Colombia [RUCOM exporter (C.I.) or authorised exploiter exporting its own production] → United States · Sale by COMEX futures delivery
Public law and official guidance, published as research. Not legal, tax or financial advice.
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The route, leg by leg
Each step, tax and control as the research records it, with its legal basis and how sure the research is.
Colombia (Doré bar - unstamped → Doré bar - stamped/exporter-sealed) ⟶ United States (Doré bar - stamped/exporter-sealed)
Leg 1: Colombia
Where the goods start
Doré bar - unstamped → Doré bar - stamped/exporter-sealed
- 1
Melt aggregated dust or doré into bars at a RUCOM plant/smelter (plants may only beneficiate minerals of authorised exploiters); weigh and assay; when the plant sells, it issues a certificado de origen de planta de beneficio listing the exploiters whose mineral it processed
- Who
- Beneficiation plant / smelter (planta de beneficio, casa fundidora)
- Needs
- PTM record of the first-sale transaction
- Issues
- Bar list / weight and assay of melted bars; Certificado de origen planta de beneficio (ANM format)
- Form
- Gold dust / nuggets → Smelted button/bar
Industry practiceMelting/assay is industry practice. The PTM "cierre por transformación" applies where the mineral becomes an industrial derivative closing the chain (ANM guide, Dec 2025), so melting into bars for sale is not recorded as a transformation [inferred]; r1 said it was.
Ley 2250 de 2022 art 13; Decreto 1073 de 2015 art 2.2.5.6.1.1.4
- 2
Sell bars to the C.I./exporter with an electronic invoice and the chain of certificados de origen / declaraciones de producción; register the sale in the PTM
- Who
- Authorised mineral trader (comercializador de minerales autorizado, RUCOM)
- Needs
- Certificado de origen del explotador minero autorizado; Declaración de producción del minero de subsistencia (certificado de declaración de producción); RUCOM registration / listing
- Issues
- Electronic sales invoice from titleholder/trader; PTM record of a domestic trade or transformation
Primary lawDecreto 1073 de 2015 arts 2.2.5.6.1.1.4 par 5, 2.2.5.6.4.3-2.2.5.6.4.5; Resolución ANM 759 de 2024
- 3
As C.I. buyer, withhold 2.5% income tax on the full payment (1% before 1 Jun 2025), issue the withholding certificate and the Certificado al Proveedor for gold bought for export
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Electronic sales invoice from titleholder/trader
- Issues
- Certificado de retención en la fuente; Certificado al Proveedor (CP) issued by a C.I. company
Primary lawDecreto 1625 de 2016, art 1.2.4.6.9 (as modified by Decreto 572 de 2025)
- 4
Report all domestic gold purchases and sales to UIAF every four months, within the first 10 calendar days after the cut-off (or an absence report)
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Issues
- UIAF reports of gold buy/sell and import/export operations (Anexos 2 and 3)
Primary lawResolución UIAF 363 de 2008, arts 4-5
- 5
Agree a sale contract with the foreign refiner/buyer (price by reference to the London gold price, provisional on assay)
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Issues
- Sale contract with the foreign refiner/buyer
Industry practiceNo Colombian rule on pricing; general bullion practice.
- 6
Prepare the export lot: bar list with weights and fineness; for scrap (chatarra), obtain a certification from an authorised certification/inspection body
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Electronic sales invoice from titleholder/trader
- Issues
- Bar list / weight and assay of melted bars; Certification by an authorised certification/inspection body that material is scrap (chatarra); Exporter's electronic invoice to foreign buyer
- Form
- Smelted button/bar → Doré bar - stamped/exporter-sealed
Official guidance - 7
Confirm royalties on the lot are paid (royalty receipts / certificados de origen of suppliers) or pay them online to the ANM account; gold, silver and platinum without transformation need royalty proof before export
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Certificado de origen del explotador minero autorizado; Declaración de producción del minero de subsistencia (certificado de declaración de producción)
- Issues
- Royalty payment receipt (comprobante de pago de regalías)
Primary lawDecreto 600/4479 quoted by ANM; text not held.
