Regulatory bodies
The three bodies you'll deal with directly: SAG (food safety, plant/animal), SEREMI de Salud (processed food labeling and registration), Aduana (Customs).
Trade promotion bodies
SUBREI (Subsecretariat for International Economic Relations), ProChile (export promotion), DIRECON (former name of SUBREI, still used in older documents).
Document types in Spanish
Declaración de Ingreso (DIN, Import Declaration), Certificado Fitosanitario (Phytosanitary Certificate), Certificado de Origen (Certificate of Origin), Aviso de Llegada (Notice of Arrival).
Common procedures
Visación, Resolución, Inspección física, Muestreo, Almacén particular (private warehouse), Zona Franca (free zone).
Industry terms
Horeca (hotels, restaurants, catering), Retail (supermarket chains), Mayoristas (wholesalers), Canal moderno (modern channel), Canal tradicional (traditional channel).
Key facts
- Resource type
- Bilingual reference · Spanish term + English explanation
- Audience
- International manufacturers operating in or evaluating Chile
- Recommended use
- Onboarding for export and operations teams
- Pairs with
- /en/resources/comex-glossary/ for international Comex terminology
Frequently asked questions
Why aren't these terms translated to English on the rest of the site?
Because in practice your Chilean team — broker, distributor, sanitary advisor — will use the Spanish terms with you anyway. Knowing them in Spanish makes communication smoother, not harder. We give the English explanation once; you keep the Spanish word in your working vocabulary.
What's the difference between SAG and SEREMI?
SAG regulates plant- and animal-origin products entering Chile (sanitary, phytosanitary). SEREMI de Salud regulates labeling and composition of processed food once on the Chilean market. A pasta box deals with both: SAG at the border, SEREMI on the shelf.
Do I need to know all these in Spanish?
No. The 10–15 most used terms are enough for the first 6 months of operation. The rest you pick up by exposure. We use the Spanish term in operational communication; for strategic documents we keep both.
Is "Aduana" different from "Servicio Nacional de Aduanas (SNA)"?
Same thing. "Aduana" is the colloquial name; "SNA" or "Servicio Nacional de Aduanas" is the formal name. Both refer to Chile's national Customs authority.
Where do I find the official Spanish-language documents?
sag.gob.cl, minsal.cl, aduana.cl and subrei.gob.cl. All have English summaries but the operational forms and regulations are in Spanish.