The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism published for comment, from August 11 to 15, 2026, the draft decree “Which prohibits the importation of goods produced wholly or partly through forced or compulsory labor, and establishes other provisions".

Article 1 of the bill prohibits the entry into the national customs territory of goods extracted, produced, manufactured, or transformed, in whole or in part, through forced or compulsory labor, at any stage of the supply chain (extraction, cultivation, harvesting, manufacturing, assembly, processing, and finishing) and under all customs regimes, modalities, and destinations, including free zones, bonded warehouses, and duty suspension regimes. The prohibition would apply without distinction of origin or provenance and does not include a de minimis threshold.

The competent authority for control would be the DIAN (National Directorate of Taxes and Customs), which could initiate actions when there are reasonable grounds based on objective, verifiable, and sufficient information, with support from the Ministry of Commerce regarding trade policy and the Ministry of Labor regarding technical indicators. The bill does not create its own infractions or sanctions; rather, it refers to the regime of Law 2586 of 2026, in force since June 19, 2026, whose section 15.2.1.5 of Article 15 classifies the importation of prohibited goods as an infraction, and whose section 7 of Article 48 provides for direct confiscation in such cases, in addition to the effects of the seizure report on the release authorization. The burden of proving the prohibited nature of the goods would remain with the customs authority, and proof of due diligence would serve as grounds for exoneration.

The text states that indicative risk lists will be maintained for goods, sectors, regions, producers, exporters, and supply chains. These lists will be published and reviewed at least annually, with interested parties having the right to request their review, update, or removal at any time. The decree will be evaluated within two years of its enactment and every two years thereafter.

For Colombian importers and exporters, the project does not create prior registrations, licenses, or certifications, but it does have an immediate practical effect: the convenience of maintaining and being able to provide proof of information on origin, traceability, and production conditions throughout the supply chain, both to respond to a request and to invoke due diligence as grounds for exemption. Operators are advised to review their supply chain schemes in high-risk sectors, document their due diligence processes, and monitor the final issuance of the decree, as well as the operational development resolutions from the DIAN (National Tax and Customs Directorate) and the Ministry of Commerce.

Source:

MinCIT Draft Decree, “by which the appointments of the representatives of the National Government on the boards of directors of the chambers of commerce are terminated and provisions are issued regarding their provision”

Extraordinary Bulletin: Trade Policy and Defense Unit, August 11, 2026