Mr Quyen - Santiago. Posted 14/11/2026
A trader in Colón or the Colón Free Zone can buy Santiago ASA/PVC tile sheets, corrugated sheets and accessories in one 40 ft container of about 5,000 m and split it into lots for buyers in Panama, Central America and the Caribbean. Production takes about 5 days after the order is confirmed; the goods ship under HS 3925.90.00 with a certificate of origin (Vietnam). Free-zone and re-export rules, duty and documents for each destination are confirmed by your customs broker.
Grey tile sheets loaded in a container, Vietnam
Why do traders bring roofing through Colón?
Panama sits between two oceans, with the ports of Colón on the Caribbean side and Balboa on the Pacific side, and the Colón Free Zone has long been a place where traders hold goods and send them on to buyers across the region. For roofing that means one container from Vietnam can serve a buyer in Panama City, a builder in a neighbouring country and an island distributor, each taking a part of the load.
That is a different job from a depósito selling to local builders. The trader needs a container that splits cleanly into lots, papers that each buyer's broker can work with, and products that sell in more than one market.
What can one container carry for several buyers?
Colours, profiles and accessories can be mixed in one container of about 5,000 m. A practical approach is to plan the container as lots from the start. Here is one example with three lots:
| Lot | Buyer type | Lines | Running metres | Roof it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | House builders | Tile sheet red 1,200 m + chocolate 800 m, 2.5 mm, with ridge caps, hip ridges, ridge terminals, eave drip tile and ASA screw caps | 2,000 m | 1,920 m² |
| B | Farms and sheds | Corrugated 5 waves blue 900 m, corrugated 11 waves dark grey 500 m, skylight sheet 100 m | 1,500 m | about 1,400 m² of solid roof plus skylights |
| C | Stock kept in Panama | Tile sheet dark grey 900 m + orange 600 m, with matching accessories | 1,500 m | 1,440 m² |
| Total | Three buyers | All lines | 5,000 m | about 4,760 m² |
At 4 – 5 screw sets per m², lot A needs about 7,700 – 9,600 ASA screw caps and lot C about 5,800 – 7,200. Write the caps into each lot, not as one line for the whole container, so each buyer receives the right number.
Man with roof sheets in a warehouse, Vietnam
How do you keep the lots apart when the container arrives?
Agree before production how the lots are packed and listed. Ask for the packing list to show each lot on its own lines, by product, colour, thickness and length, and agree in writing how packs are marked so a lot can be taken out without opening the others. Santiago confirms what it can do in the quotation.
Lengths help here too. The tile sheet is cut to order in 219 mm steps, so each lot can have its own lengths: for example 3.723 m (17 steps) for the house-builder lot and 4.599 m (21 steps) for stock. The corrugated sheets for farms come in 5 waves (1.08 m wide, 1.00 m cover, wave 32 mm), 6 waves (1.06 m, 0.95 m, 34 mm) and 11 waves (1.05 m, 1.00 m, 20 mm).
What origin paperwork does Santiago issue, and what does your broker decide?
- Commercial invoice and packing list, lot by lot
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin (Vietnam) for the container
- HS code 3925.90.00 on the shipping papers
- A quality certificate (CQ) with every lot
- ISO 9001:2015 certificate ICI-23087.D and Quatest test results
The certificate of origin says the goods were made in Vietnam. What it is worth after the goods pass through the Colón Free Zone depends on the free-zone rules and on the customs rules of each final destination, not on Santiago. We know of no trade agreement that lowers duty on these sheets for Panama or the countries around it, so do not promise any buyer a duty saving. Check free-zone handling, re-export papers, classification and duty with your customs broker before you quote a buyer abroad.
What will buyers in Central America and the Caribbean ask?
The questions travel well across borders. Is it hot under the roof? In Santiago tests the space under the tile sheet stays 6 – 8 °C cooler than under bare metal sheet. Is it loud in a storm? Rain noise is about 80% lower than metal. Does it rust near the sea? There is no metal in the sheet. Does the colour fade? The ASA top layer showed no colour change after 2,000 hours of artificial UV, and the colour is rated for 30 years.
Two questions need an honest "no". Santiago publishes no wind, hurricane or fire rating and holds no certification in Panama or the destination countries, so the builder or engineer in each country decides where the sheet is used. And Santiago does not install; it sends installation videos and the fixing rules: purlins less than 700 mm apart (440 or 660 mm for the tile sheet), slope 20 – 45%, 70 mm screws with ASA caps through the top of the wave, 4 – 5 sets per m², never in the valley. The warranty is 10 years for 2.5 mm and thicker sheet installed as Santiago recommends.
