The Latin American air freight market, valued at $1.04 billion USD in 2025, is projected to experience sustained growth, driven by expanding e-commerce, increasing cross-border trade, including inter-Latin American trade. Key growth drivers include the rising demand for more reliable and quick turnaround delivery services, particularly for perishable goods and high-value products.

Global air cargo demand rose by 3.4% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

At the same time, total capacity, measured in available cargo ton-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 3.7% year on year. For international operations, demand rose by 4.2%, while capacity increased by 5.1%.

Latin America Air Freight Industry Concentration & Characteristics

The Latin American air freight industry has been defined by a moderate level of concentration, with a few large global players dominating but now also including several significant regional carriers. While FedEx, UPS, and DHL hold substantial market share, particularly in international freight, regional players like LATAM Cargo, Avianca Cargo (Tampa Air), and Aeromexico maintain strong positions in domestic and regional routes.

Other leading players in the Latin American airfreight industry include IAG Cargo (UK), Copa Airlines (Panama), American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Azul Cargo Express (Brazil) and Emirates Skycargo.

Nicholas Sutherland’s opinions and claims are his own, and not necessarily those of Finance Colombia.

Regional Growth Drivers

• E-commerce explosion – Same-day and next-day service expectations are migrating south, driving express integrators to expand cargo terminals in Latin America and sign block-space agreements with regional carriers.
• Perishables dominance – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile collectively ship more than 1.5 million tons of flowers, fruit, seafood, and pharma each year—commodities that depend on airport infrastructure for freight with reliable 2-8 °C corridors.
• Pharmaceuticals – Colombia, Mexico and Brazil stand out as not only having large national companies, but also some of the largest pharma companies in the world have factories in these countries.

Electronics, jewelry, auto parts, specialized machine parts, and high-value textiles are also driving increased traffic.

Latin America’s Hub Status

For years, Latin America has been spoken of primarily as a supplier, a hub for perishables, electronics, and auto parts feeding the U.S. and Europe. Fast forward to 2025 and something is unmistakably clear: the region is no longer merely sourcing for the world. It is becoming one of the most strategically viable air cargo growth engines, driven by nearshoring, rising consumer markets, and accelerated infrastructure investment.

Leading Locations

Mexico

 Since 2023 the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, also within the Greater Metropolitan Area of Mexico City, has now surpassed the Benito Juarez airport for air cargo with 2025 figures showing 413,224 metric tons in air cargo traffic.

The International Airport of Mexico City, known officially as Benito Juárez International Airport, stands out as the largest airport in the country and is now the second busiest air cargo hub in Mexico and number three in the LATAM region. The figures underline the importance of this hub. In January 2022, the air terminal managed a total of 41,650 tons. In 2023, this number rose to 47,206.8 tons, reflecting an important increase of 5,556.8 tons. It is important to mention that this airport also acts as a center of operations and connections (HUB) for the Mexican airline Aeroméxico, further strengthening its strategic position in the airport and logistics scenario in the region.

The International Airport of Cancun (CUN), located in the Mexican Caribbean, is a major hub in cargo handling in Latin America. With leading-edge facilities and advanced systems for the processing of goods, the airport handles a diversity of products, including consumer goods, textiles, electronic parts and pharmaceutical products. Its strategic location makes it crucial for trade routes between North America, Latin America and Europe and it has undergone constant growth in its volume of cargo.

Colombia

El Dorado International Airport is in Colombia’s capital city, Bogotá, and stands out as the third most important airport in Latin America in terms of freight volume. It registered a 2024 throughput of 809,00 tons, with flowers, perishables and pharma being the main categories.

Colombia has consolidated its position as a world leader in the export of a wide range of products, including products derived from agriculture, foodstuffs and chemical products. The airport has also been consolidated as the center of strategic operations (HUB) for international airline, Avianca.

Two 3,800 m runways at 8,360 ft elevation make BOG a purpose-built wide-body freighter hub. Cargo airlines position here to bridge east-west schedules across the Caribbean, giving forwarders same-night connections into MIA, AMS, and DOH.

