Quick Answer: Auto parts move from the USA to Central America in 1-4 days by air and 5-14 days port-to-port by ocean. Door-to-door ocean runs 12-25 days once pickup, LCL consolidation, customs clearance and inland trucking are counted. Air costs 4-8x more per kilo but saves two to three weeks.
- Air freight moves auto parts airport-to-airport in 1-4 days from Miami, Houston or Los Angeles to GUA, SAL, SJO, PTY or TGU — the right call for AOG-style urgent parts under 300 kg.
- Ocean FCL runs 5-14 days port-to-port; ocean LCL adds 5-10 days for consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at the destination CFS.
- Customs clearance ranges from 1-2 days in Panama and Costa Rica to 3-7 days in Honduras and Nicaragua — HS code errors are the number one delay.
- Most US-origin auto parts enter duty-free under CAFTA-DR with a valid certificate of origin, but VAT/IVA of 12-15% still applies.
Parts retailers in San Pedro Sula, Guatemala City and Managua do not lose money on freight rates. They lose it on the shelf that sits empty for an extra ten days because a container missed a Thursday cutoff.
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Go to the calculator →Reference prices: air cargo from Miami
| Destination | Air cargo | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| El SalvadorSal | $799 | 1 days |
| HondurasSap | $852 | 1 days |
| GuatemalaGua | $658 | 1 days |
| Dominican RepublicSdq | $742 | 1 days |
| ColombiaBog | $579 | 1 days |
| PanamaPty | $675 | 1 days |
| PeruLim | $728 | 1 days |
| EcuadorUio | $612 | 1 days |
Port-to-port rates in USD from Mia, calculated with our quoting system (current since September 28, 2026). Air cargo: 100 kg (0.6 m³). They include freight and US export charges; they do not include import taxes or local charges at destination. The calculator on this page gives your exact price, with pickup and delivery.
How long does it take to ship auto parts from the USA to Central America?
Quick Answer: Air freight delivers auto parts to Central America in 1-4 days airport-to-airport. Ocean freight takes 5-14 days port-to-port, or 12-25 days door-to-door once pickup, consolidation, customs and inland delivery are added. Panama and Guatemala clear fastest; Nicaragua and Honduras typically run three to five days longer.
The honest answer splits three ways. Air freight is 1-4 days airport-to-airport. Ocean FCL is 5-14 days port-to-port. Ocean LCL door-to-door realistically lands at 15-25 days.
Most buyers get burned on the difference between those two measurements. Carriers quote port-to-port: vessel ETD at Miami to discharge at Puerto Cortés. You experience door-to-door: your supplier's dock in Ohio to your warehouse in Tegucigalpa.
Those two numbers can differ by two full weeks. A carrier saying "4 days to Honduras" is telling the truth and being useless at the same time.
Baseline ocean transit by destination country
These are the realistic port-to-port ranges from Florida gateways as of 2026. Pacific-coast destinations served from Los Angeles/Long Beach run longer.
- Panama (Manzanillo/Colón): 4-7 days — the fastest lane in the region
- Honduras (Puerto Cortés): 3-6 days from Miami, 5-8 from Houston
- Guatemala (Santo Tomás de Castilla): 4-6 days Atlantic side, 9-14 via Puerto Quetzal from LA
- Costa Rica (Limón-Moín): 7-11 days
- El Salvador (Acajutla): 9-14 days via the Pacific, or 5-7 days to a Guatemalan Atlantic port plus overland transfer
- Nicaragua (Corinto): 8-13 days
None of those numbers include customs. Clearance is a separate block of 1-7 days that no carrier controls and no schedule shows.
For a country-level deep dive on one of the trickiest lanes, read our breakdown of Shipping Times USA to El Salvador 2026: 1-25 Days.
The realistic total for an ocean auto parts shipment from a US supplier dock to a Central American parts warehouse. Only 5-14 of those days are actually on a vessel.
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Go to the calculator →What is the port-to-port transit matrix by origin gateway?
