YOUR SHIPMENT
Sales and FOC business goods
YOUR IMPORTER
One Union Solutions
YOUR NEXT STEP
A clear quote, import costs and how to proceed
We navigate the logistics, regulations, and compliance, connecting global businesses to a growing digital economy. We help you import compliantly, reduce risks, and accelerate your time to market.
A customer order, office deployment or data center installation needs a legal importer as well as a consignee delivery address. When the receiving site cannot take on that role, One Union Solutions acts as IOR Service and brings the customs, product and shipment preparation together.
Our experience covers a broad range of commercial and imported goods. Servers, storage, networking hardware, telecom equipment and industrial equipment are important applications of our service, alongside other business goods. We prepare the import around the actual product, transaction and intended use to ensure complete customs compliance with local customs procedures.
We review classification, origin and value, and reconcile product descriptions with the invoice, packing list and transport details. You receive focused requests for the missing information.
We review existing evidence, prepare relevant applications, coordinate manufacturer documents and arrange testing or certification support where required. We follow up with the relevant parties so your team does not have to organize each process independently, securing end-to-end regulatory compliance.
We organize importer-side documentation, broker filing and import payments, and respond to customs questions using the supporting shipment records.
We communicate the customs outcome, organize the agreed transport handoff and provide the relevant import records. We handle the IOR Service continuing customs responsibilities after release.
You provide accurate goods and transaction details, manufacturer evidence or signatures when needed, and the receiving contact. You approve the quote and arrange the identified funding. A complete technical file is not required to start your enquiry.
We use your shipment summary to establish the pricing inputs and identify missing information. Your quote explains the service, estimated import charges, payment needs and next steps.
We align customs documents and transport documents, manage applicable product work and organize the entry route. You receive the document requests and preparation instructions needed before dispatch.
We coordinate the declaration, duty and tax payments, and any customs review with the broker. You receive release status and focused requests when customs needs supporting information.
We coordinate release to the agreed transport or receiving team and provide the relevant customs records. Tell us whether you are using your own freight arrangements or need freight and final delivery included; the quote identifies the handoff point.
See One Union Solutions service, government charges and external costs separately so your operations and finance teams can plan the shipment.
The fee reflects the goods, transaction, document preparation and import work. Your quote identifies the included service and separately priced additions.
We estimate import charges based on the product’s tariff classification, customs value, country of origin, and applicable customs regime. El Salvador’s standard import value-added tax (IVA / VAT) rate is 13%. Customs duty rates and applicable import duties vary by product and are checked for each tariff line. Other taxes or fees may also apply, depending on the goods, import regulations and import requirements.
Relevant authority, laboratory, certification-body, government agencies or permit charges are identified separately. Managing the process does not make every external charge part of the IOR Service fee.
Tell us whether you are using your own carrier or need freight and final delivery priced with the IOR service. Your quote identifies the brokerage and transport charges, handoff point and receiving-site requirements. Mode, route, size and weight affect these costs.
Port, airport, depot, warehousing, storage or examination charges can depend on the actual movement. We distinguish estimated costs from charges that arise during the shipment.
Your quote explains the assumptions, inclusions, exclusions, currency and funding required before import. Where external charges remain estimates, we identify how they will be reconciled against the actual charges.
El Salvador’s customs authority, the Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA), lists a US$18 non-intrusive inspection charge in its definitive-import procedure, payable when the declaration is transmitted. It is separate from the IOR Service fee; we identify its application to your entry.
Send the available shipment value even for FOC goods. A zero sale price does not establish a zero customs value.
Sales and FOC values · Duty and IVA · Equipment requirements · Temporary imports and returns
Start with a short shipment summary. We request the fuller records during preparation and explain what each enables us to do.
The manufacturer, model, quantities and condition help identify each product for HS code tariff classification and distinguish new, used, modified or refurbished equipment.
The commercial invoice or FOC transaction details, currency and parties support customs valuation and distinguish the seller, owner, importer and recipient. For FOC goods, provide the purpose and available acquisition or other value evidence.
The packing list, weights and relevant serial numbers help reconcile packages with the declaration and identify equipment for a temporary movement, repair or return.
The country of dispatch and manufacturing origin help plan the route and assess tariff treatment. Supply supporting origin information when a preference is claimed; dispatch and origin are separate facts.
The air waybill, bill of lading or road transport document helps match the transport record to the customs entry and coordinate arrival, release and handoff. The carrier’s manifest must align with the shipment.
Specifications, label photos and existing technical evidence help match product requirements and supporting reports to the exact model, configuration and intended use, then organize missing evidence with the manufacturer.