Panama

Tocumen International Airport (PTY), Panamá City handled 216,653 tons in 2024 (a 4% increase over 2023). PTY sits astride the Colón Free Zone and the Panamá Canal rail link; a third runway is budgeted for development in 2027 to future-proof capacity.

A new development project called “Tocumen Cargo City”, with an area of 124 hectares, which includes the concession for the development of the cargo terminal and logistics zone, was announced in 2024. This project will take advantage of Tocumen’s competitive advantages as the region’s main air hub that connects daily more than 80 commercial destinations, and more than 50 air cargo destinations integrating a multimodal axis with the country’s maritime and land transport operations,

 Peru

Jorge Chávez International Airport is in the region of Callao, outside of the metropolitan area of Lima (Peru). It stands out as the center of operations and connections for LATAM Airlines.

In 2023 the airport handled 230,993 tons of air freight. The largest quantities of air export products were fresh asparagus, blueberries, salmon and other seafood. In 2024, the airport also added another runway and a new passenger terminal with an adjoining logistics park.

Brazil

São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) had a throughput of 235,600 tons in 2024. Air-sea multimodality is boosted by a 90-minute drive to the Port of Santos. Automotive, machinery, pharma cold-chain (largest airport cool-store in Brazil) are the highest categories of products.

Campinas Viracopos (VCP) airport, in Sao Paulo state (not the city) handles roughly one-third of Brazil’s imported air freight and was voted 2024 Cargo Airport of the Year by routesonline.com . It boasts a 90,000 m² cargo terminal with 11 dedicated cold rooms and a live-animal zone.

 Looking Forward

Governments are aware that there is now fierce rivalry to attract air cargo logistics operations and several have identified the sector as a key segment which would improve the competitiveness of their economies and stimulate economic growth and create skilled employment opportunities. Integration of air cargo, ports, incentives and free zones have become a cornerstone for attracting logistics and manufacturing companies.

Cargo airports in Latin America are writing the next chapter in hemispheric logistics. For independent freight forwarders, and other investors, these hubs are not just transit points, they are strategic pivot points to shorten lead times, diversify modal risk, and command premium margins in niche verticals. Airports are emerging as focal points in this new logistics landscape. Policy support, geography, and international partnerships are essential to attracting international operators and service providers.

Several countries have made successful initiatives to increase investment in the multimodal logistics space including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador (with a focus on increasing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul operations) Ecuador and La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala becoming a major hub, with LAATS, a Guatemalan logistics and freight company, managing all regular cargo flights there.

Attracting Investment in the Caribbean

For countries in the Caribbean to consider becoming air cargo logistics locations, they require international operators to view them as viable long-term locations, therefore several factors need to be considered.

Cold-Chain certification is a cornerstone for diversified airfreight operations. Pharma shippers demand IATA CEIV or WHO GDP accreditation. GRU, VCP, and LIM all hold multiple certifications, allowing forwarders to move temperature-controlled cargo without auxiliary containers significant cost saving.

Customs & Free-Zone Synergy have been the defining characteristics of a country’s success. Many airports interface directly with bonded zones or inland ports. Panama’s Tocumen International Airport’s on-airport logistics park and Panama Pacifico free zone cut transfer times by 24 hours compared with off-site warehousing.

Customs Harmonization and Focused Incentives

Caribbean countries must consider integration of the electronic DUCA-F, a fundamental document for the export of products originating in a Central American country to other countries in the region, within the framework of current trade agreements. It integrates and connects the customs systems of the six countries that make up the Central American region. This interconnection significantly improves customs controls, allowing for the automatic validation of declared data and real-time verification of approvals issued by the single windows and customs authorities of each country.

Airports may waive or discount landing fees for 1–2 years to attract new carriers or new routes. Sao Paulo’s Viracopos International Airport in Brazil runs an incentive program for cargo carriers as it looks to strengthen international hub’s cargo activities. The program aims to develop Viracopos as an international cargo hub, and the gateway’s operator – Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos – wants to increase the number of international flight routes and cargo frequencies. Some of these incentives include 100% exemption of landing fees for operations at the airport’s cargo terminal for the first 24 months of a carrier’s cargo operation.