Samples, quotation and timing
Start with free samples (you pay the courier) and show them to your main buyers before you fix the lot plan. Standard colours are dark grey, red, blue, orange and chocolate; green, white and purple are made to order. Once the order is confirmed, production takes about 5 days. Shipping time to Colón or Balboa depends on the route and the line, so ask your freight forwarder. The price is quoted per order in writing. For the end user's side of the same product, see zinc vs PVC tile roofs in Panama.
What does a buyer see inside the Santiago factory?
Mr Quyen walks through the Santiago factory in Vietnam and explains it in English: roof tiles and ridge pieces in the yard, a green 5-wave sheet coming off the line, a delivery truck, and the warehouses where a container is being loaded.
Inside the Santiago ASA/PVC roofing factory in Vietnam (Santiago video on YouTube).
More short videos from Santiago
Both clips below come from Santiago's own YouTube channel and were filmed at the factory in Vietnam or on Santiago roofs.
How is an export container of roofing sheets loaded?
This one-minute short is the loading process for an export order: orange sheets go down a ramp into the container and the crew stacks them inside, with Mr Quyen explaining in English.
Loading PVC roof tiles into an export container (Santiago video on YouTube).
Which accessories ship with the sheets?
A 19-second short from the Santiago warehouse: red ridge caps and fittings on pallets, then stacks of red tile sheets ready for export and OEM orders.
Red ridge caps and tile sheets in the Santiago warehouse (Santiago video on YouTube).
Santiago – a leading exporter of ASA/PVC roofing from Vietnam
Santiago roofing is produced and loaded into containers at our factory in Vietnam. It has been exported to India since 2023, Thailand since 2024 and the USA since 2025. Every export shipment comes with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and a certificate of origin (C/O) issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, which importers use to claim the duty preference of their trade agreement.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| HS code | 3925.90.00 (ASA/PVC roofing sheets) |
| Certificate of origin | Form D (ASEAN), Form AI (India), Form AK / VK (Korea), Form AJ / VJ (Japan), Form VC (Chile), CPTPP proof of origin |
| Shipped from | Vietnam, by container |
Certificate of origin Form AI (ASEAN–India) for Santiago ASA/PVC roofing sheets, HS 39259000, certified on 24 September 2026. Buyer details are hidden.
The Santiago team beside a loaded export container at the factory, November 2024
Loading Santiago roof tiles into an export container
Frequently asked questions
Can a Colón Free Zone trader buy roofing direct from Santiago?
Yes. The minimum export order is one 40 ft container of about 5,000 m of sheet, with colours, profiles and accessories mixed. Production takes about 5 days after the order is confirmed.
Can one container be split into lots for different buyers?
Yes, colours, profiles and accessories can be mixed. Agree before production how each lot is listed on the packing list and how packs are marked; Santiago confirms this in the quotation.
Does the certificate of origin give a duty saving after re-export?
Santiago issues a certificate of origin (Vietnam) and ships under HS 3925.90.00. We know of no trade agreement that lowers the duty here; free-zone and re-export rules and the duty in each destination are confirmed by your customs broker.
Which ports can receive the container?
Colón on the Caribbean side or Balboa on the Pacific side. Your freight forwarder quotes the route and the transit time.
Does the tile sheet have a hurricane rating for Caribbean buyers?
No. Santiago publishes no wind, hurricane or fire rating; the builder or engineer in each country designs the frame and fixing.
Read more
- Santiago export markets and certificates of origin
- Santiago quotations, samples and OEM
- How Santiago loads an export container
- ASA/PVC corrugated sheet, 5 waves
- Skylight roofing sheets
Versión en español
Un comerciante en Colón o en la Zona Libre de Colón puede comprar teja PVC con capa ASA, lámina acanalada y accesorios en un contenedor de 40 pies de unos 5,000 m y dividirlo en lotes para compradores en Panamá, Centroamérica y el Caribe. La producción toma unos 5 días después de confirmar el pedido; la mercadería viaja con código HS 3925.90.00 y certificado de origen (Vietnam). Las reglas de zona libre y reexportación, el arancel y los documentos de cada destino los confirma su agente aduanero.
