The rules change often and country by country. This is what to verify before committing to a machine.
There is no Latin American rule for used machinery. There are fifteen or twenty different rules, one per country, and they change. Some countries import it with no more formality than any other goods; others require prior permits, age limits or proof that no equivalent domestic production exists.
This guide sets out what is worth knowing before committing to a machine in Europe. It does not replace your customs broker: the only way to be certain is to ask them, with your equipment's specific tariff heading, before signing anything.
From there the differences start, and they are large.
This is where the picture has changed most recently. Decree 483/2026, published on 23 June 2026, relaxed the regime in force since 2016. Among the changes: the obligation to buy domestic goods alongside the import fell from 30 % to 10 % of FOB value; an age limit of 20 years was set, rising to 30 for rebuilt or upgraded equipment; and the sectors covered were widened to include power generation, automated storage and environmental treatment equipment.
The regime keeps a reduced tariff for admitted used goods and exemptions from certain levies. Import authorisations run for a year and can be extended. It is a friendlier framework than the previous one, but it is still a regime with conditions: this is not free importation.
Brazil is the region's most demanding market for used machinery. Importing used material requires a non-automatic licence and, in many cases, the similarity examination: a procedure that checks whether domestic production exists capable of serving the same purpose. If it does, the import may not be authorised.
The governing framework is Portaria Secex no. 249/2023, whose article 41 governs the application to Decex, with a public consultation period and the filing of technical catalogues or descriptive memorials for the equipment. Since December 2025, LPCO registration and the Duimp declaration are mandatory.
In practice this means something important for the buyer: in Brazil the procedure starts before you buy, not after. Committing to a machine in Europe without having checked similarity is taking on a large risk.
Importing used industrial machinery generally requires: active registration in the Padrón de Importadores; a prior permit from the Ministry of Economy where the tariff code is restricted; an appraisal by an authorised valuer to establish customs value, precisely because the equipment is second-hand; compliance with the applicable NOM standards verified by an authorised body; and, depending on the case, a non-contamination certificate from an accredited laboratory.
The appraisal is what surprises first-time importers most: the invoice alone is not enough. The authority keeps reference price databases and under-valuation is detected.
Chile has traditionally had one of the region's most open regimes for used capital goods, which explains the volume of European machinery arriving through San Antonio and Valparaíso. Colombia and Peru allow used machinery imports under general procedures, with additional requirements depending on the type of equipment and its tariff heading.
That said, we are not going to give you percentages or closed lists here: those figures change and depend on the specific heading. What you can do, in any of these countries, is the check in the next section before committing money.
With the machine's technical sheet in hand, and before negotiating price, ask them exactly this:
Three questions, one phone call. Answered before buying, they order the whole deal; answered afterwards, they sometimes explain why a machine has been sitting at the port for six weeks.
From the European side we gather what your customs broker will ask for: a commercial invoice with the machine properly identified, the technical sheet and equipment documentation, real weight and dimensions, and the manufacturer's origin information. The better the machine is described, the easier it is to classify correctly.
We do not act as exporter, importer or customs agent, and we do not process permits in your country. That part belongs to your local representative, which is where it should be.
Before customs comes the move itself: see sea freight from Europe to Latin America and the export formalities at origin. If your supply is 60 Hz, check what happens when you connect a European machine. And for the full picture, buying European machinery from Latin America.
The regulatory information on this page is current as of September 2026 and is cited with its source regulation, but import regimes change frequently. This guide is indicative and does not constitute customs, legal or tax advice: always verify with a licensed customs broker in your country and against your equipment's specific tariff heading.