Ocean & Air Freight Shipping to Brazil

Brazil’s top imports include agricultural and industrial machinery, electronics, and vehicles. In fact, manufactured goods account for 85% of the nation’s imports. Your business could already be importing goods into the fifth-largest country in the world. Or you could be seeking to ship commodities to Brazil for the first time.

Either way, this page is for you. It includes information and guidance about ocean and air shipping to Brazil, customs clearance, and Brazilian airports and seaports.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight to Brazil?

When shipping commercial goods to Brazil you have plenty of airports and seaports to choose from. However, before you decide whether to use ocean or air freight services to transport your goods, it makes sense to consider the plus points and downsides of the different options. We’ll outline some of these pros and cons on this page.

Ocean Freight to Brazil

Less than Container Load (LCL): There’s no need to ship a whole container if you don’t have enough goods to fill it. With LCL shipping, your consignment can share a container with other goods and you’ll only pay for the space you use. It’s ideal for smaller loads that can’t be shipped as air freight.

Full Container Load (FCL): Shippers with large loads or who don’t want their cargo sharing a container can choose FCL. It gives you exclusive use of a container. You can partially or wholly fill the container with your freight. FCL is often quicker than LCL shipping, and typically more economical for large consignments.

Air Freight to Brazil

For sheer speed of delivery, nothing beats air freight. While ocean shipping durations are measured in weeks, air freight completes in a matter of days. It is, however, by far the most expensive way to ship freight to Brazil.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo to Brazil?

The price of all shipments to Brazil will depend on the following factors:

• The nature of the goods being shipped
• The preferred mode of shipping
• The size, weight, and volume of the freight
• The distance the goods need to be transported
• The choice of a door-to-port, port-to-door, port-to-port, or door-to-door delivery

Weight not only affects the shipping rates you’ll pay for your consignment—it can also affect your choice of air or ocean shipping. That’s because goods weighing above 100 kg are usually more cost-effectively shipped as ocean freight.

There’s seldom much difference, though, between air and ocean shipping quotes for goods weighing under 100 kg. As for consignments weighing 35 kg or less, international couriers should be used, as freight forwarders do not handle such light loads.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo to Brazil?

Two key factors will affect the timing of your shipment—the distance from your port of origin to Brazil and your chosen mode of shipping. Air freight is by far the fastest way to ship commodities to Brazil. Aircraft travel at an average speed of 900 kilometers an hour, whereas ocean cargo carriers move at a more leisurely 35 kilometers an hour.

All forms of shipping are subject to processes, procedures, and checks before and after transit. This adds extra time to shipments. So even if flight times to Brazil are only a matter of hours, shipments from most international airports to South America can take between one and 13 days to complete. For ocean shipping, it’s more realistic to expect shipments to take between 12 days (from Europe) and 60 days (from Asia).

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea to Brazil?

Below is a huge selection of typical shipment times to ports in Brazil from various ocean freight hubs around the world:

Country of Origin	Port of Origin	Destination Port	Transit Time LCL	Transit Time FCL
China	Changsha	Santos	36 Days
China	Guangzhou	Santos	39 Days
China	Dalian	Santos	48 Days	36 Days
China	Huangpu	Rio de Janeiro	30 Days
China	Ningbo	Itajai	46 Days
China	Ningbo	Salvador	36 Days
China	Ningbo	Santos	37 Days	36 Days
China	Ningbo	Itapoa	36 Days
China	Ningbo	Paranagua	34 Days
China	Qingdao	Santos	42 Days	39 Days
China	Shanghai	Navegantes	36 Days
China	Shanghai	Parangua	36 Days	36 Days
China	Shanghai	Salvador	36 Days
China	Shanghai	Santos	36 Days	36 Days
China	Shantou	Paranagua	40 Days
China	Shenzhen	Paranagua	36 Days
China	Shenzhen	Santos	35 Days
China	Xiamen	Santos	42 Days	36 Days
China	Xiamen	Vitoria	36 Days
China	Zhongshan	Santos	32 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Rio de Janeiro	26 Days	20 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Santos	24 Days	20 Days
India	Kolkata	Santos	42 Days
India	Cochin	Itaguai	56 Days
India	Chennai	Rio de Janeiro	34 Days	34 Days
India	Chennai	Santos	55 Days	55 Days
India	Mundra	Santos	33 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Itapoa	37 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Manaus	59 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Navegantes	34 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Rio de Janeiro	29 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Rio Grande	45 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Santos	40 Days	33 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Suape	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Itajai	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Itapoa	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Navegantes	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Paranagua	52 Days	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Rio de Janeiro	38 Days	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Rio Grande	56 Days	56 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Santos	38 Days	56 Days
Indonesia	Semarang	Itajai	51 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Itajai	56 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Santos	56 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Itapoa	56 Days
Italy	Genoa	Rio de Janeiro	15 Days
Italy	Genoa	Santos	17 Days
Italy	Genoa	Rio Grande	28 Days
Italy	La Spezia	Santos	36 Days
Italy	Venice	Santos	38 Days
Mexico	Altamira	Santos	24 Days
Mexico	Altamira	Vitoria	32 Days
Spain	Barcelona	Rio de Janeiro	12 Days	26 Days
Spain	Algeciras	Itapoa	28 Days
Spain	Algeciras	Rio Grande	24 Days
Spain	Barcelona	Santos	23 Days	26 Days
Spain	Bilbao	Santos	24 Days	22 Days
Spain	Valencia	Itajai	31 Days	23 Days
Spain	Valencia	Rio de Janeiro	36 Days	14 Days
Spain	Valencia	Santos	26 Days	21 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Santos	21 Days
Thailand	Laem Chabang	Santos	27 Days
UAE	Jebel Ali	Rio Grande	48 Days
UAE	Jebel Ali	Santos	60 Days	35 Days
USA	Chicago	Santos	36 Days
USA	Los Angeles	Santos	29 Days
USA	Miami	Paranagua	28 Days
USA	Miami	Rio de Janeiro	29 Days
USA	Miami	Santos	33 Days
USA	New York	Rio de Janeiro	40 Days
USA	New York	Santos	24 Days
USA	San Francisco	Rio de Janeiro	42 Days
USA	San Francisco	Santos	33 Days
Vietnam	Haiphong	Itapoa	51 Days

