Why Uruguay in 2026
Most sheet metal ductwork in Uruguay in 2026 goes into private apartment and office buildings in Montevideo, with a growing share from public health building and a new source in data centres. Some of the projects below are built, some are announced and some are only plans, so each one says where it stands.
Montevideo: towers and mixed-use building
Cosmos Buceo is a mixed-use complex of about 92,000 m² next to the World Trade Center Montevideo, combining housing, about 42,000 m² of offices and retail. Forbes Argentina reported a construction cost of about US$220 million and a formal inauguration on 21 April 2026, with tenants including Mercado Libre. Ventura Sky Residences, by Kopel Sánchez in Carrasco Norte, is planned as three towers with 575 apartments and an estimated US$100 million investment, with construction expected to start in 2027 and completion targeted for 2030. It is still a plan, so treat it as a lead. In October 2025 the builders' association APPCU said 2025 was on track for a record, with more than 260 promoted housing projects submitted against 245 in 2024, and also reported delays in Montevideo building permits. Offices, apartments, retail and mixed-use floors all need supply air, fresh air, toilet extract and kitchen extract, and a shop that turns out rectangular duct quickly wins this work.
Hospitals
The Uruguayan government announced the Hospital de la Costa in Atlántida, Canelones, in November 2025 as part of a US$40 million health programme, with 60 inpatient beds. In September 2026 the Presidency said the construction tender had been published, with a maximum investment of US$36 million for the building and fit-out and construction planned to start in January 2027. Construction has not started, so treat it as a lead to follow. Operating theatres, isolation rooms and laboratories need tightly sealed, sometimes stainless ductwork; see our cleanroom duct guide and galvanised vs stainless comparison.
Data centres and free zones
Google held a foundation-stone ceremony in August 2024 for a data centre of more than US$850 million in the Parque de las Ciencias in Canelones, north of Montevideo. Antel, the state telecom company, said in February 2026 that it would spend about US$8 million on artificial intelligence equipment at its existing Pando data centre and plans a second data centre in Montevideo; later reports mention larger figures, so check the current plan. These are company and state announcements, so check each stage before counting on the work. White space is often cooled by room or in-row units with little duct, but electrical rooms, offices and smoke extract need sheet metal; see our data centre duct manufacturing guide. Uruguay also has free zones such as Zonamerica, where office and logistics buildings add to the ductwork pool.
A temperate climate
Uruguay has a temperate climate, so buildings need cooling in summer and many also need heating and humidity control in winter. We have not quoted degree-day or temperature figures here because we could not tie them to a single verified source.
Standards and codes for ductwork in Uruguay
We could not find a Uruguayan national standard for sheet metal duct construction. In practice a duct shop builds to what the consulting engineer's specification names.
- UNIT: the Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Técnicas is the national standards body and an ISO member, and it mainly adopts ISO and IEC documents rather than writing its own from scratch. We found no UNIT duct construction standard. Check whether your client names a UNIT or international standard for galvanised coil; see our gauge chart.
- SMACNA, ASHRAE, EN and consultant documents: designers on larger projects may name SMACNA, ASHRAE or European documents. We could not verify which is most common in Uruguay, so read the specification for each job. Our international duct standards comparison sets them side by side, our air leakage classes guide explains sealing classes, and the hangers and supports guide covers the support side.
Importing duct machinery into Uruguay
- Customs duty: Uruguay belongs to Mercosur. Mercosur Decision CMC 08/21, brought into Uruguayan law by Decreto 664/2022, allows Uruguay to apply a rate other than the Common External Tariff, including 0%, to capital goods until 31 December 2030. We could not confirm the rate that applies today to a duct forming or folding machine, so your customs broker should confirm the tariff line and rate. Galvanised coil is steel and should be classified separately.
- IVA and IMESI: the general IVA rate is 22%. For capital goods used directly in a company's production cycle, the MIEM procedure issues a document that lets the company request a DGI exemption authorisation covering IVA and IMESI on the import. It rests on Decreto 59/998 as amended by Decreto 11/020, and the company's registered activity must match the request. The MIEM page asks for the commercial or pro forma invoice, freight and insurance invoices where they apply, and a technical brochure of the equipment. Larger projects may also use the investment promotion regime, which Uruguay XXI describes in its investor guide.
- Conformity: we found no Uruguayan approval specific to duct machines. We supply specifications, photos and the Declaration of Conformity for your broker's file.
Containers normally land at the Port of Montevideo, and your forwarder will quote the route to your workshop. Rates and exemptions change, so confirm landed cost with your agent. Our importing guide covers the general paperwork.
Power supply: 230/400 V, 50 Hz
UTE material describes low voltage service at 50 Hz in 230 V single phase, 230 V three phase and 400 V three phase, and older rules refer to 220/380 V. Single phase service is limited by contracted power, so a duct shop will normally need a three phase connection. Our standard machines are built for 380 V, 50 Hz, three phase, and we wire the motors, drives and control transformer to your measured site voltage, so tell us whether your supply is 400 V or 230 V three phase. An auto duct line, a plasma table and a spiral tubeformer running together need a properly sized connection, so have your electrician confirm capacity with UTE before the machines arrive. See also duct machine voltage and frequency by country.
Typical Uruguayan shop set-ups and the machines that fit
Contractor shop, rectangular duct for offices, apartments and fit-outs
Most HVAC duct in Uruguayan commercial and residential towers is rectangular, and many installers make their own in a small workshop. A practical set starts with the Rectangular Duct Line II SBAL-II (0.5 to 2.0 mm sheet, 1,250 or 1,550 mm widths, feeding up to 18 m/min) or the Auto Duct Line SBAL-III, which has the same sheet range with two electrical feeding units and hydraulic notching and shearing. Add a Pittsburgh lockformer (SBLC series), which forms Pittsburgh seams in 0.4 to 1.2 mm and snap lock in 0.7 to 1.5 mm, a TDF flange forming machine (SBTDF, 35 mm flange height) for transverse joints, and a pneumatic folder (up to 1.5 mm on the 1,500 mm model) for fittings. That covers straight duct, TDF joints and most fittings with a small crew.