Battery details and access to relevant test summaries help check transport preparation for equipment containing batteries, batteries packed with equipment or standalone battery consignments.
The Salvadoran destination, receiving contact and delivery term help identify the receiving location, site access, handoff point and agreed allocation of import and delivery costs.
The DGA’s definitive-import procedure identifies the invoice, transport record, cargo manifest and additional documents required for the goods. We align these with the customs declaration and request import licenses, permits or origin evidence when the transaction requires them.
One Union Solutions acts as your IOR Service. Your customer or site can receive the goods without taking on that role merely because it is the delivery destination. We prepare the documents to identify the actual importer and receiving party accurately.
Commercial importers must be entered in El Salvador‘s importer register. The importer’s tax identification number (NIT) identifies that registration; the tax registration number (NRC) is also recorded where IVA registration applies. We organize the importer-side requirements for our IOR service. See the Importer Register Law.
We coordinate the appropriate Declaración Única Centroamericana (DUCA) declaration and electronic filing through the customs system with the broker. The required declaration depends on the movement; a Central American dispatch does not itself establish regional origin or preference.
DGA selectivity can assign automatic clearance, documentary review or physical inspection. Filing and paying the declaration are steps in the process; we communicate the actual customs release before the agreed handoff.
Appointing a customs broker alone does not provide a separate IOR Service. One Union Solutions handles the importer role; the broker performs authorized customs work. Under the Central American customs code (CAUCA), Article 23, the customs agent shares tax liability with the declarant. The service does not erase another party’s statutory obligations.
We retain the relevant import records, coordinate required corrections and respond to customs enquiries as IOR Service. Your team supplies accurate product, ownership, origin and value evidence. Keep the records we provide available for your own commercial and tax responsibilities.
A qualifying sale can support transaction-value valuation. When that basis is unavailable, the customs value must be established using the applicable valuation rules and evidence. A pro forma invoice marked “no commercial value,” a nominal price or an internal transfer price is not enough by itself.
For an internal deployment, demonstration unit or no-charge replacement, tell us why the goods are moving and who owns them. Provide available acquisition records, manufacturer value information and the equipment’s condition. We organize the valuation evidence and resolve gaps during preparation.
The DGA’s valuation consultation procedure covers new and used goods where transaction value cannot be demonstrated. FOC status does not automatically remove duty, IVA or product requirements.
Customs duty (DAI) depends on the product’s tariff classification and applicable treatment. We check each line rather than apply one duty percentage to every server, networking product or commercial consignment.
Under the general import calculation, IVA is 13% of the customs value plus DAI. Customs value generally includes the goods, freight and insurance. Exemptions and additional product-specific taxes need separate treatment; paying IVA does not automatically establish a refund or tax credit. See the DGA’s import-tax guidance.
A trade agreement can reduce duty when the goods meet its origin rules and the claim has the required support. CAFTA-DR is the United States–Central America–Dominican Republic trade agreement. Goods shipped from the United States do not automatically qualify. The manufacturer’s location, production and relevant materials matter; we review the evidence and route before claiming a preference.
The CAFTA-DR origin chapter permits different bases for a supported origin claim and does not prescribe a single mandatory certificate format. A preferential duty rate does not itself exempt the import from IVA.
A wired server, wireless access point, production machine and battery shipment need different checks. We match the preparation to the product and intended use, and manage the applicable work with the manufacturer and relevant authorities.
For a site deployment, send the model list and identify radio modules, power supplies and any batteries. We use this information for classification, valuation and the relevant technical checks, then align the shipment records with the receiving site.
El Salvador distinguishes standards from mandatory technical regulations. We check the rules applicable to the goods instead of assuming one certificate of conformity applies to every IT product. Existing reports help us prepare the file; their relevance depends on the actual model and requirement. See the official commercial guide to Salvadoran standards and our IT equipment import guide.
El Salvador‘s Telecommunications Law requires equipment to follow International Telecommunication Union (ITU) or other recognized international standards. Send the exact model, frequency bands, transmit power, interfaces and intended network use.
We check the applicable technical and spectrum conditions with SIGET, the telecom regulator, and organize the relevant evidence or application work. Where an operator authorization or spectrum right is involved, the operator supplies its authorization details and required signatures; the regulator grants the right. Customs release does not itself authorize radio operation.
For an access point or radio-enabled server, the radio configuration matters alongside the main unit. We match the documentation to that configuration before planning dispatch and installation.
For goods supplied to consumers, Salvadoran consumer-protection rules require relevant product information in Spanish. We check the destination use, sales channel, labels and instructions and coordinate missing manufacturer material. For equipment intended for your own site, we review the applicable product rules and intended use to determine the required labels and instructions. See Consumer Protection Law Article 27.