Ley 2056 de 2020 art 186; Decreto 600 de 1996 art 20 (mod. Decreto 4479 de 2009), Ley 2056 art 186
- 8
File the export request to ANM through VUCE with the Excel "Reporte de información en la exportación" (SC-F-002: VUCE number, invoice data, HS subheading, each supplier's CO/declaración number and quantity, royalty liquidation and payments), certificados de origen / declaraciones de producción, traceability support of the commercial chain, sales invoice and royalty receipts; ANM decides within 3 business days in order of arrival (a return gives 3 days to cure, else rejection); the visto bueno is valid 3 months
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Certificado de origen del explotador minero autorizado; Royalty payment receipt (comprobante de pago de regalías); Exporter's electronic invoice to foreign buyer; RUCOM registration / listing
- Issues
- Formulario de reporte de exportación (ANM Excel form); ANM export approval (royalty and lawful-origin validation)
Official guidance[inferred] The export form version of 29 Aug 2025 still asks for the VUCE filing number; no ANM text read says the PTM replaced VUCE after May 2026.
Ley 2056 de 2020 art 186; Decreto 4149 de 2004 (VUCE)
- 9
Close the chain in the PTM with a "cierre por venta final" marked as export (destination country and city, final buyer, codes and quantities copied from the balances e-mail, value); ANM validates the export report format against PTM data
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- ANM export approval (royalty and lawful-origin validation)
- Issues
- PTM record of the export transaction and closure
Primary lawResolución ANM 759 de 2024, arts 5, 10
- 10
File the solicitud de autorización de embarque (SAE) at the DIAN Dirección Seccional where the gold is located, describing the goods so that the royalty value can be established, with RUCOM registration and, for C.I. exporters, the Certificados al Proveedor; request physical inspection in the secondary zone before the SAE is accepted
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- ANM export approval (royalty and lawful-origin validation); Exporter's electronic invoice to foreign buyer; Bar list / weight and assay of melted bars; Certificado al Proveedor (CP) issued by a C.I. company
- Issues
- Solicitud de autorización de embarque (DIAN)
Primary lawDecreto 1165 de 2019 arts 347, 348, 350, 352; Resolución DIAN 46 de 2019 arts 367 (mod. Res. 39/2021 art 132), 374, 375
- 11
Inspect physically in the secondary zone (exporter premises with calibrated measuring equipment, or an authorised valuables-transport company) at the latest the next business day; record net and fine weight and quality in the acta de inspección; seal the packages
- Who
- DIAN (customs and tax)
- Needs
- Solicitud de autorización de embarque (DIAN)
- Issues
- DIAN physical inspection / weighing record
Primary lawResolución DIAN 46 de 2019 arts 367, 389, 390
- 12
Embark through the same customs jurisdiction; the carrier transmits the manifest (within 24 h) and certifies embarkation; the declarant then presents the declaración de exportación definitiva electronically
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Solicitud de autorización de embarque (DIAN); DIAN physical inspection / weighing record
- Issues
- Export declaration accepted by DIAN
Primary lawDecreto 1165 de 2019 arts 362, 363; Resolución DIAN 46 de 2019 arts 367 num 5, 398, 400
- 13
Carry the gold by air to the foreign refiner under an air waybill
- Who
- Air carrier / secure logistics provider
- Needs
- Solicitud de autorización de embarque (DIAN); DIAN physical inspection / weighing record
- Issues
- Air waybill
Industry practice - 14
Self-withhold 1.0% income tax on gross export proceeds of mineral products (not due where the exporter is a C.I. that already withheld at purchase)
- Who
- Exporter: Sociedad de Comercialización Internacional (C.I.) or other RUCOM exporter
- Needs
- Export declaration accepted by DIAN
- Issues
- Certificado de retención en la fuente
Primary lawDecreto 1625 de 2016 as modified by Decreto 242 de 2024, art 1.2.4.10.12 and par. 1
Taxes and fees
Autorretención especial a título de renta, CIIU 0722 (extracción de oro y otros metales preciosos)
4.50% Income of gold extractors
Primary lawAmount not confirmedDecreto 1625 de 2016 as modified by Decreto 572 de 2025, art 1.2.6.8
Autorretención especial a título de renta, CIIU 0722 (previous rate)
2.40% Income of gold extractors
Primary lawAmount not confirmedDecreto 1625 de 2016 as modified by Decreto 242 de 2024, art 1.2.6.8
Retención/autorretención on exports of other mineral products (incl. gold)
