“MODIFICATION OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN IMPORT TARIFFS” DECREE NO. 604

Due to the approval of the State of National Emergency due to the COVID-19 virus Pandemic, decreed on March 14 of this year, as well as the approval of the State of Exception which restricts certain constitutional rights to achieve containment of the virus, through of Decree No. 604, the Legislative Body approved the Modification to the Central American Import Tariff on March 20 of this year, which will come into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette. With the purpose of ensuring the supply of consumer products for the Salvadoran population, as vital as the basic basket, medicines and cleaning supplies.

The most relevant points of the Decree to Modify the Central American Import Tariff were taken as emergency measures to ensure the supply of the population of essential products required by the current circumstances and prevent this pandemic from causing an even greater impact on our economy, therefore that the decision was made to modify this Tariff only in the territory of El Salvador, so the “Tariff Import Duties (DAI)” will have a rate of 0 (ZERO),  in the case of medicines of “Tariff Code 3004.90.91.00 — For human use”, the elimination of the tariff DOES NOT APPLY TO IBUPRUFEN.

Finally, it delegates to the Ministry of Economy the power to previously authorize the importation of the merchandise contained in Art. 2, for which this procedure must be defined through Executive Agreements issued by said State Secretariat. Understanding that the modification is of a nature TEMPORARY and its effects will end when the State of National Emergency of the Pandemic due to the COVID-19 virus ceases.

The Modification will be applied in the following way: