Distributing a product

Market shares

Estimations show that between big stores and superstores, there are 128 selling points (33.7% of invoicing), 846 small retail stores (31.5%) and 9151 traditional shops (34.9% of invoicing).

Multinationals own 75% of big retail chains. The Dico-Devoto is the largest since they own the "Disco" supermakets (27 stores), "Devoto" (25 stores) and the superstore "Geant".

In terms of importance, these three are followed by the group "Henderson & Cia" with the "Tienda Inglesa" chain (9 stores), the "Multiahorro" chain (30 medium retail stores), "Ta-Ta" (20 small and medium stores), "El Dorado" chain from the "Polakof & Cia" mainly located in the countryside (40 stores, supermarkets and small retail stores)

Organizations in the retail sector

Association of Uruguay supermakets
Main Association of Uruguayan shopkeepers

We can identify professional tradeshows on your sector.

Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Washington convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer

International economic cooperation

Uruguay is member of the Latin American Integration Association. It also belongs to the Mercosur, and has signed a free trade agreement with Mexico. The country have signed a trade agreement with 21 other countries in the São Paulo Round of the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP).

Non tariff barriers

Uruguay has a liberal import policy. There is no quota system. License is required for the import of products such as medical equipment, chemicals, cattle, sugar, cereals, meat and flour. All importers should nevertheless be registered with the Central Bank and declare all their imports by filling an import declaration. Recording Certificates are valid for 180 days. A deadline for customs clearance of the goods is fixed.

Customs duties and taxes on imports

Uruguay applies the Harmonized Customs System (SH)

Customs classification

Uruguay applies the harmonised Customs System, based on the World Customs Organization's system. Customs duties are calculated Ad valorem on the CIF value of the goods. However, Uruguay applies some minimum price for textile and clothing imports. Importers have to pay the difference between the amount of the invoice and the minimum price. The custom duties are payable on that minimal price. Uruguay is not part of the WTO.

Uruguay is a member of the MERCOSUR (Mercado Comun del Sur, gathering Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay and Uruguay), aimed at creating a free trade zone, a common external tariff and a free circulation zone for goods, services, capitals and persons. Customs duties between member countries were theoretically abolished in 1994, with nevertheless a lot of exceptions, according to the "adaptation regime" (Regimen de adecuacion).

The common external tariff (CET) does ot concern all products, currently: only 75% of the tariff lines benefit from a single tariff. The goods still outside the system, for the 4 countries are: equipment goods, IT, telecommunications, cars and sugar sectors.

Import procedures

The AEC applies ad valorem on the CIF value of imported goods. This custom policy should be approached cautiously, since countries apply more or less the central directives according to their economic situation. It also important to mention that a reexport within a member country doesn't lead to custom duty exemption: For instance, if you export a product to Uruguay, and sell it to Brazil, you would have to pay Uruguayan customs, and later on Brazilian customs. To avoid such a situation, it is highly recommended to use free zones

Importing samples

The import of sample is tax free if  the value of goods in customs doesn't exceed USD 100 for each delivery.

For further information

National Customs Office

We can indicate you which are the customs duties applied to your product.

Find out the local taxes that apply to your product.

Organizing goods transport

Main useful means of transport

The main mode of transport for goods is by sea. Road shipping and railway are also used, but to a lesser extent. Air shipping is mainly used for lighter goods.

Ports

The airline company Pluna
The airline company Aeromas
The ports of Uruguay

Airports

International Carrasco Airport, Montevideo

Sea transport organizations

Sea shipping regulations.

Air transport organizations

National Office of civil aviation and aeronautical infrastructure.

Road transport organizations

Ministry of transportation

Rail transport organizations

Railway transport administration

Get a ballpark figure for transportation costs for your product in this country through a shipping estimate.

Identifying a supplier

Type of production

Industry accounts for 30% of the GDP. Principally dealing with agriculture, breeding and ore production.

Business directories

Commercial directory
Uruguayxxi
Yellow pages

Manufacturers associations of the main industries

Association of banking of Uruguay
Association of rural Uruguay
Chamber of the Uruguayan construction
Association of marketing directos

Trade Agencies and their representations abroad

Chamber of Commerce of Uruguay
Chamber of industry of Uruguay

Enterprises federation

Association of medium and small companies
National office of small and medium business
Association of young entrepreneurs
Association of christian business managers

Standards

National standards organizations

Uruguayan Technical Standards Institute.

Integration in the international standards network

The Uruguayan Technical Institute of Standards (UNIT) is a member of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), of the International Eletrotechnical Commission (IEC), of the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT), and of the MERCOSUR.

Classification of standards

Certification UNIT- ISO

Online consultation of standards

See the UNIT catalogue.

Certification organizations

Uruguayan Technical Standards Institute.

Find out the standards and labelling requirements that apply to your products.

Intellectual Property

National organizations

The National Directorate of Industrial Property . Uruguay signed the Paris Convention for the protection of industrial property along with the agreement establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Regional organizations

Regional property right regulation in the Mercosur agreements framework.