Like landing fees, building rents can be discounted for air cargo carriers. For example, St. Louis International Airport offers 18 months of waived terminal building rents and landing fees for new transoceanic service and related logistics. Income tax exemptions for the first four (4) years of operation and reduced tax rates (sub 10%) for air cargo-related logistics operations are other ways to compete with nearshore rival locations. Income tax exemptions on rental for developers are essential for infrastructure development. These exemptions can be for twenty years, combined with a reduced tax rate for the following years.

Several Caribbean countries have declared intentions to compete for investment in air logistics, however very few (except for the Dominican Republic) have made it a priority with an accompanying tactical and focused execution plan. Caribbean countries who wish to position themselves as an air cargo hub need to have feasibility studies done by internationally recognized logistics companies along with a well-defined plan for what reasonable short-term and long-term success looks like. It’s also essential to have a realistic outlook of what each country can offer, rival strengths and incentives and a clear understanding of any deficiencies which may pose headwinds to their stated goals.

Investment capital was primarily concentrated in the technology, creative industries, infrastructure, and commerce sectors. Major sources of this investment included the United States, Colombia, Brazil, and France. To promote further capital attraction, ACI Medellín hosted two investment rounds: one focused on traditional sectors such as agribusiness, energy, health, infrastructure, and technology; and a second round concentrated on the audiovisual sector, executed in partnership with the Film Commission of the Medellín City Hall. These efforts were supported by collaborations with the Mesa de Inversión de Antioquia and the Medellín Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia.

Several companies announced new investments or reinvestments in the city, including Renault Sofasa, TaskUs (NASDAQ: TASK), iQor, Accenture (NYSE: ACN), Poma, Rivana Business Park, Softserve, and DHL (XETRA: DPW).

Medellín went from $3 million USD in international cooperation in 2024 to a projected $8 million USD  with projects in the process of closure before the end of the year.

Cooperation Funding and Global Network Engagement

The city also reported a projected increase in international cooperation funds, with management expecting to close 2025 with nearly $8 million USD in projects, up from $3 million USD managed in 2024. This growth was partially driven by alliances with philanthropic organizations.

ACI Medellín collaborated with several key foundations to support social and environmental initiatives outlined in the city’s Development Plan. Noteworthy projects include a partnership with The Carter Center, which provided $50,000 USD and technical assistance to the Secretary of Women’s “Informando a las Mujeres, Transformando Vidas” project, aimed at strengthening gender-focused communication strategies for women caregivers. Other philanthropic entities involved in supporting various projects include Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Hilton Foundation, and Sparkassen Stiftung from Germany.

Medellín maintained its engagement in global city networks to advance sustainable development objectives. From 2024 to 2025, the city participated actively in platforms such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Mercociudades, CIDEU, and Metropolis. This participation led to the receipt of cooperation grants, training scholarships for municipal staff, and technical assistance for specific projects, such as Primavera Norte, which received support through the C40 and GIZ networks. As a member of the C40 Steering Committee, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez participated in global network activities, during which projects like the Corredores Verdes program, which the city credits with contributing to a 2 °C reduction in urban temperature, were presented.

Medellín Mayor Federico Gutierrez (photo courtesy of the mayor’s office)

Recognition and Diaspora Strategy

In recognition of its social policies, the city’s School Feeding Program (Comedores Escolares) received the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact award in the Social and Economic Equity category. Medellín was one of six cities selected from 173 applicants globally, and the award included a financial contribution of €20,000 EUR. The award recognized the program’s integrated strategy, which focuses on providing nutritional food for children, strengthening food security, and supporting purchases from local producers.

Additionally, the Sos Paisa Network was relaunched in 2025. The initiative focuses on connecting the Antioquian diaspora with opportunities in Medellín, specifically aligning their knowledge with local Science, Technology, and Innovation (CTI) projects. This renewal effort aims to leverage the global scientific and academic diaspora for local development.

