Shopping on Temu, Shein and AliExpress: how much Chileans buy on foreign platforms and what taxes they pay

E-commerce shipments arriving in Chile rose from 1.9 million in 2019 to more than 52 million in 2025, according to the National Customs Service. Asian platforms are behind most of that jump: between January 2023 and June 2024, AliExpress accounted for 78% of remote purchases of up to US$500 made from Chile, according to the SII, Chile's tax authority.

Since October 25, 2025, shopping on Temu, Shein and AliExpress is no longer tax-free: purchases pay 19% VAT at checkout. In this story we review how much Chileans buy on these platforms, how much has been collected and what taxes you pay depending on the amount.

52 million

E-commerce shipments in 2025

up from 1.9 million in 2019

93%

2024 shipments of US$41 or less

over 50 of 54 million

CLP 85,161 million

VAT collected from platforms

October 2025 to March 2026

91%

Shipments with VAT collected

first month, excluding the last week of October

Source: Customs; SII

View the data as a table

E-commerce shipments in 2025	52 million | up from 1.9 million in 2019
2024 shipments of US$41 or less	93% | over 50 of 54 million
VAT collected from platforms	CLP 85,161 million | October 2025 to March 2026
Shipments with VAT collected	91% | first month, excluding the last week of October

How much Chileans buy on foreign platforms

Most purchases are small. In 2024, more than 54 million packages arrived in Chile, and more than 50 million cost US$41 or less: over 93% of the total, according to the Customs report. Through October 2025 there were already more than 39 million shipments, 90% in that same range.

That was exactly the exemption threshold: until October 2025, purchases of up to US$41 entered the country free of VAT and duties. Law 21,713 changed the rule and extended VAT to all purchases of up to US$500.

Which platforms pay the most VAT in Chile

The SII publishes the five platforms that contribute most to the "VAT on goods". The order changed between the first and second quarters of collection:

Rank	October to December 2025	January to March 2026
1	Shein	AliExpress
2	AliExpress	Amazon
3	Temu	Temu
4	Amazon	Shein
5	eBay	eBay

Sources: SII, January 27, 2026 and SII, May 4, 2026. The SII does not publish each platform's amount.

Collection grew from one quarter to the next: from CLP 36,958 million declared by 28 platforms in the last quarter of 2025 to CLP 48,203 million declared by 30 platforms in the first quarter of 2026.

Oct to Dec 202536,958

Jan to Mar 202648,203

Source: SII, May 4, 2026

View the data as a table

Oct to Dec 2025	36,958
Jan to Mar 2026	48,203

What taxes you pay when shopping on Temu, Shein and AliExpress

It depends on the amount and on whether the platform is registered with the SII. AliExpress, Amazon, Shein, Temu and eBay are registered, and as of December 1, 2025 there were 29 registered platforms.

Purchase	Platform registered with the SII	Unregistered platform
Up to US$500	You pay 19% VAT at checkout. On arrival, you pay no duty or VAT	You pay the taxes when the package arrives in Chile, through the shipping company
Over US$500	6% duty on the CIF value (product, freight and insurance) and 19% VAT on the CIF value plus the duty	Same

Source: Customs, how much tax you pay on imports. The duty may be lower if a trade agreement reduces it.

Example. On a US$1,000 purchase (CIF value), the duty is US$60 and the VAT US$201.40: you pay US$261.40 in taxes in total, according to Customs. To see the amount in pesos, use our currency converter.

There are exceptions: products that require special permits, such as medicines or makeup, still go through the traditional import process.

IVAFree toolFree VAT calculator: add or remove Chile’s 19% VATEnter an amount and instantly get the net amount, the VAT and the total. Useful for invoices, receipts and prices with or without tax.Use tool →

The first month with VAT: how many shipments paid

Between October 25 and November 24, 2025, Customs recorded 3,347,967 courier shipments under US$500. Of these, 2,585,321 arrived with VAT already collected (76.7%), and the platforms paid US$9,986,979 in VAT. Excluding the last week of October, when the system was just starting, the share rises to 91%.

Another 361,095 parcels arrived through Correos de Chile, the postal service, 63.65% of them with VAT collected.

Special seriesThe Power of ConsumersChile consumes: what the data revealsThe economy, from the individual to the collectiveSee the full series →Chile CPI, last 12 months4.5%October 2026 · +0.5% in the month · Central Bank target: 3%

What changes for Chilean retail

VAT on foreign purchases aims to put international platforms on an equal footing with local stores, which have always charged VAT. For consumers, a US$20 product on Temu or Shein now carries an extra US$3.80 in VAT.

For Chilean brands, competition is still about price, delivery speed and service. We review how local e-commerce is moving in online shopping in Chile and e-commerce in figures, and how much it costs to pay in another currency in our guide on paying abroad.