some of the congested areas of the cities avoiding the need for expensive shuttle services. Miguel explained that Aviomar is the only company with access to a dedicated household goods warehouse in the freeport zone, so all customers’ goods are handled by the company’s own trained staff.

Until recently diplomatic shipments could be cleared on arrival at Bogota, however this is no longer possible, so they also take advantage of this new cross-docking service. “83% of our inbound shipments are now cleared in this way,” said Miguel.

Following a recent change in the Colombian government, the country’s border with Venezuela has now reopened.  This allows Aviomar the opportunity of extending the service shipments bound for Venezuela. This is particularly useful as many shipping lines no longer call at Venezuelan ports.

Photo: Miguel Angel Florez Palacio.