Quick Answer: Miami and Port Everglades reach Puerto Cortés in 3-5 days, Santo Tomás in 4-6 and Manzanillo/Colón in 4-6. Houston adds one to two days to Atlantic ports. Los Angeles/Long Beach serves Pacific ports — Acajutla, Puerto Quetzal, Corinto and Caldera — in 9-14 days.
Your gateway decides your transit time more than your carrier does. Here is the full matrix used for auto parts transit time Central America planning.
| Origin gateway | Puerto Cortés (HN) | Santo Tomás (GT) | Puerto Quetzal (GT) | Acajutla (SV) | Corinto (NI) | Limón-Moín (CR) | Caldera (CR) | Manzanillo/Balboa (PA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (USMIA) | 3-5 | 4-6 | 14-18 | 13-17 | 12-16 | 6-9 | 15-19 | 4-6 |
| Port Everglades (USPEF) | 3-5 | 4-6 | 14-18 | 13-17 | 12-16 | 6-9 | 15-19 | 4-6 |
| Houston (USHOU) | 5-7 | 5-8 | 15-19 | 14-18 | 13-17 | 8-11 | 16-20 | 6-9 |
| New York/NJ (USNYC) | 7-10 | 8-11 | 17-21 | 16-20 | 15-19 | 9-13 | 18-22 | 7-10 |
| Los Angeles/Long Beach (USLAX) | 16-20 | 17-21 | 9-12 | 9-13 | 10-14 | 18-22 | 10-14 | 10-13 |
Read that table sideways, not down. Guatemala and El Salvador parts buyers have a real choice: Santo Tomás from Miami in 4-6 days, or Puerto Quetzal from Long Beach in 9-12 days plus a shorter domestic leg for West Coast suppliers.
Which gateway does your supplier feed?
AB Group Shipping picks up anywhere in the USA and Canada. Your region usually routes as follows:
- Florida and the Southeast: Miami or Port Everglades — shortest lane to the whole region
- Texas and the central states: Port Houston
- California and the Southwest: Los Angeles/Long Beach for Pacific ports
- Northeast: Port of New York and New Jersey, or truck south to Miami
- Midwest: rail to Miami or Houston — add 3-7 days of inland transit
- Ontario and Quebec: Toronto or Montreal, usually transshipped via Caucedo or Kingston
Midwest and West Coast suppliers feeding a Miami consolidation must budget that inland leg honestly. A pallet of brake rotors leaving Chicago by rail does not start its sailing clock for a week.
Pro Tip
Put the correct UN/LOCODE on every document. USMIA, USHOU, USLAX, HTPCR (Puerto Cortés), GTSTC (Santo Tomás), SVAQJ (Acajutla), NIRCN (Corinto), CRLIO (Limón-Moín), PAMIT (Manzanillo). A wrong port code on the B/L means a manifest correction, and a manifest correction at destination costs 2-3 days plus an amendment fee.
Air vs ocean auto parts: which mode should you use?
Quick Answer: Use air freight for auto parts under 300 kg when a vehicle is off the road and revenue is lost daily. Use ocean FCL above 10 CBM or 8,000 kg. Ocean LCL fits the middle ground. Air costs roughly $3.50-$7.00 per kilo; ocean LCL runs $65-$140 per cubic meter.
The air vs ocean auto parts decision is not about speed preference. It is about whether the delay costs you more than the freight.
| Mode | Transit (door-to-door) | Price range | Minimum viable volume | Best use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air express (courier) | 2-4 days | $6.00-$12.00/kg | 0.5-100 kg | Single ECU, sensor, injector |
| Air standard (AWB) | 3-6 days | $3.50-$7.00/kg | 45-100 kg min charge | Urgent replenishment, 100-500 kg |
| Ocean LCL | 15-25 days | $65-$140/CBM | 1-10 CBM | Mixed shelf stock, routine reorders |
| Ocean FCL 20' | 12-20 days | $1,600-$3,200 | 10+ CBM | Bulk filters, brakes, suspension |
| Overland truck (via Mexico) | 8-14 days | $4,500-$8,500/trailer | Full trailer | Texas origin to Guatemala/El Salvador |
Where LCL stops beating FCL
The crossover sits at roughly 10 CBM. Run the math on a typical brake-and-filter mix.