1.0% of gross export proceeds Gold exports, except gold exported by C.I. companies that already withheld on purchases under art 1.2.4.6.9
Primary lawAmount not confirmedDecreto 1625 de 2016 as modified by Decreto 242 de 2024, art 1.2.4.10.12, par. 1
Contribución parafiscal de la esmeralda (1%) - not applicable to gold
1% of the foreign-currency value to be repatriated Exports of esmeraldas sin engastar only - not gold, not jewellery
Primary lawAmount not confirmedLey 488 de 1998, art 101
Regalía sobre oro (royalty)
4% (oro y plata); 6% (oro de aluvión en contratos de concesión); platino 5% - state-owned minerals. Private-subsoil (RPP) mines: see co.tax-royalty-rpp-2019 All gold extracted in Colombia (royalty accrues at extraction, at mine mouth: Ley 2056 art 18); proof of payment before any export (Ley 2056 art 186). Imported gold re-exported does not need the royalty visto bueno (ANM FAQ).
Primary lawAmount not confirmedLey 141 de 1994 art 16 as modified by Ley 756 de 2002 art 16; Ley 685 de 2001 arts 227-228; Ley 2056 de 2020 arts 18, 186, Ley 141 art 16 and parágrafo 9
“El valor de gramo oro, plata y platino en boca de mina para liquidar las regalías, será del ochenta por ciento (80%) del precio internacional promedio del último mes, publicado por la bolsa de metales de Londres en su versión Pasado Meridiano”
Royalty on precious metals from private-subsoil (RPP) mines (2006 rule)
0.4% Gold, silver and platinum from reconocimientos de propiedad privada
Primary lawAmount not confirmedDecreto 1631 de 2006; Ley 685 de 2001 art 227 inc 2, Decreto 1631 arts 1, 4
Royalty on precious metals from private-subsoil (RPP) mines
Oro y plata veta 0.4%; oro y plata aluvión 2.0%; platino 1.0% Gold, silver and platinum from reconocimientos de propiedad privada
Primary lawAmount not confirmedLey 1955 de 2019, art 330
Retención en la fuente (income tax) on gold purchases by C.I. companies
2.5% of the total payment Domestic purchases of gold by sociedades de comercialización internacional
Primary lawAmount not confirmedDecreto 1625 de 2016 as modified by Decreto 572 de 2025, art 1.2.4.6.9
Retención en la fuente on gold purchases by C.I. companies (previous rate)
1% Domestic purchases of gold by C.I. companies
Official guidanceAmount not confirmedDecreto 1625 de 2016, art 1.2.4.6.9 (before Decreto 572 de 2025)
Retención en la fuente on gold purchases by buyers other than C.I. (otros ingresos tributarios)
2.5% (declarant seller) / 3.5% (non-declarant) Gold purchases by traders, free-zone industrial users (DIAN oficio 907838) and other buyers that are not C.I. companies
Official guidanceAmount not confirmedEstatuto Tributario arts 368, 401; Decreto 1625 de 2016, ET art 401 (3.5% non-declarants); DUR 1625 art 1.2.4.9.1 (as cited by DIAN)
Controls
Exploration or exploitation without title, and the benefit, trade or acquisition of minerals from untitled areas (except barequeo), are crimes by reference to the Penal Code; alcaldes provisionally seize minerals transported or traded without invoice or mine constancia (Ley 685 art 161); police fine…
Primary lawLey 685 de 2001 arts 159-161; Ley 1450 de 2011 art 106; Ley 1801 de 2016 art 105
Anyone buying, selling, exporting or importing gold must have operational, administrative, financial and technical capacity (MinMinas criteria), obtain supplier information for ANM, and (exporters) prove beneficiation at a RUCOM-published plant; they must apply supply-chain due diligence under MinMi…
Primary lawLey 2250 de 2022 art 17; Resolución ANM 759 de 2024 art 9
DIAN special export procedure for chapter 71 goods: SAE at the seccional where the goods are; physical inspection in the secondary zone requested before SAE acceptance (exporter premises with calibrated scales or an authorised valuables-transport company); weight and fineness recorded and packages s…
Primary lawResolución DIAN 46 de 2019 arts 367 (mod. Res. 39/2021), 374; Decreto 1165 de 2019 arts 348, 352, 396
Proceeds of goods exports must be channelled through the FX market (IMC or registered compensation account) within six months of receipt; net repatriation allowed for export costs paid directly; the channelling data (declaración de cambio) are transmitted by the intermediary; sanctions per law. Ope…
Primary lawResolución Externa 1 de 2018 (Banco de la República), arts 41, 74, 78, 88, 91, 93, 94
Mercury use in mining had to be eradicated within a maximum of five years of Ley 1658 (15 Jul 2013), i.e. by July 2018 [inferred arithmetic]; no new gold beneficiation plants using mercury; no amalgam burning in residential, commercial, institutional or recreational zones.
