Warehousing Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Almacenamiento)

A Warehousing Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Almacenamiento) is a commercial contract governed by the Codigo de Comercio (CCo — Decreto 410 de 1971) Articles 1170 through 1195 under which an almacenista or depositario (warehouse operator) receives merchandise from a depositante (depositor) for custody, conservation, and management in a storage facility, assuming the obligation to return the goods in the same condition upon demand or at the expiration of the agreed term, in exchange for a storage fee (tarifa de almacenamiento).

The Codigo de Comercio regulates commercial warehousing through two complementary regimes. Articles 1170 through 1179 govern the deposito mercantil (commercial deposit) — the general obligation of custody applicable to any commercial storage arrangement. Articles 1180 through 1195 specifically regulate almacenes generales de deposito (general warehouses of deposit) — specialized commercial entities authorized by the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia to issue certificados de deposito (deposit certificates) and bonos de prenda (pledge bonds), which function as titulos valores (negotiable instruments) under CCo Articles 757 through 760.

Under CCo Article 1170, the deposito mercantil is perfected when one party (depositante) delivers movable property to another (depositario) for custody, and the depositario assumes the obligation to guard and conserve the goods with the diligence of a buen hombre de negocios (good businessman) — a standard of care established by CCo Article 1171 that exceeds the ordinary diligence required in civil deposits. The depositario must maintain the goods in the same state as received and may not use, consume, or dispose of them without express authorization from the depositante (CCo Article 1172).

The Ley 1676 de 2013 (Ley de Garantias Mobiliarias) modernized the framework for using warehoused goods as collateral. Under this law, goods stored in almacenes generales de deposito may serve as collateral for credit operations through registro de garantias mobiliarias (movable property security registration) with the Confederacion Colombiana de Camaras de Comercio (Confecamaras). The certificado de deposito issued by an almacen general de deposito under CCo Article 1180 represents the ownership rights over the stored goods, while the bono de prenda (CCo Article 1182) represents a pledge (prenda) over those goods in favor of a creditor.

The Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia exercises supervision over almacenes generales de deposito under Decreto 663 de 1993 (Estatuto Organico del Sistema Financiero) Articles 33 through 40, as these entities form part of the financial system. The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) has jurisdiction over unfair commercial practices in storage services and consumer protection matters under Ley 1480 de 2011.

The Decreto 1165 de 2019 (Estatuto Aduanero) regulates depositos aduaneros (customs warehouses) for imported goods pending customs clearance, adding another layer of regulatory requirements when the warehoused goods are subject to customs control by the DIAN (Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales). Customs warehousing requires specific authorization from the DIAN and compliance with security, inventory management, and reporting requirements distinct from ordinary commercial warehousing.

The legal framework governing the Warehousing Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Almacenamiento) in Colombia draws on several key statutes and regulatory bodies. Under the Codigo de Comercio (Decreto 410 de 1971), the Camara de Comercio maintains the Registro Mercantil of Colombian companies. The Ley 1258 de 2008 governs Sociedades por Acciones Simplificadas (SAS). The Superintendencia de Sociedades supervises corporate governance. The DIAN (Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales) administers the Impuesto de Renta and IVA under the Estatuto Tributario (Decreto 624 de 1989). Parties executing a Warehousing Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Almacenamiento) in Colombia should confirm the document reflects current law, including any amendments enacted since the original drafting date. The CCo arts. 1170-1195; Ley 336/1996 sets the foundational requirements.

A Warehousing Agreement Colombia is needed whenever a business requires third-party storage facilities for merchandise, raw materials, finished products, or other movable property, establishing the legal framework for custody, conservation, and liability under the Codigo de Comercio deposito mercantil provisions.

Manufacturing companies across Colombian industrial zones — Bogota-Cundinamarca, Medellin-Valle de Aburra, Cali-Yumbo, Barranquilla-Soledad — need warehousing agreements when outsourcing inventory storage to third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Under CCo Article 1170, any arrangement where goods are delivered to another party for custody constitutes a deposito mercantil regardless of how the parties characterize the relationship, making formal documentation essential for defining rights and obligations.

Import-export companies operating through Colombian ports (Sociedad Portuaria de Buenaventura, Sociedad Portuaria de Cartagena, Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta, Sociedad Portuaria de Barranquilla) need warehousing agreements for the storage of imported goods pending distribution and exported goods awaiting shipment. When goods are subject to customs control under the Decreto 1165 de 2019 (Estatuto Aduanero), the warehousing arrangement must comply with deposito aduanero (customs warehouse) requirements supervised by the DIAN.

Agricultural producers and commodity traders in Colombia's agricultural regions — the Llanos Orientales (rice, palm oil), the Eje Cafetero (coffee), Boyaca and Cundinamarca (potatoes, flowers), and Santander (cacao) — need warehousing agreements for seasonal storage of agricultural products. Almacenes generales de deposito regulated by the Superintendencia Financiera under CCo Articles 1180 through 1195 offer the additional benefit of issuing certificados de deposito that can be used as collateral for agricultural credit through entities like the Fondo para el Financiamiento del Sector Agropecuario (FINAGRO).