At 9 CBM to Puerto Cortés, LCL at $95/CBM costs about $855 in freight. A 20' FCL to the same port costs about $2,100 — bad math at that volume.
Push the same order to 14 CBM and LCL hits $1,330 plus higher destination handling per cubic meter. The 20' container now holds all of it for $2,100, arrives 7-10 days sooner, and touches fewer hands. Add the theft and damage reduction on a sealed box and FCL wins well before pure freight math says so.
What air freight actually delivers
Express service from Miami reaches Panama City (PTY) or San José (SJO) in 1-2 days airport-to-airport. Standard consolidated service on a house AWB takes 3-4 days, because your cargo waits for the consolidation and then for space.
Airline space to Central American capitals tightens sharply in Q4. Book standard air a week ahead in November or accept express pricing.
The parts retailer restocking shelves
You order 12 CBM of filters, pads, belts and shocks every six weeks. Nothing is urgent because your reorder point already accounts for transit. Ocean FCL from Miami to Santo Tomás at $2,100 for a 20' costs you about $175 per cubic meter delivered. Air would cost twenty times that. Book FCL, plan around a 16-day cycle, and keep safety stock for the two weeks you cannot compress.
The workshop waiting on one module
A customer's truck sits on your lift waiting for an engine control module. Every day costs you a bay and a frustrated customer. The module weighs 2 kg. Air express from Miami to Guatemala City costs about $110 all-in and lands in 2-3 days including clearance. Ocean would save $95 and cost you three weeks of lift time. Air is not a luxury here — it is the cheaper option.
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Go to the calculator →How does the door-to-door timeline break down stage by stage?
Quick Answer: A door-to-door ocean shipment breaks into seven stages: pickup 1-3 days, consolidation and cutoff 2-5 days, sailing 5-14 days, discharge and unloading 1-2 days, customs clearance 1-7 days, deconsolidation 1-3 days and inland delivery 1-3 days. Total realistic range: 12-25 days.
Buyers who only track the vessel never understand where the time went. Here is the full breakdown for both LCL and FCL.
| Stage | LCL days | FCL days | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Domestic pickup | 1-3 | 1-3 | LTL or drayage from supplier to CFS or your dock |
| 2. Consolidation / cutoff wait | 2-5 | 0-2 | LCL waits for the weekly consolidation to close |
| 3. Port gate-in to ETD | 1-2 | 1-2 | Cargo cutoff sits ahead of actual departure |
| 4. Ocean sailing | 5-14 | 5-14 | Direct or via transshipment at Caucedo/Kingston |
| 5. Discharge and availability | 1-2 | 1-2 | Container off the vessel, manifest transmitted |
| 6. Customs clearance | 1-7 | 1-7 | Declaration, channel assignment, release |
| 7. Deconsolidation at CFS | 3-7 | 0 | LCL only — container stripped, cargo sorted |
| 8. Inland delivery | 1-3 | 1-3 | Trucking to Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa |
| Total | 15-25 | 10-20 | — |
Cutoff time is not ETD
This distinction costs importers a week more often than anything else. Documentation cutoff typically falls 48-72 hours before vessel departure. Cargo cutoff falls 24-48 hours before.
Seaboard Marine, Crowley and King Ocean run weekly fixed-day services to Central America. Miss Thursday's cutoff on a Sunday sailing and your parts leave the following Sunday. One missed cutoff equals seven lost days — not one.
Export filing before the box loads
US export rules apply on the way out. Per Census Bureau regulations, Electronic Export Information must be filed through AES when any single Schedule B line exceeds $2,500 in value.
Auto parts shipments cross that threshold constantly. The EEI must be filed before cargo loads, and a late filing can hold the container at the terminal.
The air timeline for contrast
- Day 0: Pickup from the supplier, screening and tender to the airline
- Day 0-1: Build-up, AWB issued, cargo accepted
- Day 1: Flight departs Miami, Houston or Los Angeles
- Day 1-3: Break-bulk at destination, declaration filed, channel assigned
- Day 2-4: Release and delivery to the consignee
For the Guatemala-specific process end to end, see our guide to importing auto parts from the USA to Guatemala.