¿Cómo se arma un contenedor de teja PVC para varios compradores?
Lo más práctico es planear el contenedor por lotes desde el principio. Un ejemplo con tres lotes:
| Lote | Comprador | Contenido | Metros lineales |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Constructores de casas | Teja PVC roja 1,200 m y chocolate 800 m, con cumbreras, limatesas, remates, teja gotero y capuchones ASA | 2,000 m |
| B | Fincas y galeras | Acanalada 5 ondas azul 900 m, 11 ondas gris oscuro 500 m, lámina traslúcida 100 m | 1,500 m |
| C | Inventario en Panamá | Teja PVC gris oscuro 900 m y naranja 600 m, con accesorios | 1,500 m |
| Total | Tres compradores | Todas las líneas | 5,000 m |
Pida que la lista de empaque muestre cada lote por separado (producto, color, espesor y largo) y acuerde por escrito cómo se marcan los paquetes, para sacar un lote sin abrir los demás. La teja se corta a la medida en pasos de 219 mm, así que cada lote puede llevar sus propios largos.
Láminas acanaladas blancas en una bodega, Vietnam
Certificado de origen y reglas de la Zona Libre
Santiago entrega factura comercial, lista de empaque, conocimiento de embarque, certificado de origen (Vietnam) y un certificado de calidad (CQ) por lote. Lo que valga ese certificado después de pasar por la Zona Libre de Colón depende de las reglas de la zona libre y de la aduana de cada país de destino. No conocemos un tratado que baje el arancel de estas láminas para Panamá ni para sus vecinos: no prometa rebajas. Consulte con su agente aduanero las reglas de zona libre y reexportación antes de cotizar a un comprador en otro país.
Piezas de cumbrera en estantes, Vietnam
Lo que preguntan los compradores de techo de PVC en la región
6 – 8 °C más fresco que una lámina metálica sin aislar y cerca de 80% menos ruido de lluvia (pruebas de Santiago); sin metal que se oxide junto al mar; color en capa ASA, sin cambio tras 2,000 horas de UV artificial. Santiago no publica clasificación de viento, huracán ni fuego, y no tiene certificación en Panamá ni en los países de destino: el constructor o ingeniero de cada país decide. Santiago no instala; envía videos y las reglas de fijación (correas a menos de 700 mm, pendiente del 20 al 45%, tornillos de 70 mm con capuchón ASA en la cresta de la onda, 4 – 5 juegos por m²). Garantía de 10 años para 2.5 mm o más instalada como recomienda Santiago.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Puedo dividir un contenedor de teja PVC entre varios compradores?
Sí. Colores, perfiles y accesorios se pueden mezclar; acuerde antes de producir cómo va cada lote en la lista de empaque y cómo se marcan los paquetes.
¿El certificado de origen sirve para reexportar desde la Zona Libre de Colón?
Santiago emite certificado de origen (Vietnam). Su valor en cada destino depende de las reglas de zona libre y de la aduana de ese país; lo confirma su agente aduanero.
¿Cuánto tarda el pedido?
La producción toma unos 5 días después de confirmar el pedido. El tiempo de tránsito a Colón o Balboa depende de la ruta; pregúntelo a su agente de carga.
¿Cuál es el precio de la teja PVC?
Santiago no publica precios. Cotiza por escrito cada pedido según espesor, color, largos, accesorios y cantidad.
Read next on this topic
Main guide: How to Choose a PVC Roofing Sheet Supplier
Sources for the figures in this article
- Profiles, 2.5–3.0 mm thickness and 10-year warranty: Santiago ASA/PVC product specification.
- About 6–8 °C cooler than bare metal sheet and about 80% less rain noise: Santiago's own comparisons on finished roofs in Vietnam.
- HS code 3925.90.00: Harmonized System Chapter 39 (builders' ware of plastics), as applied in Vietnam's export tariff.
- Certificates of origin (Form D, AI, AK/VK, AJ/VJ, VC, CPTPP): issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade under the country's free trade agreements.
- Minimum order of one 40 ft container (about 5,000 m) and about 5 days for production and loading: Santiago export desk, October 2026.
Updated 03/11/2026. Santiago Import Export Co., Ltd, Vietnam. WhatsApp +84 935 391 495 (Mr. Quyen), hotline +84 965 437 316 (Mrs. Ly), email salessantiagoroofing@gmail.com.