Primary lawLey 1658 de 2013, arts 3, 9
Any export of minerals requires prior accreditation before DIAN of royalty payment (Ley 2056 art 186). ANM issues the visto bueno via VUCE after checking royalty payment and lawful origin (3 business days; valid 3 months). Scrap/disused gold (no royalty) needs a certification by an accredited inspec…
Primary lawLey 2056 de 2020 art 186; Decreto 600 de 1996 art 20 (as modified by Decreto 4479 de 2009 art 1)
Only persons certified in RUCOM (traders, beneficiation plants) or published as authorised exploiters may buy, sell, process or export minerals; buyers must check the seller listing (from 1 Jan 2012: seizure and fine for buying from unlisted sellers). Certification renewed each May. Exempt from insc…
Primary lawLey 1450 de 2011 art 112; Ley 2250 de 2022 art 18; Decreto 1073 de 2015 arts 2.2.5.6.1.1.4, 2.2.5.6.1.1.5, 2.2.5.6.1.2.2, 2.2.5.6.1.4.1
Subsistence miners may produce at most 35 g of gold as monthly average and 420 g per year; buyers must verify caps and listing; ANM removes miners exceeding caps from RUCOM and informs DIAN; ANM rejects export approvals supported by subsistence volumes above the annual maximum; the PTM rejects purch…
35 g monthly average; 420 g annual maximum per miner
Primary lawAmount not confirmedResolución MinMinas 40103 de 2017 art 1; Ley 1955 de 2019 art 327; Decreto 1073 de 2015 arts 2.2.5.6.1.1.6 par 2, 2.2.5.6.1.2.2 lit k, 2.2.5.6.4.7; Resolución ANM 759 de 2024 art 11
Every commercial transaction in minerals must be registered in the Plataforma de Trazabilidad de Minerales - PTM (Res. ANM 759 art. 5; Decreto 2234 de 2023, DUR art. 2.2.5.6.4.5): origin code, transaction code, seller identity, origin document, due-diligence checks, and the Documento de Registro enc…
Primary lawDecreto 2234 de 2023 (Decreto 1073 de 2015, arts 2.2.5.6.4.1 to 2.2.5.6.4.8); Resolución ANM 759 de 2024 arts 5, 9, 11, 26, 27 (arts 26 and 27 as replaced by the ANM resolution of 29 December 2025); Ley 2250 de 2022 art. 15
“Parte 2 del Libro 2 del Decreto 1073 de 2015 - Decreto Único Reglamentario del Sector Administrativo de Minas y Energía”
Gold exporters and importers (habitual or sporadic, listed tariff lines incl. 7108), casas fundidoras de oro and C.I. companies trading gold report to UIAF: ROS immediately (art 2); absence of ROS within the first 10 calendar days of each month (art 3); all gold purchase/sale operations whatever the…
Primary lawResolución UIAF 363 de 2008
Leg 2: United States
Where the goods arrive
- 15
Screen the supplier and the gold: KYC, OFAC sanctions lists, and confirm the gold is not of Russian Federation origin (unless it was outside Russia before 28 June 2022); apply CAHRA red flags from the 2023 Africa Gold Advisory
- Who
- Importer of record (bullion bank, trader, refiner or dealer)
- Needs
- Commercial invoice; Bar list (serials, weights, fineness)
- Issues
- Importer's supplier KYC and OFAC / Russian-origin screening file
Primary lawE.O. 14068; OFAC Determination (effective 28 Jun 2022, amended 22 Dec 2023), E.O. 14068 s.1(a)(i); determination under s.1(a)(i)(A), 1(b) and 5; delegation 31 CFR 587.802
- 16
File entry (CBP Form 3461 or electronic equivalent) with evidence of the right to make entry, commercial invoice and packing list, and the entry summary (CBP Form 7501) classifying the gold under HTSUS 7108 with country of origin; deposit any duty (heading 7108 free except 4.1% on 7108.12.50 and 7108.13.70 for non-preference origins) and the 0.3464% merchandise processing fee; shipments of $2,500 or less may use informal entry
- Who
- Licensed customs broker
- Needs
- Importer's supplier KYC and OFAC / Russian-origin screening file; Commercial invoice; Packing list; Air waybill
- Issues
- CBP Form 3461 entry / immediate delivery (or ACE electronic equivalent); CBP Form 7501 entry summary (HTSUS classification, origin, duties and fees)
Primary law19 CFR 142.3; 19 CFR 143.21; 19 CFR 24.23; HTSUS 7108
- 17
Review, examine if selected, and release the goods; CBP enforces the Russian-origin gold ban and any withhold release order on gold made with forced labour
- Who
- US Customs and Border Protection
- Needs
- CBP Form 3461 entry / immediate delivery (or ACE electronic equivalent)
- Issues
- CBP release of entered goods (ACE cargo release)
Primary law19 CFR 142.3; E.O. 14068 gold determination; 19 U.S.C. 1307 and 19 CFR 12.42
- 18
Deliver released gold directly to the refinery or to a COMEX-approved depository (for COMEX, bars must come directly from an approved producer or assayer with certificates, or from another depository)
- Who
- Secure logistics carrier (armoured / valuables; COMEX-approved carrier where relevant)
- Needs
- CBP release of entered goods (ACE cargo release)
- Issues
- Delivery record airport to refinery or depository
Standard - 19
Deliver bars into a COMEX-approved depository directly from the approved producer with refiner certificates, from an approved assayer with assay certificates, or from another approved depository
- Who
- Secure logistics carrier (armoured / valuables; COMEX-approved carrier where relevant)
- Needs
- Refiner certificate for bars produced (brand, serial, weight, fineness)
- Issues
- Chain-of-integrity receipt at depository
Standard - 20
Inspect and weigh the bars and record them as eligible stock
- Who
- COMEX-approved depository / bullion vault
- Needs
- Chain-of-integrity receipt at depository; Bar list (serials, weights, fineness)
- Issues
- Depository inspection, weight record and eligible-stock entry
Standard - 21
Issue an electronic warrant in the name of the clearing member, referencing bar serials and the approved producer; the metal becomes registered (deliverable) stock
- Who
- COMEX-approved depository / bullion vault
- Needs
- Depository inspection, weight record and eligible-stock entry
- Issues
- COMEX gold warrant (electronic UCC Article 7 document of title)
StandardCOMEX Rulebook; UCC Article 7, Rule 705.A; 113108
- 22
Report eligible, pledged and registered stocks to the exchange registrar daily by 2:00 p.m.