Identify batteries installed in equipment, packed with it or shipped separately, including batteries in backup systems. Supply the chemistry, watt-hour rating, condition and packing arrangement so we can coordinate the transport requirements.
For relevant lithium batteries, the manufacturer or distributor must make the UN 38.3 test summary available. An accessible matching summary can support preparation; a paper copy is not universally required with every consignment. Packaging, marking and documentation depend on the battery configuration, transport mode and carrier. Tell us about damaged or defective batteries before booking. See IATA’s 2026 battery guidance.
Send the machine’s function, model, value, specifications and receiving-site details. We distinguish an ordinary definitive import from a documented special regime and manage the relevant customs and product preparation.
El Salvador has a specific IVA exemption application for qualifying production machinery. Eligibility depends on the taxpayer, machinery and authorized use; it is not a general exemption for all equipment. The application must be filed at least 30 days before import. Tell us about an intended claim early so we can coordinate the application with the eligible party and align the entry with the authorization.
Describe condition, refurbishment, modifications and intended use, and provide available photos and value records. We check whether the technical evidence still matches the equipment. Tell us whether the goods are for functional reuse, repair or recycling so the shipment is prepared for its actual purpose.
Where consumer-protection rules apply, used, rebuilt or defective condition must be disclosed as required. We coordinate the relevant product information rather than describe refurbished goods as new.
El Salvador’s temporary-import route with re-export in the same state requires authorization. A guarantee applies to some categories, rather than every temporary shipment. Send the intended activity, equipment identification and re-export plan.
We prepare the applicable entry, authorization and security documents and organize the records needed to close the movement. Temporary status is not automatic tax relief, and it does not remove relevant product requirements. Goods entering for repair need the appropriate route for that activity.
A warranty replacement, equipment arriving for repair and goods returning after work abroad are different transactions. Provide serial numbers, prior import or export records, the repair or warranty terms, and any repair charges. We establish the entry and valuation basis from those facts; a return label or FOC invoice alone does not establish an exemption.
An industrial-park address alone does not establish free-zone eligibility. Tell us whether the receiving company is an authorized beneficiary, the goods’ intended use and the receiving customs regime. We coordinate the declaration and handoff against that status. The DGA’s free-zone procedure distinguishes the documented regime from an ordinary definitive import.
Share your required date and Salvadoran destination before the goods leave. We organize the sequence across product preparation, customs and import documents, transport, clearance and site handoff.
Existing matching evidence: we complete the customs information and organize the filing and payment route. Missing or mismatched evidence: we manage the manufacturer requests and applicable testing or application work that must precede the relevant shipment stage.
Carrier availability, document corrections, customs review or examination, port and depot handling, and receiving-site access also affect the plan. We explain the dependencies and customer inputs so dispatch is planned around the actual work.
The quote starts the engagement and explains how to proceed. Product authorizations and customs release remain decisions of the relevant authorities.
We support your Salvadoran import under DDP or DAP by acting as IOR Service and aligning customs filing, import funding and the quoted delivery work with your transaction. Under Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), the seller takes responsibility for import clearance and import charges. Under Delivered at Place (DAP), the buyer takes those responsibilities. These are contractual allocations; they do not establish importer registration or product authorization. Send the delivery term and named destination with the seller, owner and recipient details. We align the IOR Service appointment, documents and quoted costs with those responsibilities. The ICC’s DDP and DAP explanation describes the allocation under Incoterms 2020.
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Some of your burning questions answered.
An Importer of Record is the legal entity responsible for ensuring imported goods comply with El Salvador’s customs laws, including documentation, duties, and taxes.
Common import documents include commercial invoices, packing lists, shipping documents, customs declarations, and permits, depending on the type of goods being imported into El Salvador.
Industries such as aviation, medical equipment, automobile, and IT & data centre benefit the most due to strict regulations and complex documentation requirements.
Yes, an experienced IOR can help apply correct HS codes and use eligible Free Trade Agreements to legally reduce import duties and taxes.
One Union Solutions manages customs clearance, documentation, duty payments, and regulatory compliance, ensuring smooth and timely import operations.
CREDITS
Author: One Union Solutions Trade Compliance Editorial Team.
Reviewed by: Wahid Azeem, Trade Compliance Manager.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
Corrections: info@oneunionsolutions.com
DGA’s definitive-import procedure
Central American customs code (CAUCA), Article 23
DGA’s valuation consultation procedure
official commercial guide to Salvadoran standards
Consumer Protection Law Article 27
IVA exemption application for qualifying production machinery
