How Efficient International Payments Can Unlock Latin America’s Potential

Latin America is a region with enormous growth potential. Its foreign trade exceeds $3 trillion annually, and every year thousands of companies seek to expand beyond their borders.

However, there’s a reality that rarely makes headlines: billions are lost in business opportunities due to slow, costly, and inaccessible international payments.

The Three Main Barriers

• Slow and Inefficient Payment Processes

In 2025, it’s still common for an international transfer to take days—or even weeks. What should flow in real time often becomes a chain of delays.

• Excessive Financial Costs

Bank commissions and uncompetitive exchange rates reduce profit margins and hurt competitiveness, especially for SMEs that most need efficient international payments.

• The Hidden Impact

While large corporations have access to multiple banks and financial tools, many small and medium businesses are left out, forced to seek informal and unsafe solutions.

The Hidden Impact

These frictions don’t just increase costs. They also mean:

• Contracts canceled because funds didn’t arrive on time.

• Exporters losing international clients.

• Importers unable to meet commitments due to lack of liquidity.

In other words: a region with talent and competitive products loses opportunities simply because money doesn’t flow as it should.

The Opportunity for Transformation with Efficient International Payments

The good news is that every problem opens a window of opportunity. The digitalization of international payments is no longer a luxury—it’s a strategic need for Latin America to remain competitive.

At VANK, we work to transform these frictions into advantages:

• Faster, safer, and more transparent payments.

• Real access for businesses of all sizes.

• A multi-currency model connecting the region with the world.

Latin America Ready to Take the Leap

The future of Latin America’s foreign trade doesn’t only depend on what we produce, but on how money circulates.

Eliminating barriers to international payments won’t just save billions—it will unleash the region’s true potential.

With innovation, resilience, and financial leadership, Latin America can move from structural barriers to becoming a global trade powerhouse with efficient and accessible international payments.