International shipping guide from the United Kingdom

As you might expect from a country with a rich history of trade and commerce, it is not hard to find international shipping companies in UK cities, towns, and ports that will carry your commercial freight to overseas destinations. However, instead of trying to decide between them, you should find it a lot faster, and easier, to let Shipa Freight…

· Find carriers offering affordable rates on the right route; · Supply you with a competitive quote; · Compile all the information necessary to complete and submit customs declarations; · Deal with all the complexities of air or ocean freight shipping.

We’re committed to helping small and medium-sized enterprises simplify the business of international shipping from the UK. However, if you are new to the processes involved, it can still help to understand the basics yourself.

That’s why we have put together this page of helpful information about UK outbound shipping. Most shipping companies in the UK will share this information freely, but only after you approach them with the intention of using their services.

Shipping from UK Ports and Airports: Standards and Requirements

We have provided the details in this section purely as informative measure. As a Shipa Freight customer, you will not have to worry unduly about the obligations described here, as we take care of most border formalities, including the preparation and submission of documents on your behalf.

As in most countries, the standards and requirements for exports are less complex than for shipments coming into the country. As the United Kingdom is currently a member state of the European Union (EU) though, export controls and standards can be a little complicated to understand.

For example, the standards and procedures for shipping from the UK to another EU country are different from those for shipping outside of the European Union.

Countries outside of the EU are known as “third countries.” When goods leave the UK to go directly to these countries, it is known as direct export. However, if you ship goods to another EU country, from which they are then sent outside of the EU, the process is known as indirect export.

Intra-EU Shipping vs. Exports to Third Countries

Documentation requirements differ for each of these export processes. For instance, an Export Accompanying Document (EAD) must accompany shipments leaving the UK for indirect export, whereas this is not required for direct exports.

In fact, while sending goods to other EU countries is as much an act of international shipping from the UK as sending them to say, the United States, your intra-EU goods may not even require an export declaration. When shipping goods directly to a third country though, your freight forwarder in the UK must make an electronic export declaration before the customs service will release them.

Export declarations for international shipping from the UK, where required, must be lodged in advance of certain specified deadlines. The time limits are as follows:

• For deep-sea containerized cargo, declarations must be submitted no later than 24 hours before they are due to be loaded on the vessel.
• For short-sea containerized cargo, declarations must be submitted no later than 2 hours before they are due to leave port.
• For non-containerized cargo, declarations must be submitted no later than 2 hours before the vessel is due to depart.
• For air freight, declarations must be lodged no later than 30 minutes before the aircraft departs.

While it is possible for your company to make the declaration, many shippers prefer to use the services of local freight companies, UK customs brokers, or an online freight forwarder like Shipa Freight for export declarations and preparation of other necessary documentation.

UK Restricted Exports

The British government is not especially restrictive about exports. But as in the majority of countries, does apply specific sets of regulations to certain goods. They may also control their exportation by way of licensing.

Exports that are regulated or controlled include:

• Military products or products that can be used for military purposes
• Agricultural products and processed foods
• Works of art and antiques
• Controlled drugs or their component materials
• Dangerous chemicals

You can find further information about restricted exports and other matters related to UK customs standards, requirements, and procedures on the UK government's website, which has a useful section called “Exporting Goods Outside the EU”.

International Shipping from UK Ocean Freight Terminals

The following information will help you to familiarize yourself with some of the main ocean freight routes for shipping from the United Kingdom. While the information here only covers port-to-port shipping legs, Shipa Freight also offers port-to-door and door-to-door transportation to locations in 100 countries worldwide.

Busiest Trade Lanes for UK Shipping

For many international shipping companies, UK trading relationships with the United States keep the revenue rolling in at a healthy rate. In fact, shipping from the UK to the US is so popular that it has made the ocean routes between the two countries some of the busiest on the globe.

If you’d like to know just which routes are the most popular for international shipping from the UK, the following five would take some beating, given the sheer numbers of cargo vessels traversing them at any one time:

• Southampton to Rotterdam (Netherlands)
• Southampton to Le Havre (France)
• Felixstowe to Baltimore (United States)
• Felixstowe to Savannah (United States)
• Felixstowe to Norfolk (United States)

Which Routes Have the Longest and Shortest Transit Times?

The longest transit times for international shipping from UK ports are encountered by businesses sending freight to Australia and New Zealand. Goods dispatched on the route from London Gateway Port to Adelaide in Australia can be at sea for up to 50 days.

The shortest routes are those connecting Southampton, Felixstowe, and London Gateway with Le Havre in France, Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Container ships can navigate these short hops across the English Channel in as little as one day.

Key Routes for UK Outbound Ocean Freight

To the Americas

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
London Gateway	Brazil	Paranagua	25 Days
London Gateway	Brazil	Itapoa	34 Days
Southampton	Mexico	Altamira	19 Days
Felixstowe	United States	Norfolk	16 Days
Felixstowe	United States	Savannah	18 Days
Felixstowe	United States	Baltimore	14 Days
Felixstowe	United States	New York	11 Days
Felixstowe	United States	Seattle	19 Days
London Gateway	United States	Seattle	23 Days
London Gateway	United States	New York	15 Days
Southampton	United States	New York	15 Days
Southampton	United States	Seattle	23 Days
Southampton	United States	New York	15 Days
Southampton	United States	Savannah	20 Days
Southampton	United States	Charleston	22 Days

To Europe

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Felixstowe	Belgium	Antwerp	4 Days
London Gateway	Belgium	Antwerp	4 Days
Southampton	Belgium	Antwerp	3 Days
Felixstowe	Cyprus	Limassol	16 Days
Felixstowe	Finland	Kotka	4 Days
Southampton	France	Le Havre	1 Day
Felixstowe	France	Le Havre	2 Days
London Gateway	Germany	Hamburg	3 Days
Southampton	Germany	Hamburg	3 Days
Felixstowe	Germany	Hamburg	2 Days
Southampton	Germany	Bremerhaven	3 Days
Felixstowe	Germany	Bremerhaven	2 Days
London Gateway	Germany	Bremerhaven	5 Days
Felixstowe	Netherlands	Rotterdam	2 Days
Southampton	Netherlands	Rotterdam	2 Days
Grangemouth	Netherlands	Rotterdam	3 Days
London Gateway	Netherlands	Rotterdam	3 Days
Southampton	Spain	Valencia	21 Days
London Gateway	Spain	Valencia	21 Days
Felixstowe	Spain	Valencia	28 Days
Felixstowe	Sweden	Gothenburg	2 Days

To Asia and Oceania

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
London Gateway	Australia	Melbourne	44 Days
London Gateway	Australia	Adelaide	50 Days
Felixstowe	China	Xiamen	45 Days
Felixstowe	China	Ningbo	37 Days
Felixstowe	China	Shanghai	34 Days
Felixstowe	China	Qingdao	37 Days
Felixstowe	China	Shenzhen	37 Days
Felixstowe	China	Guangzhou	33 Days
Felixstowe	China	Tianjin	53 Days
Felixstowe	China	Dalian	42 Days
Felixstowe	China	Lianyungang	50 Days
Felixstowe	China	Nanjing	50 Days
London Gateway	China	Dalian	42 Days
London Gateway	China	Qingdao	50 Days
London Gateway	China	Guangzhou	33 Days
London Gateway	China	Ningbo	37 Days
London Gateway	China	Shenzhen	37 Days
London Gateway	China	Shanghai	41 Days
London Gateway	China	Tianjin	50 Days
London Gateway	China	Xiamen	45 Days
London Gateway	China	Lianyungang	50 Days
London Gateway	China	Nanjing	50 Days
Southampton	China	Shanghai	43 Days
Southampton	China	Shenzhen	37 Days
Southampton	China	Ningbo	37 Days
Southampton	China	Guangzhou	33 Days
Southampton	China	Qingdao	47 Days
Southampton	China	Tianjin	50 Days
Southampton	China	Dalian	42 Days
Southampton	China	Xiamen	45 Days
Southampton	China	Lianyungang	50 Days
Southampton	China	Nanjing	50 Days
Southampton	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	40 Days
London Gateway	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	40 Days
Felixstowe	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	33 Days
Felixstowe	India	Mundra	35 Days
London Gateway	Indonesia	Surabaya	42 Days
Southampton	Indonesia	Surabaya	42 Days
Southampton	Indonesia	Jakarta	42 Days
London Gateway	Indonesia	Jakarta	42 Days
Felixstowe	Indonesia	Jakarta	42 Days
Felixstowe	Indonesia	Surabaya	42 Days
London Gateway	Japan	Kobe	41 Days
London Gateway	Japan	Yokohama	45 Days
Felixstowe	Japan	Kobe	41 Days
Felixstowe	Japan	Yokohama	45 Days
Southampton	Japan	Kobe	41 Days
Southampton	Japan	Yokohama	45 Days
Felixstowe	Malaysia	Port Klang	45 Days
Southampton	Malaysia	Port Klang	26 Days
London Gateway	Malaysia	Port Klang	45 Days
Felixstowe	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	38 Days
London Gateway	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	38 Days
Southampton	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	38 Days
London Gateway	New Zealand	Auckland	40 Days
London Gateway	New Zealand	Christchurch	46 Days
London Gateway	Philippines	Manila	41 Days
Felixstowe	Philippines	Manila	41 Days
Southampton	Philippines	Manila	41 Days
London Gateway	Singapore	Singapore	35 Days
Felixstowe	Singapore	Singapore	26 Days
Southampton	Singapore	Singapore	36 Days
Felixstowe	South Korea	Busan	41 Days
London Gateway	South Korea	Busan	48 Days
Southampton	South Korea	Busan	48 Days
Felixstowe	Sri Lanka	Colombo	28 Days
Felixstowe	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	37 Days
London Gateway	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	37 Days
Southampton	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	37 Days
Felixstowe	Thailand	Laem Chabang	45 Days
London Gateway	Thailand	Laem Chabang	45 Days
Southampton	Thailand	Laem Chabang	45 Days
Southampton	Vietnam	Hai Phong	42 Days
London Gateway	Vietnam	Hai Phong	42 Days
Felixstowe	Vietnam	Hai Phong	42 Days
Southampton	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	41 Days
London Gateway	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	41 Days
Felixstowe	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	41 Days

International Shipping from the UK: Air Freight Guide

The following information covers some of the main air freight routes for shipping from the United States. While the information here only covers airport-to-airport shipping legs, Shipa Freight also offers port-to-door and door-to-door transportation to locations in 100 countries.

Which Air Freight Routes Are the Busiest?

For air freight heading out of the United Kingdom, transatlantic routes tend to be some of the busiest, particularly those serving the UK-USA trade lane. In fact, air freight connections to the United States take up three places on our following list of top five outbound routes:

• London Heathrow to New York (United States)
• London Heathrow to Frankfurt (Germany)
• London Heathrow to Paris (France)
• London Heathrow to Los Angeles (United States)
• London Heathrow to Chicago (United States)

Which Are the Longest and Shortest Routes for Air Freight?

When selecting shipping services, UK exporters must often consider transit time. Ocean freight may simply be too slow for certain types of shipments. While air freight is more expensive, it is also the quickest way to move time-sensitive or high-value goods.

Fastest UK Freight Services Fly Within the EU

This is why you might wish to choose air freight even if your shipment is not leaving the EU. With the shortest routes—like the one between London and Frankfurt in Germany—involving a flight lasting under an hour, air freight will have your customers’ orders in their hands long before the fastest trucking service.

Of course, that’s why delivery companies in the UK and their international counterparts rely so heavily on air cargo services to ship parcels around Europe. Even when your shipment comprises pallets rather than individual packages, air freight can often be worth the extra expense.

Longest Air Freight Transit Times from the UK

While it is not so common to use air freight for the longest trade lanes, there may certainly be occasions when your business needs to do so. However, it is important to remember that direct exports to non-EU countries will spend some time waiting for customs clearance.

Even the longest flights, like the route from Heathrow to Perth in Australia (taking around 17 hours) offer a massive advantage in speed compared to ocean shipping. For some businesses, this can be a crucial strategy enabler, especially when importing or exporting high-end luxury goods or perishables.

Air Freight: Cargo Routes from the United Kingdom

In the following lists, you can find some examples of cargo flights originating in the UK. Don’t worry if you can’t see a route below that meets your needs. Shipping companies in the UK and online freight forwarders (such as Shipa Freight) will have many more flights in their databases, and should have no trouble finding a flight for your trade lane of choice.

To America

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Glasgow	United States	New York	7 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Houston	10 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	New York	8 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Denver	10 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Miami	9 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	San Francisco	11 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Boston	7 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Los Angeles	11 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Detroit	8 Hours
London Heathrow	United States	Philadelphia	8 Hours
Manchester	United States	New York	8 Hours
Manchester	United States	San Francisco	9 Hours
Manchester	United States	Philadelphia	8 Hours

To Europe

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
London Heathrow	Austria	Vienna	2 Hours
London Heathrow	France	Paris	1 Hour
Birmingham	Germany	Frankfurt	1 Hour
Manchester	Germany	Frankfurt	1 Hour

To Asia and Oceania

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
London Heathrow	Australia	Perth	17 Hours
London Heathrow	Japan	Tokyo	11 Hours
London Heathrow	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	12 Hours
London Heathrow	China	Shanghai	12 Hours
Manchester	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	11 Hours
Manchester	Singapore	Singapore	14 Hours
London Heathrow	Singapore	Singapore	14 Hours

Online Freight Services for UK Commerce

If you found the information on this page helpful, Shipa Freight has much more to offer. We’re an online freight forwarder, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited to the information you see on our website.

If your shipping needs are complex, just contact us and speak with one of our global logistics experts, who will be able to help you with all the information and arrangements that you need.

Alternatively, if you just want to obtain a freight quote, book, pay, and track your shipment online, our easy-to-use platform is just a click away.