Do not book against the ETD
Ask your forwarder for the cargo cutoff date and the documentation cutoff date, in writing, before you release the PO to your supplier. A supplier who promises "ready Friday" against a Thursday cutoff has just added seven days to your auto parts transit time Central America calculation — and nobody will tell you until the vessel has sailed.
Why does LCL add days that FCL does not?
Quick Answer: LCL consolidation adds 5-10 days because your pallets wait for other cargo to fill the container at origin, then sit again during deconsolidation at the destination CFS. FCL loads at your dock and discharges as a sealed unit, skipping both queues. For repeat parts orders, this gap decides your reorder cycle.
LCL means less than container load: an NVOCC combines cargo from several shippers into one container. You pay only for your cubic meters. You also inherit everyone else's schedule.
The origin-side wait
Your pallets arrive at the Miami or Houston CFS and stop. They wait 2-5 days for the weekly consolidation to close, get loaded, sealed and gated in.
During that window the cargo is measured, re-weighed and cross-docked. Nothing is wrong — it is just time you do not pay for and do pay for.
The destination-side wait
This side hurts more. At Puerto Cortés, Santo Tomás or Colón, the container goes to a CFS for stripping. Deconsolidation takes 3-7 days depending on the warehouse queue and how many consignees share the box.
Your 8 pallets cannot be released until the whole container is broken down and every consignee's cargo is tallied. One consignee with a documentation problem can hold the strip.
Bonded versus non-bonded CFS
A bonded CFS holds your cargo under customs control until the declaration clears. That is slower on release but protects you from duty exposure before you are ready to pay.
A non-bonded warehouse releases faster but requires clearance to be complete first. Most Central American CFS operations handling LCL parts freight are bonded, which is why destination handling dominates the LCL timeline.
Pro Tip
Apply the 10 CBM rule with a twist. FCL is worth the extra freight when you order above roughly 10 CBM or when your reorder cycle cannot absorb 10 extra days. A retailer turning stock every three weeks cannot afford a 25-day LCL cycle even at 6 CBM. Consider two smaller FCL bookings per quarter instead of four LCL shipments.
How many days does customs clearance take in each country?
Quick Answer: Customs clearance takes 1-2 days in Panama and Costa Rica on a green channel, 2-4 days in Guatemala and El Salvador, and 3-7 days in Honduras and Nicaragua. Red-channel physical inspection adds 2-5 days anywhere. Clean HS classification and a valid CAFTA-DR certificate are what keep you in the green channel.
| Country | Customs authority | Clearance days | VAT / IVA | CAFTA-DR | Main inland city (truck days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | SAT (Aduanas) | 2-4 | 12% | Yes — duty-free | Guatemala City (1) |
| Honduras | Aduanas de Honduras | 3-7 | 15% | Yes — duty-free | San Pedro Sula (0-1), Tegucigalpa (1-2) |
| El Salvador | DGA | 2-4 | 13% | Yes — duty-free | San Salvador (1) |
| Nicaragua | DGA | 3-7 | 15% | Yes — duty-free | Managua (1-2) |
| Costa Rica | DGA via TICA | 1-3 | 13% | Yes — duty-free | San José (1) |
| Panama | ANA | 1-2 | 7% ITBMS | TPA (not CAFTA-DR) | Panama City (0-1) |
| Belize | Belize Customs | 2-5 | 12.5% GST | No — CARICOM | Belize City (1) |
What is the DUCA?
The DUCA — Declaración Única Centroamericana — is the single customs declaration used across the region. It replaced separate national forms in 2019.
Three variants exist. DUCA-D covers goods originating in the region, DUCA-F covers CA-4 transit, and DUCA-T covers third-country goods like US auto parts. Your broker files the right one; you just need to know the term when it appears on your paperwork.
Green, yellow and red channels
Every declaration gets a channel assignment from the risk system after filing.
- Green: automatic release, no review — add 0 days
- Yellow: document review by an officer — add 1-2 days
- Red: physical inspection, container opened — add 2-5 days
Auto parts draw red channels for predictable reasons: undervaluation flags, generic descriptions like "car parts", mismatched piece counts, and first-time importers. A first shipment under a new RTN or NIT almost always goes red.