- Who
- COMEX-approved depository / bullion vault
Standard - 23
Optionally pledge the warrant to CME as collateral (title to CME, first-priority security interest, 15% haircut)
- Who
- Futures clearing member / bullion bank
- Needs
- COMEX gold warrant (electronic UCC Article 7 document of title)
Standard - 24
Short clearing member submits a delivery intention in Deliveries Plus selecting warrants (brand, weight, warrant number, warehouse) - Day 1
- Who
- Futures clearing member / bullion bank
- Needs
- COMEX gold warrant (electronic UCC Article 7 document of title)
- Issues
- COMEX delivery intention notice (Deliveries Plus)
Standard - 25
Issue invoices on the morning after the intention day at the settlement price plus storage reimbursement - Day 2
- Who
- Exchange clearing house (CME Clearing for COMEX)
- Needs
- COMEX delivery intention notice (Deliveries Plus)
- Issues
- CME Clearing delivery invoice
Standard - 26
Settle: the warrant transfers electronically to the long clearing member and funds are banked through clearing - Day 3
- Who
- Exchange clearing house (CME Clearing for COMEX)
- Needs
- CME Clearing delivery invoice
- Issues
- Warrant transfer and funds banked through clearing
Standard - 27
On warrant cancellation, load out the metal first-come first-served; if not released within 5 business days notify the exchange; delivery orders received by the 20th must be released by month-end
- Who
- COMEX-approved depository / bullion vault
- Needs
- Warrant transfer and funds banked through clearing
- Issues
- Load-out release record after warrant cancellation
Standard
Taxes and fees
Customs duty on gold (HTSUS 7108)
Column 1 general: Free on 7108.11.00 (powder), 7108.12.10 (bullion and dore), 7108.13.10 (gold leaf), 7108.13.55 (rectangular or near-rectangular shapes of 99.5%+ gold marked only with weight, purity or other identifying information), 7108.20.00 (monetary); 4.1% on 7108.12.50 (other unwrought) and 7108.13.70 (other semi-manufactured), Free for special programmes A, AU, BH, CL, CO, D, E, IL, JO, KR, MA, OM, P, PA, PE, S, SG (General Note 3(c)(i): e.g. S = USMCA, PE = Peru TPA, CO = Colombia TPA, AU = Australia FTA, CL = Chile FTA, SG = Singapore FTA, A = GSP, D = AGOA). Column 2: 65% on 7108.12.50 and 7108.13.70, 8% on gold leaf, Free on the others (7108.13.55 footnoted "See 9903.90.08") All imports of gold
Primary lawAmount not confirmedHTSUS (Revision 19, 2026), heading 7108
Nevada gold and silver excise tax
0.75% of Nevada gross revenue above $20,000,000 up to $150,000,000 (i.e. $975,000 at $150m) plus 1.1% of the excess over $150,000,000; nothing due if $20,000,000 or less
Official guidanceAmount not confirmedNRS 363D (per Department of Taxation form EXC-F029), NRS 363D.160 (as cited by the Department)
IEEPA reciprocal tariff (E.O. 14257) - ended February 2026; gold bullion exempt throughout, other 7108 lines exempt from 8 Sep 2025
10% on all imports from 12:01 a.m. EDT 5 Apr 2025 (E.O. 14257 s.3(a)) plus country-specific rates from 9 Apr 2025 as modified; goods in Annex II excepted 7108.12.10 (bullion and dore) was already in Annex II; E.O. 14346 Annex II (FR 43788-43789) marks 7108.11.00, 7108.12.50, 7108.13.10, 7108.13.55, 7108.13.70 and 7108.20.00 as "Addition" for goods entered from 12:01 a.m. EDT 8 Sep 2025. Before that, cast kilobars and 100 oz bars classified in 7108.13.5500 paid the additional duty (CBP ruling N351466: "subject to an additional 10 percent ad valorem rate of duty").
