Colombia. Shakira, System of a Down, Estéreo Picnic, Andrea Bocelli, Fonseca, Maluma, Linkin Park, are some of the entertainment events that used or will use the figure of temporary imports, so that their show goes in the best possible way, both with the equipment and with the costumes. The National Association of Foreign Trade, Analdex, analyzed this panorama.
Imports play an essential role in trade, allowing countries to access products and raw materials that are not produced locally or that are more profitable to import. In Colombia, there are different types of imports depending on the purpose of the merchandise, among which the temporary importation stands out, widely used in sectors such as entertainment and industry.
"Unlike ordinary imports, where goods enter the country permanently, temporary importation allows products to be brought for a limited time with certain tax benefits so that they can then return to the country of origin or can be moved to others to continue with musical tours. In practical terms, the temporary import declaration serves as the 'passport of the goods', so that they can cross the borders without paying taxes," said Javier Díaz Molina, executive president of Analdex.
Sergio Pérez, country manager of VicVal Logistics Colombia and Ecuador, an international cargo agency and land freight transport company, explained that temporary importation has requirements that must be met. "If the merchandise is used, it must have an import license. On the other hand, if it is new merchandise, in many cases it must have a warranty policy; however, for the specific case of events, advertising is necessary and the guarantee policy would not apply," Pérez said.
Temporary imports are not limited to a single type of commodity, but are adjusted to the needs of the market. Pérez stressed that these types of imports include:
- Cultural events and fairs.
- Concerts and shows.
- Petroleum machinery (Halliburton) and capital goods, such as yellow machinery and functional units (complete machines for industrial processes).
Some sectors have increased their temporary imports, while others have decreased. "Definitely, the concerts are growing. However, what has gone down, even before the pandemic, are oil tools," Pérez concluded.
The growth of events in Colombia has been remarkable in recent years. Guillermo Quintero, general manager of the Movistar Arena Bogotá, commented that everything related to entertainment is gaining a lot of strength. "In 2019, we did 60 concerts, and last year we ended up with 100, including private events that take place in the arena, which are more corporate."
The impact of temporary imports is not only reflected in the number of events, but also in the consolidation of Colombia as a key destination for entertainment in Latin America.
Diego Ramirez, Operations Manager of Rock-It Cargo Colombia, a multinational that focuses on the management of temporary imports for all types of events, highlights the growth of the music industry in the country, because people give it much more importance and are willing to pay. Colombia ranks fourth after Brazil, Argentina and Chile, as the place for people to go and enjoy a concert.
"We have to thank local promoters such as Ocesa, Páramo, and these types of companies, since they negotiate with all the great artists, and in terms of imports, they have made us grow at the company level," said Ramirez.
43% of the imports of this multinational, from January to February, are from shows, and a clear example of this was Shakira, since this concert represented most of these processes, because it was a fairly strong and demanding production in the management of imports.
Finally, the most imported goods for events are costumes and instruments. Today, the priority is on sound, video and high-definition screens, which improve the audience's experience.
"The audio issue has been very important. Through sounds, people are immersed in the show, even with floors that emit colors and videos. This has made an expensive ticket worthwhile, because it guarantees a high-quality concert," Ramirez concluded.
