The U.S. is the largest importer of products from Latin America and trade numbers clearly reflect the growing opportunities for businesses looking to expand to the U.S. market.

If you’re wondering how to tap into the U.S. market from LATAM, continue reading below for helpful information on importing.

How do I get started importing goods to the U.S. from LATAM?

While many LATAM businesses have a U.S. presence, it’s important to note that your company can expand in the U.S. without being in the U.S. If you don’t currently have a presence in the U.S., contact our in-house customs brokerage team for assistance. They'll help you understand the rules and regulations for parcels and freight entering the U.S., and make sure all duties and taxes are paid on your behalf. 

For more information, read this resource: How to Expand Your International E-Commerce Business to the U.S. Without a U.S. Presence. 

How should I ship my goods?

This depends on how quickly you need your products delivered. Air and sea are the most common modes of transportation for importing to the U.S. from LATAM.

While air can be more expensive, it’s the quickest and safest way to get your goods where they need to go. Airplanes are 30 times faster than ships and there’s less handling involved with air, making it a safer journey for your goods.

Ocean is another shipping option, but it has longer transit times than air. The cost is based on how much space your shipment occupies, whether using less-than-container load or full-container-load.

A global logistics provider can help you select the best option for your shipping needs and create custom solutions based on the type of products you’re importing.

What about customs?

Without a complete understanding of the process, clearing customs can be a challenge for LATAM companies transporting goods into the U.S. Delays can occur if the required documentation isn’t prepared ahead of time, but getting parcels through customs isn’t hard when working with a global logistics company that understands how to process your items.

To avoid delays, many LATAM importers use IBC’s Miami HUB, located at Miami’s International Airport. This HUB is well situated to handle business to and from LATAM since Miami is a leading international freight airport and a key gateway to access U.S. markets. 

Our Miami HUB has also been approved by CBP for the examination of express consignment shipments. With express, the exam and release process is quickly expedited since there are officers on site, in addition to CBP-AS (Agriculture Specialists). This HUB operates outside of regular customs hours with two CBP shifts, which allows us to recover your parcels as late as 5:00 pm, and still get them out the door to the final mile provider same-day.

If issues arise, as a result of a port closure or severe weather, IBC has the agility to reroute your shipments to other ports of entry into the U.S. since we are not just in Miami. With a global distribution network of over 18 hubs, 59 gateways, and 220 countries and territories, we’re the largest non-integrator operator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection ECCF (Express Consignment Carrier Facilities) facilities in the U.S. In addition to Miami, we operate container freight stations at strategic ports in the U.S., including:

  • New York
  • Los Angeles
  • Chicago
  • Dallas

What if i need a custom solution, not just customs clearance?

That is why we are here. Our global distribution network is made up of long-standing partners that have the same flexibility, allowing us to do what the larger integrators struggle with.

Whatever, whenever and wherever you need to transport items, IBC makes it happen on-time and on-budget.

So whether you’re looking to import to the U.S. from LATAM or LATAM to the U.S., we can handle everything–beyond just customs.

For example, our In-Bond Export Consolidation (IBEC) facility, sanctioned by CBP, is a highly secured area where goods that would otherwise be subject to duties may be stored, manipulated, and later transported without duty payments. This provides significant savings for importers who re-export their purchases to end-users in other countries

Read our blog post, How IBC Uses Bonded Warehouse Solutions to Streamline Shipments to Latin America and the Caribbean for more information.

Start Importing with IBC Today

When you’re ready to start importing to the U.S. from LATAM, the global logistics experts at IBC can help. From small parcels to large containers–via air, ocean or land–we can get your goods delivered. For more information about your options, contact us today.

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