El Salvador has become the Latin American country with the quickest customs dispatch times, averaging fewer than four days, according to a new report released Thursday by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The findings place El Salvador ahead of every other nation in the region in export processing speed.

The report, Markets for Development: Improving Lives Through Competition, examines how limited competition and high market concentration hinder economic growth across Latin America and the Caribbean. It highlights customs delays as a key factor that undermines regional competitiveness, noting that the average export clearance time in the region remains around ten days.

The IDB emphasizes that long waits at customs function as a non-tariff trade barrier, increasing costs, disrupting delivery schedules, and weakening competitiveness, especially for time-sensitive products. “While countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Uruguay dispatch exports in less than five days, others, like Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname, face delays exceeding ten days,” the report states.

Brazil ranks last, with nearly 15 days needed to clear goods, while Uruguay and Guatemala follow El Salvador with average times of four and five days, respectively. In Central America, Honduras, Belize, and Panama approach six days, and Costa Rica nears eight.

The IDB underscores that faster clearance is closely tied to administrative efficiency and modernized border procedures. “This isolation weakens competitive pressure, keeps prices higher, and allows firms to maintain elevated markups even in environments where tariffs have been liberalized,” the institution adds.

The report concludes that reducing customs times requires streamlined processes such as single-window systems, risk-based inspections, and accelerated transit agreements—areas in which El Salvador has been strengthening its logistics framework.