Primary lawAmount not confirmedE.O. 14257 as modified by E.O. 14346 (IEEPA); ended by E.O. 14389
Additional duty on Russian products (9903.90.08)
35% ad valorem in lieu of column 2 rates Products of Russia in U.S. note 30(b); of heading 7108 only 7108.13.55 is listed. Moot for gold: its import is prohibited (us.ctl-russia-gold-ban)
Primary lawAmount not confirmedHTSUS chapter 99, 9903.90.08
Section 122 temporary import surcharge (Proclamation 11012) - gold excepted
10% ad valorem on articles of any country (heading 9903.03.01), in addition to other duties; not applied to the goods listed in U.S. note 2(aa)(ii) (heading 9903.03.03), which include every 7108 subheading: 7108.11.00, 7108.12.10, 7108.12.50, 7108.13.10, 7108.13.55, 7108.13.70, 7108.20.00 Gold of HTSUS 7108 excepted ("metals used in currency and bullion", Proc. 11012 para. 14(b); Annex I para. 2; Annex II)
Primary lawAmount not confirmedTrade Act of 1974 s.122 (19 U.S.C. 2132); Proclamation 11012; HTSUS U.S. note 2(aa), subchapter III, chapter 99, 9903.03.01; 9903.03.03; note 2(aa)(ii)
Section 301 forced-labor tariffs on 60 economies (USTR, from 24 Jul 2026) - gold excluded
Additional 10% or 12.5% ad valorem depending on the economy (headings 9903.05.20-9903.05.84), e.g. Canada 10% (9903.05.29), Mexico 10% (9903.05.55), United Kingdom 10% (9903.05.81), Peru 12.5% (9903.05.63), Colombia 12.5% (9903.05.32), United Arab Emirates 12.5% (9903.05.80), Switzerland: for goods whose column-1 rate is under 12.5%, column-1 rate plus additional duty totalling 12.5% (9903.05.74; note 52(k)); the same top-up method applies to the EU, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan headings; not applied to articles in U.S. note 52(b) (heading 9903.05.86), which lists 7108.11.00, 7108.12.10, 7108.12.50, 7108.13.10, 7108.13.55, 7108.13.70 and 7108.20.00 All HTSUS 7108 gold excluded; applies to other products of the listed economies
Primary lawAmount not confirmedTrade Act of 1974 s.301 (19 U.S.C. 2411); USTR notice FR Doc. 2026-15181; HTSUS U.S. note 52, subchapter III, chapter 99, 9903.05.20-9903.05.84; 9903.05.86; note 52(b)
VAT / sales tax on gold
No federal VAT or import VAT; state sales taxes vary - about 33 states exempt investment bullion or have no sales tax (Mar 2026) Bullion sales to end buyers
SecondaryBLM mining claim fees
$49 location fee and $200 initial maintenance fee per new lode claim, mill site or tunnel site; $200 annual maintenance fee (placer: per 20 acres or portion) due on or before 1 September; processing fees per 43 CFR 3000.12 ($25 per new claim on the BLM page)
Primary lawAmount not confirmed30 U.S.C. 28f; 43 CFR 3830.21, 43 CFR 3830.21(a), (d)
Merchandise processing fee
0.3464% ad valorem on formal entries (19 CFR 24.23(b)(1)(i)(A)); minimum/maximum per entry $33.58/$651.50 for fiscal year 2026 (1 Oct 2025-30 Sep 2026, CBP Dec. 25-10) and $34.58/$670.86 from 1 Oct 2026 (FY2027 notice); base amounts $25/$485 CPI-adjusted; informal entries a flat fee (base $2-$9)
Primary lawAmount not confirmed19 CFR 24.23, 24.23(b)(1)(i), (b)(2)
Controls
Beneficial ownership reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act applies only to a "reporting company" defined as an entity "(A) A corporation, limited liability company, or other entity; (B) Formed under the law of a foreign country; and (C) Registered to do business in any State or tribal juris…
Primary law31 CFR 1010.380, 1010.380(a)(1), (c)(1)(ii)
Any trade or business receiving more than $10,000 in currency in one or related transactions must file Form 8300 within 15 days. There is no cash ceiling, only reporting.
> $10,000 cash
Primary lawAmount not confirmed31 CFR 1010.330; 26 USC 6050I, 1010.330(a)(1)(i)
Gold bullion is not a 'monetary instrument' under the BSA, so the cross-border currency report (CMIR) does not apply to gold carried or shipped across the border; customs entry and EEI are the only declarations.
Primary law31 CFR 1010.340; 31 CFR 1010.100(dd), 1010.340(a); 1010.100(dd)
COMEX gold delivery: one 100 oz bar or three 1 kg bars, weight tolerance 5%, minimum 995 fineness, approved brand from an approved producer complying with LBMA RGG, held in an approved depository reached through the chain of integrity.
