How is the Bolivian import declaration (DIM) filled in?
Bolivia's customs authority, the Aduana Nacional (ANB), publishes a fill-in guide for the Declaración de Mercancías de Importación (DIM), the electronic form used in its SUMA system. This guide walks through the sections of that ANB instruction (version 1, published 27 March 2019). Boxes are labelled A to J in the ANB text, and some are filled by the system itself.
Who and where: sections A to C
Section A identifies the declaration. The declaration number and acceptance date are assigned automatically by SUMA when customs accepts it. The declarant gives a reference number that must be unique per DIM during the year, picks the customs office where it is filed, the destination or regime, its modality and the special treatment ("000 - Común" if none), and says whether the shipment and the clearance are partial or total.
Section B names the importer and the declarant. Both are filled in automatically from the ANB's register of operators (Padrón de Operadores) according to the user profile, and cannot be edited. Section C records the country of export, the place and date of loading, the country of provenance, the last transit country, the customs office of entry and the department and locality of destination.
Transport and costs: section D
Section D gives the transport mode to the border and from the border to the clearing office, whether the cargo is dangerous, and the costs that build the customs value. All amounts are in US dollars.
- Transport, handling and delivery abroad up to the place of loading.
- Transport to a transit port, and from the transit port or loading place to the place of import.
- Loading, unloading and handling, including port charges.
- Insurance for the whole goods from the exporting country to Bolivia.
- Other costs, and other unbilled payments needed for clearance.
Invoice and values: sections E and F
For each commercial invoice the ANB asks for the supplier's identification and status (manufacturer, distributor, trader or other), the country of acquisition, the invoice number and date, the delivery term (Incoterms) and place, the nature of the transaction, the transaction currency, total value and exchange rate to US dollars, the goods' destination (consumption, resale or other), whether a discount applies, and the payment form and means.
The FOB value is entered in US dollars. SUMA converts it to bolivianos and, from the transport, insurance, handling and other costs, fills in the total CIF customs value in both currencies. Section F gives control totals: the number of invoices, items and packages, and the gross weight in kilograms. The system adds up the net weight.
Item data: sections H and I
Each item carries its tariff subheading to ten digits, as in the current customs tariff, plus the eleventh digit; the complementary and supplementary codes are filled in by the system. The commercial description must meet the minimum descriptions the system requires for that subheading, as set out in the ANB's published instruction on minimum descriptions.
Other item fields are the physical unit and quantity, the commercial unit, quantity and unit price in dollars, the country of origin, the trade agreement if the goods get a tariff preference in Bolivia, the packaging type, marks and package numbers, net weight, and the state of the goods. There are further fields for the RITEX regime and for a preceding declaration where the regime needs one.
At item level the declarant enters the transaction value and the FOB value. Insurance, port and other costs are spread over the items automatically. The ANB says the liquidation of taxes, exemptions and suspensions is done automatically by the system, showing for each tax the base, the rate and the amount in bolivianos.
Observations and supporting documents
A general observations box lets the declarant add any clarification on a box or data point. The declaration also lists its supporting documents: the type, number, issuer, issue date, expiry date where relevant, the items it covers and its status.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DIM in Bolivia?
The Declaración de Mercancías de Importación, the electronic import declaration filed in the Aduana Nacional's SUMA system.
Who fills in the importer and declarant boxes?
The system. The ANB says both are filled in automatically from the register of operators according to the user profile and cannot be modified.
In which currency are values entered?
The FOB value and transport, insurance, handling and other costs are entered in US dollars. SUMA converts to bolivianos and calculates the CIF customs value.
How many digits does the tariff code have?
The ANB asks for the subheading to ten digits under the current customs tariff plus an eleventh digit. The complementary and supplementary codes are filled in by the system.
Sources
Last verified: 2026-10-19
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