Retail chains and e-commerce companies expanding distribution networks throughout Colombia need warehousing agreements for regional fulfillment centers. Under the Ley 1480 de 2011 (Estatuto del Consumidor), product safety and traceability obligations extend through the entire supply chain, requiring warehouse operators to maintain conditions that preserve product integrity.

Pharmaceutical companies distributing medications and medical devices require specialized warehousing agreements complying with INVIMA (Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos) Resolucion 1403 de 2007 (Buenas Practicas de Almacenamiento — BPA), which mandates temperature-controlled environments, humidity monitoring, pest control, and inventory management systems specific to pharmaceutical products.

Parties in Colombia should prepare a Warehousing Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Almacenamiento) proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Codigo de Comercio (Decreto 410 de 1971), the Camara de Comercio maintains the Registro Mercantil of Colombian companies. The Ley 1258 de 2008 governs Sociedades por Acciones Simplificadas (SAS). The Superintendencia de Sociedades supervises corporate governance. The DIAN (Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales) administers the Impuesto de Renta and IVA under the Estatuto Tributario (Decreto 624 de 1989). Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

A valid Warehousing Agreement Colombia under CCo Articles 1170 through 1195 must contain specific elements to establish an enforceable custody and storage relationship.

Party Identification: Full identification of the depositante (depositor) and the almacenista or depositario (warehouse operator) — razon social, NIT (Numero de Identificacion Tributaria), Camara de Comercio registration, and representante legal. When the warehouse operator is an almacen general de deposito regulated by the Superintendencia Financiera, the agreement must reference its authorization under Decreto 663 de 1993 and its registration with the Superintendencia Financiera.

Goods Description: Detailed specification of the merchandise to be stored — type, nature, quantity, weight, volume, condition at delivery, packaging, and declared value. Under CCo Article 1173, the depositario must issue a recibo de deposito (deposit receipt) documenting the goods received, their apparent condition, and any observations regarding packaging or visible damage. The description must be sufficiently detailed to allow identification and verification upon withdrawal.

Storage Facility: Identification and description of the storage facility — location, physical characteristics, environmental conditions (temperature, humidity controls for sensitive goods), security systems, and compliance certifications. The agreement should specify whether the storage is allocated (espacio dedicado — the depositor's goods are stored in a designated area) or commingled (almacenamiento a granel — fungible goods may be stored together with goods of the same type from other depositors under CCo Article 1175).

Custody Obligations: The depositario must guard and conserve the goods with the diligencia de un buen hombre de negocios (CCo Article 1171) — meaning professional-grade care exceeding ordinary diligence. Specific obligations include: maintaining appropriate environmental conditions, implementing security measures against theft and damage, conducting periodic inventory inspections, notifying the depositante of any deterioration or risk to the goods, and prohibiting any use or disposition of the goods without express authorization (CCo Article 1172).

Storage Fees and Payment: The tarifa de almacenamiento (storage fee) calculation methodology — per pallet position, per square meter, per weight unit, or flat monthly rate — payment schedule, ancillary charges (handling, loading/unloading, inventory management, documentation), and financial consequences of late payment including the almacenista's right of retention (derecho de retencion) under CCo Article 1174, which permits the warehouse operator to retain the goods until storage fees and expenses are paid.

Insurance: Specification of insurance obligations — the almacenista must maintain poliza de responsabilidad civil covering damage to stored goods and poliza contra incendio y riesgos conexos (fire and allied perils insurance). The agreement should address whether the depositante maintains separate seguro de mercancias (goods insurance) and how claims are coordinated between the parties' respective insurance policies.

Delivery and Withdrawal: Procedures for the depositante to withdraw goods — notice requirements, withdrawal schedules, documentation (orden de salida or withdrawal order), partial withdrawals, and the almacenista's verification obligations upon release. Under CCo Article 1176, the depositario must return the same goods received (or equivalent goods if commingled fungible goods under Article 1175).

Liability and Limitations: The almacenista's liability for loss, damage, or deterioration of goods — under CCo Article 1171, the standard is the diligence of a buen hombre de negocios, with the burden of proving due diligence falling on the almacenista when loss or damage occurs. Force majeure under CC Article 64 is a defense, but the almacenista must prove the event was irresistible, unforeseeable, and external. Contractual limitation of liability clauses are valid under Colombian commercial law but may be challenged as abusive under Ley 1480 de 2011.

Forms-legal.com provides this Warehousing Agreement Colombia template as a practical framework for commercial storage arrangements. Each agreement should be reviewed by an abogado comercialista to confirm compliance with the applicable regulatory regime — whether standard commercial warehousing or regulated almacen general de deposito — and sector-specific requirements.