StandardCOMEX Rulebook, 113101; Rules 703.A, 705.A
SEC-reporting issuers that manufacture or contract to manufacture products in which gold is necessary must "conduct in good faith a reasonable country of origin inquiry" (Form SD Item 1.01(a)); if they know or have reason to believe the gold may come from the DRC or an adjoining country and may not …
Primary lawDodd-Frank s.1502; Exchange Act Rule 13p-1; Form SD (as adopted 2012), 17 CFR 240.13p-1; Form SD Items 1.01-1.02
Dealers in precious metals (gold of 500+ fineness among covered goods) must keep a written risk-based AML program with compliance officer, training and independent testing; retailers are covered only if they buy over $50,000 from non-dealers.
Purchased > $50,000 and sold > $50,000 of covered goods in the prior year
Primary lawAmount not confirmed31 CFR 1027, 1027.100, 1027.210
HS 710812 and 710813 (non-monetary gold, unwrought other than powder, and semi-manufactured) are listed EAR 'luxury goods': "A license is required to export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) any item subject to the EAR listed in supplement no. 5 to this part to or within Russia or Belarus" (746.8(…
Primary lawEAR 15 CFR 746.8(a)(7), (b)(3); Supplement No. 5 to Part 746, 746.8(a)(7)
Goods "mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in any foreign country by convict labor or/and forced labor or/and indentured labor under penal sanctions shall not be entitled to entry" (19 U.S.C. 1307). Where information "reasonably but not conclusively indicates" such merchandise is bein…
Primary lawTariff Act of 1930 s.307 (19 U.S.C. 1307); 19 CFR 12.42, 19 U.S.C. 1307; 19 CFR 12.42(e)-(h)
US persons may not deal with SDN-listed parties; the 2023 multi-agency Africa Gold Advisory flags Wagner-linked gold from CAR and Sudan and conflict gold from Mali and Burkina Faso, warning of designation and penalties.
Official guidanceIEEPA-based OFAC programs
Historical (2025 - Feb 2026): E.O. 14257 imposed an additional 10% on all imports from 5 Apr 2025 and country rates from 9 Apr 2025, with Annex II exceptions that from the start included 7108.12.10 (bullion and dore). CBP ruling N351466 (31 Jul 2025) classified cast 1 kg and 100 oz bars from Switzer…
Primary lawE.O. 14257; E.O. 14346; E.O. 14389; Proclamation 11012; HTSUS U.S. notes 2(aa) and 52
Import into the US of gold of Russian Federation origin is prohibited unless licensed by OFAC; gold of Russian origin located outside Russia before 28 June 2022 is excluded.
Primary lawE.O. 14068 as amended by E.O. 14114; OFAC Determination (effective 28 Jun 2022, amended 22 Dec 2023), E.O. 14068 s.1(a)(i)(A) (as amended by E.O. 14114 s.3(a)); delegation 31 CFR 587.802
Leg 3: Colombia
Back in the origin country: the proceeds of the export
- 28
Pay the exporter against final assay by SWIFT transfer to a Colombian FX market intermediary
- Who
- Foreign refiner or bullion buyer
- Issues
- Payment from foreign buyer
Industry practice - 29
Channel the export proceeds through the FX market within six months of receipt (FX intermediary or registered compensation account), transmitting the declaración de cambio data; net repatriation allowed for export costs paid directly abroad
- Who
- Foreign-exchange market intermediary (bank)
- Issues
- Foreign-exchange channelling record (declaración de cambio / numeral cambiario)
Primary lawResolución Externa 1 de 2018 (Banco de la República), arts 41, 74, 78, 88
Crossings between countries
Colombia → United States Researched
Papers that cross: Bar list / weight and assay of melted bars; Certification by an authorised certification/inspection body that material is scrap (chatarra); Exporter's electronic invoice to foreign buyer; Formulario de reporte de exportación (ANM Excel form); ANM export approval (royalty and lawful-origin validation); Solicitud de autorización de embarque (DIAN); DIAN physical inspection / weighing record; Export declaration accepted by DIAN; Air waybill
Paperwork gaps
us.st-20 expects Commercial invoice; the earlier legs don't model this paper
us.st-21 expects Commercial invoice; the earlier legs don't model this paper
us.st-21 expects Packing list; the earlier legs don't model this paper