According to Cristina Zambrano, Executive Director of ACI Medellín, the figures confirm a growing international engagement. The executive noted that from 2008 through 2025, the agency has managed $4.084 billion USD in foreign direct investment, generating an estimated 44,000 jobs in the Aburrá Valley, in addition to $134 million USD in international cooperation.

I am a professional photographer and use Japanese cameras and lenses. Colombia does not make any such equipment, and sellers and resellers here have outrageous prices. I therefore have no other option but to import my camera gear. 

My Experience: A $500 USD Lens Becomes a $750 USD Purchase 

Last month, I bought a camera lens online for $500 USD and paid $53 USD for DHL shipping. Colombia’s law clearly states that any item worth less than $200 USD is exempt from customs duties. This makes sense – it helps small importers and regular people who buy personal items online for their personal use. 

But here’s where the system becomes unfair. Instead of applying duties only to the amount above $200 USD, DIAN charges customs fees on the full $553 CIF value (item plus shipping costs). This is how my customs fees were calculated: 

• Gravamen Arancelario: 10% on $553 USD = $219.000 COP

• IVA (VAT): 19% = $457.000 COP

• Manejo de Envío: $123.359 COP

• IVA Sobre Manejo + Cargo: 19% on $123.359 COP = $23.438 COP

Additional fees and calculations bring the total to exactly what I paid. Total customs charges: $822.797 COP (about $200 USD)

This means I paid an additional 40% of the item’s value in Colombian customs charges and taxes, turning my $500 USD lens into a $750+ USD purchase when you include shipping and customs fees. 

Questions in my mind 

• Should there be an IVA levied on the basic duty? Note: I am not buying my lens from Colombian Customs. 

• What is the handling fee for? Is that not covered in the basic customs charges? 

• Is the DIAN system a penalty for importers? That does not make sense: Colombia does not make the item, and it has to be imported. 

The Core Problem: Ignoring the $200 USD Exemption 

The law says items under $200 USD are exempt from duties. Logic tells us that for items over $200 USD, only the excess amount should be taxed. If someone imports a $199 USD item, they pay zero duties. But if I import a $201 USD item, I suddenly owe duties on the full $201 USD, not just the $1 USD over the limit. 

This creates a massive jump in costs for items just over the threshold. It’s like having an income tax system where earning $1 USD more pushes you into a bracket that taxes your entire income at a higher rate, not just the excess. 

How Other Countries Handle This Fairly 

Most countries with de minimis thresholds apply them correctly. In the United States, items are exempt from duties up to $800 USD, and duties apply only to amounts above that threshold.  

For example, using my case, if someone imported a $553 USD item to a country with a $200 exemption (like ours should work), they would calculate duties on $353 USD, not the full $553 USD. This makes the exemption meaningful and creates fair treatment across different purchase values. 

The Impact on Colombian Consumers 

This current system hurts regular Colombians in several ways: 

• Economic burden: People buying essential items like medical equipment, educational materials, or work tools (including IT equipment which are not made in Colombia), face unexpected costs that can double their purchase prices. 
• Unfair treatment: The current system means the $200 USD exemption is essentially worthless for most imports, as courier shipping typically costs $30-60 USD, pushing most items over the threshold. 

Photographic equipment that cannot be repaired in Colombia, and has to be sent to the USA for repair. The cost of parts, service, and courier will push the total cost above $200 USD. 

Reduced competitiveness: Local businesses that need to import supplies or equipment face higher costs, making them less competitive compared to companies in countries with fairer customs systems. 

Discourages small business: Entrepreneurs who want to import small quantities of products for resale face prohibitive customs costs that make their business models unworkable. 

A Simple Solution 

DIAN should change its calculation method to apply customs duties only to the amount above $200 USD. Using my example again: 

• Item value: $500 USD

• Shipping: $53 USD

• Total CIF: $553 USD

• Taxable amount: $553 USD – $200 USD = $353 USD

• Customs duties would then apply only to the $353 USD

This would reduce my customs fees from $200 USD to about $110 USD, making the exemption meaningful and fair.

