A new law and accompanying regulations in Nicaragua create the Foreign Trade Platform (in Spanish: Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior – VUCEN), aiming to facilitate and simplify management of foreign trade proceedings through a technological platform that brings together various proceedings required for the export and import of goods.
· Export documents that VECUN’s predecessor (CETREX) had authorized before the new regulations entered into force will remain valid.
The National Assembly enacted the Law No. 1147 and its Regulations, creating the Foreign Trade Platform (VUCEN). The Law and Regulations were published in the Official Gazette, issue No. 59 on 30 March 2023 and No. 60 on 31 March 2023, respectively.
The VUCEN is a tool aimed at facilitating and simplifying the management of foreign trade proceedings. Through a technological platform, the tool manages applications for pre-customs import permits, export documents, port proceedings and other documents required for export or import, authorized by the corresponding institutions.
Article 11 of Law No. 1147 establishes the fees to be paid for the use of the services of VUCEN: