Is ODBC that slow?

Our Windows-based db server has to integrate with users that work regularily
with Access.When attempting to import user's data from Access MDB files to
PostgreSQL, we try on eof two things: either import using EMS SQL Manager's
Data Import from Access utility, or export from Access to Postgresql via an
odbc-based connectionin both cases, the performance is just awful.
Performance with Tcl's native postgres driver seems rather fine running from
Windows a Windows client, BTW.

ODBC is often blamed for this sort of thing - I have the  8.01.02 release
dated 2006.01.31. Everything appears to be at its default setting.

Is this the reason for the rather depressing performance fromt/to access and
can anything be done about it?

Carlo