The use of the anticipated office mechanism has allowed the release time of imported goods by 77%, the National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT) said today.
This mechanism allows importers to obtain the free availability of their goods at the time of their arrival to the country, without having to enter a customs warehouse.
The Sunat explained that the total time of release of goods that enter the country through ports, airports or terrestrial terminals decreased by more than 77%, from 146 hours in 2014 to only 33 hours in July of the year 2025, which positively impacts the reduction of import costs.
This has been possible thanks to the improvements implemented by SUNAT in its customs processes and after more than five years of having established the mandatory use of the anticipated office in the import regime for consumption, with the exception of certain merchandise.
Likewise, the anticipated office grants financial advantages to importers, given that, once the goods are discharged in the country, the taxes applicable to the import can be canceled up to 21 days of the following month, benefit that, for the authorized economic operators, is greater, with up to 10 additional days to make said payment, unlike the deferred office, where the cancellation is carried out the same day.
The anticipated dispatch modality is aligned with the best practices and international agreements, such as the World Trade Organization Trade Agreement (WTO), which requires its members to adopt procedures that allow the transmission of early information, as well as the adoption of initiatives aimed at reducing dispatch times.
In this way, the anticipated transmission of the information declaration is aligned with international best practices, as an indicator of efficiency and competitiveness of foreign trade.
This improvement, in addition to reducing import costs, has allowed, since its implementation, to achieve a higher level of predictability and transparency in the import regime, promoting the strengthening of the logistics chain and the efficiency of the Peruvian customs office.
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