Documents every clearance needs
- Commercial invoice (factura comercial) with part numbers, HS codes and unit values
- Packing list matching the invoice piece count exactly
- Original B/L or house AWB
- CAFTA-DR certificate of origin
- Importer tax ID: NIT (Guatemala), RTN (Honduras), RUC (Nicaragua/Panama), cédula jurídica (Costa Rica)
- DUCA-T filed by the local broker
Courier shipments follow a parallel but different set of rules. Our USA to Central America international courier customs requirements and compliance guide covers the de minimis thresholds and simplified declarations.
"Auto parts" is not a description
A commercial invoice that reads "auto parts — 40 boxes — $8,400" is a guaranteed red channel in Honduras and Nicaragua. Customs needs line-level detail: "brake pad set, Toyota Hilux, HS 8708.30, 120 pcs, $14.00 ea". Generic descriptions trigger valuation disputes, and a valuation dispute in San Pedro Sula can hold your container for five days while demurrage runs.
Do US auto parts pay import duty under CAFTA-DR?
Quick Answer: No — most US-origin auto parts enter Central America duty-free under CAFTA-DR when accompanied by a valid certificate of origin. VAT/IVA still applies: 12% in Guatemala, 13% in El Salvador and Costa Rica, 15% in Honduras and Nicaragua, 7% ITBMS in Panama. Missing origin proof restores MFN duty of 5-15%.
CAFTA-DR is the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement. It covers Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Panama trades with the US under a separate bilateral TPA with similar duty-free treatment for most parts.
How the certificate of origin works
There is no prescribed government form. The certification can be made by the producer, exporter or importer, and it can appear on the invoice itself.
What matters is the nine required data elements: certifier identity and role, exporter, producer, importer, description, HS classification, origin criterion, blanket period if applicable, and an authorized signature with date.
A blanket certification covering 12 months of shipments saves real time on repeat parts orders. Ask your US supplier for one on day one.
HS classification traps for auto parts
Chapter 87 covers vehicle parts, but a large share of what parts retailers import does not sit there.
- Chapter 40: rubber hoses, belts, bushings, tires
- Chapter 84: engines, pumps, filters, turbochargers
- Chapter 85: alternators, starters, sensors, ECUs, wiring harnesses
- Chapter 87: brakes, suspension, body panels, transmissions
- Chapter 70: windshields and automotive glass
Declaring an alternator under 8708 instead of 8511 gets reclassified. Reclassification means a revised declaration, a new duty calculation and 2-4 lost days.
Remanufactured and used parts
Remanufactured parts qualify under CAFTA-DR if they meet the agreement's recovered-goods rules. Used parts are a different matter.
Costa Rica and Panama apply extra scrutiny to used components, and some categories — used tires, used airbags — face restrictions. Confirm before you ship, not after the container discharges.
Pro Tip
Duty treatment is a legal determination, not a freight question. AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder, not a customs broker or legal counsel. Have a licensed customs broker in the destination country confirm classification and origin treatment on your top 20 SKUs before your first large order. That one-time review pays for itself on the first avoided red channel.
Which auto parts are hazardous and how much time do they add?
Quick Answer: Lithium and lead-acid batteries, airbag inflators, seat-belt pretensioners, brake fluid, engine oil, paint and aerosols are classified as dangerous goods. They require IATA or IMDG declarations, certified packing and carrier pre-approval. Expect 2-5 extra days on air freight and one extra sailing cycle on ocean.
Parts retailers get caught here constantly. A routine restock order that includes twelve batteries becomes a dangerous goods shipment with a different timeline.
| Part | UN number / class | Air freight | Ocean freight | Added time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion batteries | UN3480 / 9 | Restricted, state of charge limits | Accepted | 2-4 days |
| Lead-acid batteries | UN2794 / 8 | Limited carriers | Accepted | 2-3 days |
| Airbag modules / inflators | UN0503 / 1.4G | Usually refused | Accepted with approval | 5-10 days |
| Seat-belt pretensioners | UN0503 / 1.4G | Usually refused | Accepted with approval | 5-10 days |
| Brake fluid, paint, aerosols | Class 3 / 2.1 | Limited quantity only | Accepted | 2-4 days |
Airbags are the hardest case. Most passenger airlines refuse Class 1.4G explosives outright, which means ocean is your only route regardless of urgency.