Volume shop for towers, hospitals and large projects
A shop supplying several towers at once, or bidding for hospital and data centre packages, needs output and consistent quality over thousands of square metres. The Auto Duct Line SBAL-V is a U-shape line for 0.5 to 1.5 mm sheet at 18 m/min, and is about 14.5 m long, so check your building length first. Pair it with the Duct Zipper SBHF-1.5×1500TDF to close seams on 0.8 to 1.5 mm duct up to 1,500 mm long, an auto corner making machine and the pneumatic corner inserting machine SBCC for TDF corners, a Plasma Cutter SBPC1550 (0.4 to 4 mm, 12 kW) for fittings from nested drawings, and a hydraulic folder for heavier gauges, up to 2.0 mm on the 1500 mm model. Work to tight leakage classes rewards this consistency, because machine-formed seams and flanges seal more reliably than hand work.
Round duct
Spiral duct suits exposed ceilings, car parks, warehouses and industrial extract. The Spiral Tubeformer SBTF-1500 forms Φ80 to Φ1500 mm duct in galvanised steel from 0.4 to 1.2 mm. The SBTF-1602 extends this to Φ1600 mm and 1.3 mm, and handles aluminium as well. The Spiral Duct Flanging Machine SBFB-1600 turns flanges on round duct ends. For a real example, see Kavanagh Industries in Sydney, which added an SBTF-1602 in October 2026.
Space and logistics
The auto duct line is the longest item, with coil racks at one end and a run-out table at the other. Ask us for a layout drawing based on your building before you sign a lease, and leave room for coil deliveries, finished duct storage and truck loading. Most new building is in and around Montevideo, so a shop in the metropolitan area or nearby Canelones is close to its customers. Our factory layout guide has worked examples. We have not quoted labour costs here because we could not verify a current figure for skilled sheet metal workers.
Working with Taokron from Uruguay
- Machines built since 1994 and supplied to 100+ countries, with 60+ patents, from an ISO 9001:2015 factory
- CE marked with a Declaration of Conformity
- Wired for your three phase 50 Hz supply, 380 V standard or to your measured site voltage
- Installation and commissioning quoted per engineer-day
- Replies within 12 hours by email at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +61 435 074 994
Get a Uruguay-ready Taokron quotation →
FAQ
Which ductwork standards are used in Uruguay?
We could not find a Uruguayan national standard for sheet metal duct construction. UNIT, the Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Técnicas, is the national standards body and an ISO member, and it mainly adopts ISO and IEC documents. Duct work is normally built to what the consulting engineer names in the specification. Consultants may name SMACNA, ASHRAE or European documents, though we could not verify which is most common, so read the specification for each job. Our international duct standards comparison sets the main documents side by side.
What voltage and frequency do duct machines need in Uruguay?
UTE, the state power company, supplies low voltage at 50 Hz, with 230 V single phase, 230 V three phase and 400 V three phase service described in its technical material. Older rules refer to 220/380 V, so the supply at your workshop depends on its age and contracted power. Taokron standard machines are built for 380 V, 50 Hz, three phase. Confirm your supply with UTE or your electrician and tell us the measured voltage so we wire the motors, drives and control transformer to suit.
What taxes apply when importing duct machinery into Uruguay?
Uruguay's general VAT (IVA) rate is 22%. For capital goods used directly in a company's production cycle, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM) issues a document that lets the company request an exemption authorisation from the tax office (DGI) covering IVA and IMESI on the import, under Decreto 59/998 as amended by Decreto 11/020. For customs duty, a Mercosur decision (CMC 08/21) lets Uruguay apply a rate other than the Common External Tariff, including 0%, to capital goods until 31 December 2030. The exact duty for a duct machine and whether your company and machine qualify are questions for your customs broker. Rules change, so confirm the landed cost before you order.
Can a small duct shop use the capital goods VAT exemption?
The MIEM procedure requires a company registered with the tax office whose registered business activity matches the request, and the goods must be used directly in the production cycle. A very small or newly registered shop should check with an accountant or customs broker whether its registered activity fits, and whether the exemption or a refund route suits its case. We supply the pro forma invoice, technical brochure and specifications for your file.
Where is ductwork demand in Uruguay in 2026?
Mostly from private building in Montevideo and the coast: apartment towers, offices and mixed-use complexes such as Cosmos Buceo, inaugurated in April 2026. Public health building adds work, including the Hospital de la Costa in Atlántida, announced in November 2025 as part of a US$40 million health programme, with the construction tender published and works planned from January 2027. Data centres are a further source: Google laid the foundation stone in 2024 for a data centre of more than US$850 million in Canelones, and Antel announced an AI upgrade at its Pando site and a second data centre in Montevideo in February 2026. Some of these are plans, so check the stage before you plan capacity around any single project.
Which machines should a new Uruguayan duct shop start with?
A contractor shop making rectangular duct for offices, apartment towers and fit-outs usually starts with a rectangular duct line or auto duct line, a Pittsburgh lockformer, a TDF flange former and a folder. Add a duct zipper, corner machines and a plasma table as volume grows, and a spiral tubeformer when round duct becomes regular work. Send your duct sizes, gauges and monthly output and a Taokron engineer will propose a machine set within 12 hours.