Time for Reform 

If the shipments are equal to or less than $200 USD, they are exempt from customs duties – this is what the law says. But DIAN’s interpretation makes this exemption almost meaningless for most imports. 

Other countries manage to implement fair de minimis systems without losing significant revenue. Colombia can do the same. The current system doesn’t just hurt individual consumers – it reduces our economic competitiveness and discourages the kind of small-scale importing that helps diversify our economy. 

I call on DIAN to review their calculation methods and implement a fair system that honors the spirit of the $200 USD exemption. Colombian consumers deserve customs policies that support economic activity, not systems that create artificial barriers to fair trade. 

The law already exists. We just need DIAN to apply it fairly. 

Photo credit: Mano Chandra Dhas.

As a courtesy to readers, this message has been reprinted in its entirety as issued by the US Embassy in Bogotá.

Event: Passport Acceptance Days in Medellin 

Date:  March 16 and 17 2023 

Location: Medellin, Antioquia (Exact address to be sent upon approved appointment request.)

Hours: You MUST schedule an appointment. Please book an appointment for each passport service required(one per person) on the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F45AAAC29A7F94-medellin4.

IMPORTANT: Only a CASHIER’S CHECK (cheque de gerencia) in Colombian pesos will be accepted as payment.  The exact fees to pay according to the service requested will be published near the date of the event. If the requirements are not met, the application will not be accepted. 

Courier Service:  In order to deliver the new passport, it is mandatory to purchase DHL delivery service at their San Fernando Plaza office. For more information regarding DHL services,please send an email to luisa.manrique@dhl.com.

PREPARE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT:  Please review carefully the information related to the specific requirements and forms on the website https://co.usembassy.gov/passports/.  You will need to bring filled and printed DS-11 forms with barcodes and the supporting documents listed on the website. To fill the form online, please follow this link https://pptform.state.gov/. If you have any questions related to our Medellin visit, you may contact the American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia via e-mail at ACSbogota@state.gov.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program!  A free and fast service provided by the US Government that lets US citizens abroad provide useful contact information to the US Embassy in case of an emergency.  Enrolled US citizens who provide a valid e-mail address also receive regular travel updates, messages, and alerts.  To sign up or edit your information please visit the following website: https://step.state.gov/step/.

The CX summit is the most important event in the Andes region dedicated to the business process outsourcing sector, including the contact center and customer experience industry. Led by Ana Karina Quessep, BPro has always placed a lot of care in the speakers it invites to present, and the judges that adjudicate the organization’s excellence awards. This year is no different.

Confirmed speakers include:

‘The BPRO event will encapsulate the strength of Colombia’s outsourcing sector, I cannot wait to take part.’ – Peter Ryan, Ryan Strategic Advisory

• Cathy Hackl – Futurist
• Dan Gingiss – Customer & digital experience expert
• Jorge Rosas – Former director of diversity, inclusion & wellbeing for Disney – ESPN
• Álvaro González Alorda – Partner of Emergap
• Brigitte Seumenicht – Customer experience, marketing & innovation coach
• Nabil Malouli – Vice President of e-commerce for DHL
• Peter Ryan – CX expert & principal of Ryan Strategic Advisory
• William Shaw – Cofounder of Viva Colombia, current founder & CEO of Ultra Air
• Moisés Furman – Founder of Frequency Brain
• Juan Manuel González – Research director for Frost & Sullivan
• Emilia Restrepo – Rector of CESA and digital transformation expert
• Jorge Iván Otálvaro – Bancolombia’s vice president of customer service
• Victor Muñoz = Director General of the Administrative Department of Colombia
• Sergio Gómez – ETB’s vice president of customer experience

“I can’t wait to return to Colombia, which remains one of the nearshore’s richest CX delivery markets.  The combination of foreign investment, local BPO entrepreneurs and an unparalleled industry association make it among the most dynamic offshore markets in the world,” said Peter Ryan of Ryan Strategic Advisory, when discussing the upcoming event with Finance Colombia.

