Uruguay Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in uruguay, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Uruguay maintains a transparent and straightforward import regime that aligns with international trade standards. U.S. firms seeking to enter the Uruguayan market must ensure full compliance with local documentation and procedural requirements. This section outlines the key documents and steps needed for U.S. exporters and their Uruguayan import partners to facilitate smooth customs clearance.


Documentation Required from U.S. Exporters

U.S. companies exporting to Uruguay are responsible for providing the following core documents:

  • Commercial Invoice: Must include product description, quantity, unit price, total value, Incoterms, exporter and importer contact details, and country of origin. It serves as the official transaction record for Uruguayan customs to assess value, classification, and admissibility.
     
  • Packing List: Details how goods are packaged – including weight and dimensions – to support customs inspection, handling, and accurate delivery.
     
  • Bill of Lading (for sea shipments) or Air Waybill (for air shipments): Serves as a shipment receipt and transport contract between the exporter and importer. Details must correspond with those in the commercial invoice.
     
  • Certificate of Origin: This documentation is required by Uruguayan customs and used to facilitate product-specific licensing, regulatory approvals, or preferential trade criteria.
     
  • Sanitary or Phytosanitary Certificates: Required for food, animal, agricultural, or plant products. These should be issued by relevant U.S. agencies – such as the USDA, FDA, or APHIS.
     
  • Electronic Export Information (EEI) via AES filing: Required for all U.S. shipments over $2,500 or those needing U.S. export licenses. U.S. exporters must submit EEI through the Automated Export System (AES) prior to export.


Documentation Required by the Uruguayan Importer

While the U.S. exporter must prepare and provide the above documents, the Uruguayan importer is responsible for the formal import declaration process. However, exporters may be asked to support these steps:

Documento Único Aduanero (DUA): The Uruguayan Single Customs Document, mandatory for all import operations. This document is filed by a licensed customs broker and includes information from the commercial invoice and shipment documents.

  • Import License: Certain regulated goods – including motor vehicles, sugar, acetic acid, textiles, shoes, and steel for structural uses – require non-automatic import licenses. The importer is responsible for securing these licenses prior to customs clearance.
     
  • Product-Specific Certificates: Technical or quality certificates may be required for items such as industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment, medical devices or electrical products. These must be obtained by the importer and may require information or documentation from the U.S. exporter.
     
  • Labeling Requirements: Consumer products must be labeled in Spanish prior to market entry. Labels must include the product name, ingredients or materials, country of origin, net content/weight, expiration/manufacture date (if applicable), and the names and addresses of both the manufacturer and importer.


Compliance and Coordination

To avoid delays or customs penalties, U.S. exporters are encouraged to maintain close communication with their Uruguayan partners and confirm all requirements well before shipment. Working with experienced customs brokers on both sides is strongly recommended. U.S. firms should also consult with the U.S. Commercial Service in Uruguay for sector-specific regulatory guidance.

For more detailed or updated information, consult:

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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