Auto Parts & Spares
from the USA to Costa Rica

The problem with buying parts in the United States

Finding the part isn't the problem: the US aftermarket catalog is enormous and prices usually beat local ones by a wide margin. The problem shows up afterwards. Your supplier doesn't ship to Costa Rica, or charges an international rate that eats the savings. And if you bought from three different stores, you end up paying three shipments.

That's where a freight forwarder comes in: you buy like a domestic US customer — with a delivery address inside the country — and we handle the rest.

How it works: pickup anywhere in the USA

• 1. Buy wherever you want. Distributors, dealerships, online stores, wholesalers or salvage yards, in any state.
• 2. We collect, or they deliver to Miami. We arrange pickup at the supplier's address, or send them instructions to ship to the departure point in Miami themselves.
• 3. We consolidate. All your purchases combine into a single shipment, no matter how many suppliers.
• 4. Sailing and clearance. It departs for Costa Rica by your chosen mode and we coordinate the customs process.
• 5. Delivery. The parts arrive at your workshop, warehouse or store.

Ocean or air: when each one fits

• Ocean (LCL or FCL): the economical option for restocking and planned purchases. Transit of 8–12 days from Miami, plus pickup and formalities.
• Air: when the part has a unit sitting idle. Transit is measured in days and the cost only pays off if downtime costs more than freight.
• Courier: for small, one-off items — see international courier.

If your purchases are frequent and palletized, also look at consolidated cargo and pallets from the USA.

Heads up: parts that ship as dangerous goods

This is what holds up the most shipments, and almost nobody knows it in advance. Several common auto parts are regulated as dangerous goods in international transport:

• Airbags and seatbelt pretensioners — they contain pyrotechnic charges.
• Lithium batteries — loose or inside electronic modules.
• Pressurized shock absorbers and gas struts.
• Fluids: brake fluid, oils, coolants, antifreeze.
• Paints, solvents and aerosols.

It doesn't mean they can't ship — it means they ship under a different procedure, with declaration, specific documentation and sometimes an MSDS. What matters is declaring them at quoting time: one undeclared item can hold the entire shipment at the port of departure. We handle this cargo type; see dangerous goods (IMDG/IATA).

What we need to quote

• Description of the parts and their part numbers. The part number is what allows correct customs classification.
• Quantity of pieces or packages.
• Approximate weight.
• Dimensions or box size (a bumper and a set of bearings don't quote the same).
• Pickup address in the USA — or confirmation that the supplier ships to Miami.
• Any items with fluids, batteries or airbags? See the dangerous goods section.
• Incoterm agreed with the supplier.
• Invoice value, for insurance and duties.

* Import requirements and tariff classification depend on the type of part and whether it's new, used or remanufactured. Confirm them with your customs broker before buying — it's a minutes-long check that avoids surprises. What the invoice must contain is in commercial invoice details for customs.