The move to sunny Cartagena is a departure from colder and cloudier Bogotá, where the event has been held in the past. With a more ambitious agenda, the CX Summit hosts an all-white party Wednesday night, the CX awards dinner on Thursday, and a closing concert featuring Mauro Castillo and Carolina Gaitán…You may better recognize them as Felix and Pepa Madrigal from Disney’s hit Encanto. Of course it would be reasonable to expect them to perform their Billboard #1 hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

Register and Request an Absentee Ballot

Find the website for your local election official at FVAP.gov, and see whether your local jurisdiction has runoff elections. Georgia and Louisiana have runoff elections for federal offices, and other states and jurisdictions may have runoff elections for local seats.

Finance Colombia redistributes this message from the US State Department as a service to its readers

If you are a voter in a jurisdiction with an upcoming election, check your local calendar carefully for deadlines for voter registration, ballot request, and ballot receipt. If you have already voted absentee in 2020, you generally do not need to reregister as an absentee voter, but you will need to request an absentee ballot and to submit a voted ballot for the runoff election.

Return your Voting Materials

If your state allows for electronic submission of voting materials (your voter registration, ballot request, or voted ballot), we strongly recommend that you take advantage of those electronic options.

If you must send physical voting materials, consider using a commercial express courier such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Alternatively, you can use the U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic mail (DPO) system. Consult our prior message here for further instructions on mailing physical voting materials through the DPO. Note that the DPO can take up to four weeks for your voting materials to reach your election official. We do not recommend using local mail to return your voting materials to the United States.

Remember that the U.S. Embassy in Bogota is not a polling location. You will not be able to vote in person at the U.S. Embassy on the date of your state’s runoff elections.

For further information, consult the Federal Voter Assistance Program at FVAP.gov or email us at VoteBogota@state.gov.

Remember, your vote counts!

Further Assistance: 

• U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia
  Tel. +57-1-275-2000
  acsbogota@state.gov
  https://co.usembassy.gov/
• U.S. Consular Agency, Barranquilla
  conagencybarranquilla@state.gov
• U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs
  1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444
• Colombia Country Information
• Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes, Flickr

The 10 new centers include 5 in Bogotá, 2 in Medellín, and 1 each in Cartagena, Barranquilla and Cali, bringing the total retail service center count to 48 in the country, plus another 247 allied partners, locations operated by other entities where customers can obtain DHL services.

Allan Cornejo is general manager of DHL Express in Colombia.

“It is a €440,000 Euro investment, adding 13 new positions to our staff of about 600 employees, and it occurs at a time when the country has started its economic recovery phase after the preventive isolation and closure measures caused by the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19. We estimate that the volume of international shipments in the coming months will increase as companies replenish their inventories and businesses open their doors,” said Allan Cornejo, general manager of DHL Express in Colombia.

At DHL points of sale, Express Easy export services can be accessed to send documents and packages to different parts of the world; and eComm Cash that supports SMEs that make online sales and look for economic options to deliver their products to their international buyers. The company also offers import options for documents and packages that allow medium and small companies to bring supplies or raw materials to the country to produce their goods

DHL has a shipment gateway at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport, a Level 1 customs agency and currently 2 international daily flights in and out of Colombia.

Faced with the growing demand for online purchases, which has been intensified by the pandemic, users also have the Easy Buy option, which is managed with a post office box in Miami and facilitates the transport to Colombia of purchases made in stores in the United States. United by internet.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, 40% of DHL’s employees in Colombia are working from home, while front line employees such as package handlers continue to work on-site or in the field.

“In line with DHL security protocols and National Government regulations, the entire DHl Express operation strictly follows the biosanitary protocols necessary to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19. The security of our collaborators and business partners is one of our main priorities,” stated Cornejo.

Panels were installed at the points of sale that provide security to advisers and customers; marks were placed on the floor that indicate the distance each person must keep; antibacterial gel dispensers were placed; a daily disinfection program for the premises was established; and the collaborators were provided with personal protective equipment (mask, face mask and gloves) and safety information.