ATENA is Costa Rica’s new customs management system, built by the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda) to replace TICA, the platform used today to file every customs declaration. It goes live in Q1 2027, starting with exports, and will roll out in phases. For your business, that means cleaner data, mandatory digital signatures and a well-prepared…
Quick answer: A bonded warehouse (called almacén fiscal in Costa Rica) stores foreign goods that have not yet cleared customs, under customs control. Duties and taxes are paid only when goods are released into the local market, and goods re-exported from the warehouse pay no Costa Rican import taxes. A general warehouse (called bodega general…
A container can arrive in Costa Rica exactly on schedule and still become an operational problem if the documentation, tariff classification, or permits have not been properly prepared. For an importing company, customs clearance should not begin when the cargo reaches the port or airport. It should begin before shipment. At SICSA, we approach customs…
Understanding customs transit procedures and how they optimize your international logistics operations. When cargo arrives at a port or airport, it doesn’t always clear customs at that same location. Many shipments must be transported to another customs facility, warehouse, or border before completing importation. This is where the customs transit regime becomes essential. Customs transit…
A container can arrive on schedule, clear the ocean crossing, and still create an unexpected cost before it ever leaves the port. So, what is demurrage? It is a charge assessed when an import container remains at a marine terminal beyond the free time allowed by the carrier or terminal. For importers and exporters managing…
A truck can be loaded on time, dispatched on schedule, and still lose a full day at the border. For importers, exporters, and distribution teams, that is where cross border trucking logistics stops being a transportation task and becomes an execution issue. Delays rarely come from one major failure. More often, they come from small…
When a shipment is late by even 24 hours, the problem rarely stays inside the warehouse. Production schedules shift, customer commitments come under pressure, and inventory decisions get more expensive fast. That is why choosing an air cargo shipping company is not just a transportation decision. For many importers and exporters, it is a risk…
A bonded warehouse is a secured storage facility authorized by customs authorities to hold imported goods before duties and taxes are paid. The cargo stays under customs control while stored, which gives importers flexibility in timing, inventory release, and cash flow. Instead of paying duties the moment goods arrive, a business can defer payment until…
A project cargo logistics company plans and controls the movement of freight that cannotship through normal containerized channels — oversized, heavy, high-value, or irregular cargothat needs special equipment, route planning, permits, and customs coordination from origin tofinal delivery. Its job is not just transport; it is making sure every component arrives in the rightsequence, in…
SICSA LLC has obtained the Florida Certificate of Forwarding Agent Address (DR-14 FAA), issued by the Florida Department of Revenue, valid through March 2031. This certificate officially recognizes us as international forwarding agents before the State of Florida, creating direct benefits for your import operations. ──────────────────────────────WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?────────────────────────────── ✅ Florida Sales Tax…
