Logistics services in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Goods move in and out of Costa Rica mainly by sea and air, with road links to Nicaragua and Panama. There are 6 seaports, including Golfito, Puerto Caldera, Puerto Limón, Puerto Moin, Puerto Quepos and Puntarenas, and 4 oil terminals. Cargo uses the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, with about 1,290 km of coastline. Scheduled air services operate through 9 airports, led by Juan Santamaría International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. Rail totals about 278 km and connects to some ports such as Puerto Limón and Puerto Moin.

When selecting freight forwarders in Costa Rica, it helps to align services with the main ports of Golfito, Puerto Caldera, Puerto Limón, Puerto Moin, Puerto Quepos and Puntarenas. Container throughput is about 1.7 million TEU per year, with a liner connectivity index near 24, so forwarders experienced with regional feeder services are relevant. The LPI customs and infrastructure scores, both below 3, suggest checking how agents manage port handling and documentation. Strong trade flows with the USA, China, the Netherlands and regional partners make experience on these lanes useful, especially via global lines like Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and others with offices in the country.

Containerized FCL and LCL shipping from and to Costa Rica uses its seaports on both coasts, with total container volume around 1.7 million TEU in 2024. Key ports handling containers include Puerto Limón and Puerto Moin on the Caribbean and Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas on the Pacific. The country’s liner shipping connectivity index is about 24, with several global shipping lines maintaining offices in San Jose, Puerto Limón or Caldera. Lines present include Evergreen, APL, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, ONE, OOCL, PIL, X-Press Feeders and ZIM, giving shippers options for regional and long-haul routes.

Air freight in Costa Rica moves through 9 airports with scheduled service, led by Juan Santamaría International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, plus Golfito, La Fortuna Arenal and Limón International. Recorded international air cargo traffic is about 7.2 million tonne-km in 2023. Air is a practical mode for higher-value or time-sensitive exports such as medical instruments and integrated circuits. It also suits imports like medical instruments and broadcasting equipment when transit time is critical relative to ocean transit via the country’s seaports.

Rail and road freight in Costa Rica connects ports and airports with inland production and consumption areas. The rail network is about 278 km, linking to ports such as Puerto Limón and Puerto Moin. This rail access provides an option for moving containers and bulk cargo between the Caribbean coast and the interior.

Costa Rica shares land borders with Nicaragua over about 313 km and Panama over about 348 km, which supports cross-border trucking in Central America. Road freight complements rail for distributing imports like refined petroleum, plastic products and cars, and for moving export commodities such as bananas and tropical fruits to seaports and airports.

Customs clearance in Costa Rica operates within World Trade Organization rules, as the country is a WTO member. Costa Rica has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 2001-08-29. The average applied tariff is about 1.3 percent in 2022. Its Logistics Performance Index customs score is about 2.8 against a world median of 2.6, indicating slightly better-than-median performance.

Typical document sets include the commercial invoice, packing list and transport document. Export border compliance takes about 3 days and import compliance about 4 days, based on 2016 figures. The overall LPI score of about 2.9, with logistics competence at 2.9 and timeliness at 3.2, suggests relatively reliable customs and border processes compared with many countries at a similar development level.