Venezuela - Trade Barriers Venezuela - Trade Barriers
Non-Agricultural Goods and Services
Some types of exports to Venezuela – such as medical devices, cosmetics, or drugs – require approval in advance by the Ministry of Health (MINSALUD). The approval process, though lengthy (approximately three to six months), is relatively transparent and routine. The Venezuelan importer or distributor manages the approval and/or registration process, so it is absolutely essential that U.S. companies verify their importer’s or local agent’s experience with and knowledge of the process. Only the importer or local representative can request product approval and/or registration from MINSALUD, meaning that a U.S. company cannot do it from abroad.
Agricultural Goods and Services
Agricultural and food product imports are legally administered through an import license regime. While not currently enforced in the private sector, they have historically required certificates of non-production (to show that products are not available domestically) in order to justify importation. Additionally, the GBRV uses two government entities to import: CASA (for raw materials, commodities, and consumer food products) and Agropatria (for fertilizer, seeds, and agricultural machinery).
On December 28, 2015, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV) published a law banning the use and research of modern biotechnology in agriculture. This law also prohibits the production, import, use, release and multiplication of Genetically Engineered (GE) or transgenic seeds. The law also prohibits the granting of copyright protections and patents on any type of seed, whether conventional or otherwise. Violators of this law can be subject to penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.
Venezuela also requires that importers obtain Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) certificates from the Ministries of Food and Agriculture for most agricultural imports. The government has used these requirements to restrict agricultural and food imports without providing evidence of a scientific basis for the restrictions, which raises concerns about the consistency of these practices with WTO requirements. The discretionary use of import licensing and permitting procedures to curtail agricultural imports remains an issue.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (MAT) issues SPS health import permits for imported products and sub-products of plant or animal origin; the Ministry of Food (MINAL) issues import permits and licenses; and the Ministry of Health grants food registration for all domestic and imported processed food products. Foods not registered in the country of origin cannot be registered in Venezuela.