The extra paperwork
- Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods (IATA for air, IMDG for ocean)
- Safety Data Sheet for every fluid, aerosol and battery type
- UN-certified packaging with valid markings
- Carrier pre-approval — typically 3-5 business days before the cutoff
DG surcharges run $150-$450 per shipment on top of freight. That is the cost of getting it right; getting it wrong means the whole booking gets rolled.
Split your DG cargo onto a separate booking
Never let six batteries delay 400 filters. Put dangerous goods on their own AWB or B/L and ship the clean cargo on the normal schedule. One undeclared battery found during a terminal inspection can get your entire container pulled, refused and rolled to the next sailing — plus a fine and a mark on your shipper record.
What does air vs ocean cost and how do I get a quote?
Quick Answer: Air freight for auto parts runs $3.50-$7.00 per kilo from US gateways to Central American capitals, with a 45-100 kg minimum. Ocean LCL runs $65-$140 per cubic meter, and a 20' FCL runs $1,600-$3,200 depending on gateway and destination port. Surcharges shift with fuel and season.
| Destination | Air (per kg) | LCL (per CBM) | 20' FCL | 40' FCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Cortés / SAP, Honduras | $3.80-$6.50 | $70-$120 | $1,600-$2,500 | $2,200-$3,400 |
| Santo Tomás / GUA, Guatemala | $3.50-$6.00 | $70-$125 | $1,700-$2,700 | $2,400-$3,600 |
| Acajutla / SAL, El Salvador | $3.60-$6.20 | $85-$140 | $2,000-$3,200 | $2,800-$4,200 |
| Limón-Moín / SJO, Costa Rica | $4.00-$7.00 | $80-$135 | $1,900-$3,000 | $2,600-$3,900 |
| Manzanillo-Colón / PTY, Panama | $3.50-$6.00 | $65-$115 | $1,600-$2,600 | $2,200-$3,300 |
| Corinto / MGA, Nicaragua | $4.20-$7.00 | $90-$145 | $2,100-$3,300 | $2,900-$4,300 |
MiamiUSMIA
Puerto CortésHTPCR
HoustonUSHOU
Santo TomásGTSTC
MiamiMIA
Panama CityPTY
What an itemized quote must show
A single "all-in" number you cannot audit is not a quote. Demand line items: origin THC, BAF, CAF, ISPS, documentation fee, destination THC, and drayage.
The trick most shippers miss is destination-side charges. A cheap ocean rate paired with inflated destination THC at Puerto Cortés costs more than a fair all-in from a forwarder who controls both ends.
How Incoterms change your timeline
- EXW: you arrange pickup from the supplier — adds 1-3 days if you are not local
- FOB: the clock starts at the port; the supplier handles inland and export clearance
- CIF: freight and insurance included to the destination port, nothing after
- DAP: delivered to your dock, duty and taxes still on you
- DDP: the US seller pays duty and IVA — attractive on paper, but it makes the seller liable for Central American import compliance they do not understand
Most US suppliers quoting DDP to Honduras have never filed a DUCA-T. FOB or DAP with your own forwarder gives you control over the cutoff, which is what actually protects your transit time.
Typical demurrage after the 5-7 free days at Central American ports expire. A four-day customs hold at Limón-Moín on a $2,000 container can add $500+ in storage — which is why clearance speed is a cost issue, not just a timing one.
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Go to the calculator →What causes delays and how do you protect your reorder cycle?
Quick Answer: The top delay causes for auto parts are wrong HS codes, undervalued invoices, missing CAFTA-DR origin certificates, missed sailing cutoffs and red-channel inspections. Each adds 2-7 days. Peak season from September to November and Q4 port congestion at Puerto Cortés and Limón-Moín add another 3-5 days.
Every delay in spare parts delivery time Central America traces back to one of five causes. Four of them are documentation.
