Most-used mode for high-volume exports such as bananas, coffee and sugar—as well as inbound machinery and consumer goods.
Typical routes & times
Opportunity: Seamless cross-docking at Panama lets you split cargo to both Caribbean and Pacific coasts, shaving up to a week off onward transit to Guatemala, Honduras or Costa Rica.
Need speed? Book air freight via PTY or SJO and reach most Central-American capitals within 24–72 hours door-to-door.
Container shipping rates to Central America
Trade Lane | Main Ports Served |
---|---|
Caribbean Loop | Manzanillo (MIT), Colón CCT, Puerto Limón-Moín, Puerto Cortés |
Pacific Loop | Balboa, Puerto Quetzal, Acajutla, Puerto Caldera |
Feeder Networks | MIT/Balboa ↔ Belize City, Santo Tomás de Castilla, Corinto |
Air Hubs | Tocumen (PTY), Juan Santamaría (SJO), La Aurora (GUA) |
Counterfeit brands, firearms & ammunition, hazardous chemicals without permits, and untreated wooden packaging (ISPM-15).
Use our instant quote tool—rates already bundle ocean freight, fuel and local terminal fees.
For cargo under about 15 m³, weekly LCL consolidation beats FCL.
Not by law, but strongly recommended—add full-value coverage at checkout.
Potentially; during low-water periods liners swap larger ships for feeders and discharge on both canal sides. We reroute automatically to keep ETAs stable.
Yes—our broker network covers Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, so your multi-stop supply chain stays under one roof.