Noticia

Overland Customs Routes

CT-111-2023

Technical Circular CT-111/2023 of the General Directorate of Customs Services (DGA) came into force on December 1, 2023, establishing new routes and deadlines for land customs transit of goods in Nicaragua. This provision updates and repeals previous circulars (CT-048/2017, CT-101/2019, CT-137/2021 and CT-078/2022), in order to optimize the management, security and traceability of shipments both within the country and in its international corridors.

Legal Framework and Scope
The CT-111/2023 is based on articles 6 and 130 of the CAUCA (Central American Uniform Customs Code) and on articles 5 and 639 of its Regulations (REAUCA), which empower the DGA to define authorized fiscal routes and their conditions of application. Under this legal protection, the circular establishes two fundamental annexes: Annex I for domestic transit and Annex II for international transit, with detailed tables of origin, destination and maximum travel times.

Annex I: National Customs Transit
Annex I shows the internal routes between customs posts and fiscal warehouses, indicating deadlines that range from 24 to 72 hours, depending on the distance and complexity of each corridor. New routes are highlighted with a double line (II) on the left of the table, so that operators and carriers can quickly identify them in their documentation and management systems.

Annex II: International Customs Transit
Annex II groups the land corridors that link Nicaragua with Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala. Each international route includes a maximum period, generally 72 to 120 hours, adjusted according to the particularities of the border crossings (opening hours, distance and inter-institutional controls). Again, the routes incorporated in this edition are marked with a double line (II).

Benefits and Good Practices
The adoption of CT-111/2023 provides several benefits:

  • Clarity and predictability: Uniform deadlines that reduce delays and disputes between carriers and authorities.
  • Reinforced security: Centralization of information that optimizes customs controls.
  • Trade Facilitation: Approved routes that improve Nicaragua's competitiveness as a regional transit platform.

For its correct implementation, it is recommended:

  1. Empower to drivers and customs agents in identifying new routes and applicable deadlines.
  2. Compare in an internal table the old routes vs. the new ones, highlighting changes in time or trajectory.
  3. Monitor the performance of each runner and report incidents to the DGA for possible future adjustments.

Conclusion
Technical Circular CT-111/2023 represents a significant advance in the systematization and streamlining of land customs transit in Nicaragua. With clearly defined routes and consistent deadlines, companies and carriers now have reliable guidance to plan their itineraries, reduce logistics costs and ensure regulatory compliance. ACONISA invites all its clients and partners to delve into the annexes of the circular and to take advantage of its provisions to strengthen their land trade operations.

Author: Lic. Jordy Staver.