The Chilean Customs Service announced on Tuesday (19.07.2022) that it will operate a contingency plan to reopen the Los Libertadores border complex.
This border crossing has been closed since last Saturday, July 9, after receiving a large frontal storm. Since that date, it has only been opened to achieve the evacuation of individuals, drivers who remained on the road and for officials of the different services who had to remain in the complex for more than 15 days. Thus, and after a second frontal storm, there are thousands of trucks awaiting reopening on both sides of the mountain range.
The Administrator of the Los Andes Customs, Mariano Gómez, indicated that "it is expected that for the next few hours the road crews “We are hoping that the trucks that have been in an accident for several days have been cleared away. This, together with the weather conditions, makes us think that the reopening is very close.” He added that “we know that there are a large number of trucks waiting for the indication to begin their journey to Chile or Argentina. As far as Customs is concerned, we have worked on a design that allows us to optimize times.”
Gómez added that one of the axes of this contingency plan is the preferential use of ““pre-dispatch”, which will allow greater agility for cargo vehicles entering the Los Andes Land Port.
In practice, a truck that is waiting in Uspallata, that has processed its Declaration of Entry in advance, paid the duties, and that has not been selected for review, will reduce the actual time spent at the land port.
The administrator indicated that "in order for this system to operate as efficiently as possible, we ask transporters, customs agents and importers to coordinate to prefer this shipping option."
Regarding physical examinations, Mariano Gómez indicated that "we must remember that There is a very important analysis and profiling work", which allows us to investigate, based on documents and other background information, any cargo in which we could be in the presence of contraband, so the selection for review is very assertive."
Finally, the Los Andes Customs Office will extend its opening hours from 09:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m., although cargo clearance will be carried out continuously by the concessionaire company.
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