Colombia's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism published a draft decree on 24 April 2026 that would establish two new customs regimes for electric and hybrid vehicle assembly: the Electric Vehicle Transformation and Assembly Regime (RTE-E) and the Instrument for New Industrial Projects for Plug-in Hybrid and Electric Mobility (INPIMHEL).

INPIMHEL Provisions

The INPIMHEL would provide import quotas of up to 20,000 vehicles annually for 2026 and 2027 at a reduced 5% tariff rate. Initial technical equipment and components would benefit from a 0% tariff rate, alongside customs facilitation measures and recognition as a Strategic Industrial Project.

RTE-E Framework

The RTE-E would regulate the import and assembly of completely knocked-down (CKD) and semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits, subject to specific production and national content commitments. Both regimes would require beneficiaries to meet minimum national content integration requirements starting at 2% in 2027 and progressively increasing to 8% from 2030.

Compliance Requirements

Companies accessing these regimes must maintain a workforce of at least 70% national labour and implement comprehensive traceability and periodic reporting systems. The proposal excludes importers without local industrial infrastructure, and beneficiaries cannot accumulate these benefits with other existing regimes.

Context

The draft decree reflects Colombia's strategy to develop domestic electric vehicle manufacturing capacity while providing transitional import benefits. The measure would become effective 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette and represents part of broader regional efforts to establish electric mobility supply chains in Latin America.