🇨🇴Import Korean Food to Colombia
Registration, labelling, duties and freight — what a distributor needs to bring Korean noodles, snacks, sauces and beverages into Colombia, with vetted Korean suppliers at 0% commission and one logistics partner from factory to shelf.
Why Colombia
Colombia’s K-food demand has grown with K-culture, and Korean noodles, snacks and sauces now appear in Bogotá supermarkets and online grocery. The Korea–Colombia FTA lowers duty on many lines, but INVIMA sanitary authorisation and the "ALTO EN" warning-seal labels are the main workstreams before your first order.
Product registration in Colombia
Risk-based sanitary authorisation
Under Resolution 2674 of 2013, each packaged food needs an INVIMA sanitary registration, permit or notification depending on its public-health risk level, held by the Colombian importer.
Front-of-pack warning seals
Resolution 810 of 2021 (amended by Resolution 2492 of 2022) requires black octagonal "ALTO EN" seals for products high in sugars, sodium or saturated fat; importers may apply a compliant complementary sticker.
Port inspection
INVIMA inspects food shipments at the port of entry and issues a sanitary inspection certificate before the goods can be released for sale.
Typical lead time: Low-risk sanitary notifications move fastest; higher-risk registrations take longer, so file them in parallel with your first purchase order.
Duties & taxes
The Korea–Colombia FTA (in force since 2016) cuts or removes duty on many processed foods with a certificate of origin, though some agricultural lines keep longer phase-outs or exclusions. Colombia also taxes ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks under Law 2277 of 2022 — check both for each HS line.
Colombian IVA is 19% at the standard rate, collected at import on customs value + duty; some basic foods carry reduced or exempt rates.
Estimate your landed cost per HS code with our free import duty calculator. Open the import duty calculator
Regulations, duty and tax information is general guidance and may change. We confirm the exact requirements for your product and HS code before every shipment.
Shipping from Korea to Colombia
We consolidate LCL and FCL cargo from Busan every week. Below are indicative LCL rates from our internal tariff — the same data our freight team quotes from.
| Destination port | LCL rate | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| BUENAVENTURA | $75 / CBM | 29 days |
| BARRANQUILLA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) | $190 / CBM | 24 days |
| BOGOTA (VIA BUENAVENTURA) | 165 (MIN 2CBM) | 34 days |
| CARTAGENA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) | $185 / CBM | 24 days |
Indicative LCL ocean rates from Busan, Korea — from TY's internal tariff, updated regularly. Ocean freight portion only; your final DDP quote covers the full door-to-door cost.
How importing with TY works
Tell us your product
Send your category, target price and market — the matching form takes 3 minutes.
Supplier match + DDP quote
Within one business day we propose a vetted Korean supplier and a total landed-cost quote.
Samples & first order
We arrange sample shipping and consolidate small first orders with weekly LCL departures.
Ship, clear, deliver
TY handles export docs, ocean or air freight, customs and duty, and final delivery — tracked on our portal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need product registration to import Korean food to Colombia?
Yes. Packaged foods need an INVIMA sanitary registration, permit or notification (by risk level) before sale, Spanish labels with "ALTO EN" warning seals where applicable, and an INVIMA inspection at the port. TY prepares the Korean manufacturer documents and label check so your container clears smoothly.
How long does shipping from Korea to Colombia take?
LCL from Busan to BARRANQUILLA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) takes about 24 days port-to-port. Add customs clearance and inland delivery for the full door-to-door DDP timeline. We consolidate weekly, so small first orders move fast.
What does DDP shipping mean for my order?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means one all-in price to your door: pickup in Korea, ocean or air freight, customs clearance, import duty and taxes, and final delivery. You see your total landed cost before you commit to the order.
More import guides for Colombia
Ready to source and ship from Korea?
Tell us your product and market — we reply with a matched Korean supplier and an all-in DDP quote within one business day. 0% commission: we make money on shipping, not on you.