Fix the paperwork before the freight
Part numbers, HS codes, quantities and unit values on the commercial invoice must match the packing list line for line. A piece-count mismatch of even two units triggers a physical count.
Send the draft invoice to your destination broker before the cargo ships. A ten-minute review catches the problem while it is still free to fix.
Seasonal reality
- September to November: pre-Christmas peak — space tightens, add 3-5 days and expect peak season surcharges
- June to November: Atlantic hurricane season — vessel omissions and port closures at Puerto Cortés and Limón-Moín
- Semana Santa: customs offices and ports run skeleton crews for a full week
- Late December: most Central American customs offices close for several days around the holidays
Order your Q4 stock in August. Parts retailers who place November orders in November spend December explaining empty shelves.
Track milestones, not emails
Ask your forwarder for event-based alerts, not a weekly status email. The container milestones that matter are gate-in, loaded on vessel, sailed, discharged, customs released and out-gated.
For air, the AWB status flow is RCS, DEP, ARR, RCF, NFD, DLV. If your forwarder cannot explain those codes, find another forwarder. Independent tools like this transit time calculator for sea, air and port-to-port shipping are useful for sanity-checking a quoted schedule.
Choosing the right forwarder
- Licensed NVOCC with its own B/L — not a broker reselling space
- Weekly fixed-day consolidations to your destination port
- Direct broker relationships in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica
- Demonstrated experience with Chapter 87, 84 and 85 classification
- Dangerous goods capability for batteries and airbag modules
With thousands of shipments processed across the USA–Latin America corridor, AB Group Shipping runs weekly LCL consolidations from Miami and Houston plus FCL and air service from every major US and Canadian gateway.
Sensors, ECUs and instrument clusters need real packing discipline. Our 2026 packing guide for electronics and fragile items shipped from the USA to Central America covers anti-static protection and double-boxing for electronic modules. If you also move complete vehicles, the same freight logic appears in our car shipping to Argentina guide.
Pro Tip
Build a two-speed supply chain. Ship 90% of your volume by ocean FCL or LCL on a predictable 16-20 day cycle, and reserve a small air budget for the 10% of SKUs that lose you a sale when they are out of stock. Retailers who run one mode for everything either overpay on freight or lose customers waiting on a $40 sensor.
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Go to the calculator →Your auto parts transit time Central America is not a fixed number — it is the sum of choices you control: gateway, mode, cutoff discipline and invoice quality. Use the calculator embedded on this page to price your exact origin ZIP, mode and destination port in seconds. No email required, no follow-up calls, and real rates for FCL, LCL, air and courier side by side.
Air freight takes 1-4 days airport-to-airport from Miami, Houston or Los Angeles to Guatemala City, San Salvador, San José, Tegucigalpa or Panama City. Ocean freight takes 5-14 days port-to-port, or 12-25 days door-to-door once pickup, consolidation, customs clearance and inland delivery are counted.
Air freight is the fastest option — 1-3 days from Miami to Guatemala City (GUA) or San Pedro Sula (SAP), plus 1-2 days for customs. For shipments under about 100 kg, international courier with a DHL, FedEx or UPS commercial account can be door-to-door in 2-4 days.
Costa Rica clears auto parts in 1-3 days through the TICA system when documents are complete and the shipment lands on a green channel. A yellow channel document review adds one to two days, and a red channel physical inspection at Limón-Moín or Caldera can add three to five days.
Ocean is cheaper for anything over about 100 kg. Ocean LCL to Manzanillo or Balboa runs $65-$140 per cubic meter with a 4-6 day sailing from Miami, while air freight runs $3.50-$7.00 per kilo. Air only wins when the part is urgent and lightweight.
No — most US-origin auto parts qualify for duty-free entry under CAFTA-DR with a valid certificate of origin. VAT/IVA still applies at 12-15% depending on the country, and Panama charges 7% ITBMS. Without origin proof, MFN duties of 5-15% are assessed.
Ocean freight to Corinto takes 9-13 days from Los Angeles/Long Beach on the Pacific side, or 6-9 days to an Atlantic gateway with overland transfer. Air freight to Managua (MGA) takes 2-4 days. Nicaraguan DGA clearance typically adds 3-7 days.