New year new expat business to start? Exporting to the USA from Central America can be a realistic option for small businesses and expats, but success depends on preparation, pricing, and understanding trade rules early.
For many expats living in Central America, starting a small business is part of the appeal of life in the region. Lower operating costs, access to local producers, and proximity to North American markets all make exporting to the United States an attractive idea. At the same time, exporting can feel complex if you’ve done it before.
The reality sits somewhere in the middle. Exporting to the US is structured and regulated, but it’s also something small businesses do successfully every day. The key is understanding a few fundamentals early, keeping initial steps manageable, and avoiding unnecessary complexity at the start.
This article outlines practical points expats should consider before launching a small export business from Central America to the United States.
Start With the Market, Not the Idea
One of the most common mistakes new exporters make is committing to a product before confirming there is real demand in the US market. A product that sells well locally does not automatically translate to strong sales abroad.
Before worrying about shipping or paperwork, it helps to look at how similar products are positioned in the United States. Pricing, packaging size, labeling style, and branding expectations are often very different. US buyers may value convenience, consistency, or clear use cases more than novelty alone.
This doesn’t require any formal market studies. Reviewing comparable products, understanding price ranges, and noting how they are presented can quickly highlight whether a category is viable. At this stage, the goal is not perfection, but realism.
Export Ideas That Often Work Well for Expats
While every business is different, certain types of products tend to suit small export operations better than others, especially in the early stages.
Expats often find success with goods that are lightweight, shelf-stable, and easy to ship in small batches. Specialty food products like coffee, cacao-based items, spices, sauces, or packaged snacks are common examples, provided they meet US labeling and safety requirements. Handcrafted or small-batch goods, including textiles, accessories, or home items, can also work when quality and consistency are tightly controlled.
Another common approach is acting as a bridge rather than a manufacturer. Some expats export products made by local producers, cooperatives, or small factories, adding value through branding, quality control, or access to US buyers. This model reduces upfront production investment while still supporting local supply chains.
What matters most is not novelty, but repeatability. Products that can be produced consistently, priced predictably, and replenished reliably are far easier to scale than one-off or highly variable items.
Understand US Tariffs and Trade Policies
Tariffs are taxes that the United States charges on imported goods and they affect the final landed cost of your product. In 2025, the US government introduced a set of broader “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from many countries, including most of Central America. These tariffs are meant to mirror what the US government computes a country charges on US goods, though critics say the formula isn’t always tied directly to actual trade barriers.
For most Central American countries, a baseline tariff of about 10% applies to many imports into the US. Costa Rica’s rate has recently moved higher (about 15%), and Nicaragua’s rate has been around 18%. These tariffs are in addition to routine import duties set under the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
If your product qualifies for preferential treatment under trade agreements like CAFTA-DR and meets rules of origin, you may avoid or greatly reduce these tariffs. That makes origins, manufacturing processes, and documentation crucial early considerations before exporting. Otherwise, tariffs raise your landed cost, affect pricing, and squeeze margins — potentially making a product less competitive in the US market.
Exporting in a Regulated Market
The United States is a rules-based market. Importing goods involves customs procedures, documentation, and product-specific requirements that vary by category.
For some products, the process is straightforward. For others — especially foods, supplements, cosmetics, or agricultural goods — extra rules apply around labeling, safety, and traceability. Understanding these requirements early helps avoid costly delays or fines.
Problems usually arise when businesses produce at scale and only later discover that labels are non-compliant or paperwork is missing. Fixing issues after products are already in transit or at port is far more expensive than preparing ahead.
Shipping and Logistics Matter More Than Most Expect
Shipping costs, delivery times, and reliability directly affect profitability and customer satisfaction. Small exporters are often surprised by how much logistics shapes their business model.
Shipping individual orders directly from Central America can work at very low volumes, but it often leads to long delivery times, higher per-unit costs, and complicated returns. As volumes grow, this approach becomes harder to manage.
More and more brands are discovering a simple approach. They move stock in bulk to a fulfillment network inside the US, then let that network handle individual deliveries to customers. Instead of worrying about customs on every parcel, you deal with it once per shipment. After that, your orders travel domestically and arrive faster. Networks like Kase US warehouses are one example of how this looks in real life and why it has changed the game for smaller exporters.
This is not the only model, but it highlights an important point: thinking about logistics early helps avoid operational bottlenecks later.
Pricing, Cash Flow, and Currency Reality
Export pricing is rarely a simple markup on local prices. Shipping, duties, handling fees, payment processing, and possible tariff costs all feed into the final landed cost. US consumers also have clear pricing expectations within most product categories. Being too cheap can raise quality concerns, while being too expensive limits demand.
Testing pricing with small runs is usually safer than committing to large volumes based on assumptions. Cash flow also deserves attention. Export businesses often incur costs long before revenue arrives, and currency movements can affect margins when costs are local and sales are in US dollars. Clear budgeting and conservative assumptions help reduce surprises.
Start Small and Build From There
For expats considering exporting to the US, starting small is usually the smartest approach. Focus on one product line, one target market, and one or two pilot shipments. This limits risk and creates real-world data you can learn from. Many successful exporters refined their operations over time rather than launching with a fully built system from day one.
Using experienced freight forwarders, customs brokers, or trade agencies at key moments can also help simplify the process without adding unnecessary overhead.
Final Thoughts
Exporting from Central America to the United States is not reserved for large companies. Small, well-prepared businesses do it successfully every day. The difference between success and frustration often comes down to preparation, realistic expectations, and a willingness to test before scaling. By focusing on demand, understanding the policy environment, and keeping early operations manageable, expats can explore export opportunities without taking on unnecessary risk.