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air to Brazil?

Here is a selection of typical air shipping times to Brazil from various international airports:

Country of Origin	Airport of Origin	Destination Airport	Transit Time
China	Guangzhou	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
China	Guangzhou	São Paulo Guarulhos	9 Days
China	Guangzhou	Sao Paulo Viracopos	8 Days
China	Zhengzhou	São Paulo Guarulhos	12 Days
China	Beijing	São Paulo Guarulhos	11 Days
China	Shanghai	Rio de Janeiro	11 Days
China	Shanghai	Salvador	5 Days
China	Shanghai	São Paulo Guarulhos	7 Days
China	Shanghai	Viracopos	9 Days
China	Shenzhen	Belo Horizonte	8 Days
China	Shenzhen	Curitiba	9 Days
China	Shenzhen	São Paulo Guarulhos	10 Days
Germany	Dusseldorf	São Paulo Guarulhos	8 Days
Germany	Frankfurt	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
Germany	Frankfurt	São Paulo Guarulhos	7 Days
Germany	Frankfurt	Viracopos	4 Days
Germany	Hamburg	São Paulo Guarulhos	7 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
Germany	Leipzig	Rio de Janeiro	4 Days
India	Bangalore	São Paulo Guarulhos	8 Days
India	Mumbai	Curitiba	6 Days
India	Mumbai	Salvador	7 Days
India	Mumbai	São Paulo Guarulhos	6 Days
India	Cochin	São Paulo Guarulhos	8 Days
India	Delhi	São Paulo Guarulhos	4 Days
India	Hyderabad	São Paulo Guarulhos	7 Days
India	Chennai	Rio de Janeiro	7 Days
India	Chennai	Salvador	7 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
Italy	Milan	Recife	8 Days
Italy	Milan	Viracopos	4 Days
Spain	Barcelona	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
Spain	Barcelona	São Paulo	8 days
Spain	Madrid	São Paulo	7 Days
Spain	Valencia	Rio de Janeiro	8 Days
Thailand	Bangkok	Viracopos	8 Days
Thailand	Bangkok	Paranagua	7 Days
Thailand	Bangkok	Santos	7 Days
Thailand	Bangkok	São Paulo	7 Days
UAE	Dubai	São Paulo Guarulhos	4 Days
UAE	Dubai	Sao Paulo Viracopos	7 Days
USA	Boston	Sao Paulo Viracopos	5 Days
USA	Dallas Fort Worth	Curitiba	7 Days
USA	Dallas Fort Worth	Sao Paulo Viracopos	3 Days
USA	Houston	São Paulo Guarulhos	8 Days
USA	New York	Curitiba	7 Days
USA	New York	Rio de Janeiro	4 Days
USA	New York	São Paulo Guarulhos	7 Days
USA	New York	Sao Paulo Viracopos	5 Days
USA	Los Angeles	Rio de Janeiro	5 Days
USA	Los Angeles	São Paulo Guarulhos	5 Days
USA	Miami	Porto Alegre	7 Days
USA	Miami	Rio de Janeiro	5 Days
USA	Miami	Salvador	5 Days
USA	Miami	São Paulo Guarulhos	5 Days
USA	Miami	Sao Paulo Viracopos	5 Days
USA	Chicago	São Paulo Guarulhos	6 Days
USA	San Francisco	Salvador	7 Days
USA	San Francisco	São Paulo Guarulhos	6 Days

Import Customs Clearance in Brazil

Brazil, like many countries, has complex customs clearance rules and regulations. Many shippers decide to employ the services of a freight forwarder to handle the process. It’s a good way to prevent unnecessary delays to shipments and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

Forwarders still need shippers to submit certain documentation with their consignments. Below, we’ve listed those documents Brazilian customs officials—and those based at your port of origin—will almost certainly want to see:

1. A Commercial Invoice

2. A Packing List

3. A Certificate of Origin

4. A Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)

5. A Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

For a closer look at those documents, please head over to the documents list page we’ve compiled. You may need to supply additional documents with your consignment, perhaps a permit, license, or certificate. Much depends on the nature of the goods you are shipping.

Ship Ocean Freight to Brazil: FCL or LCL?

Brazil’s vast eastern coastline faces the Atlantic Ocean and is dotted with seaports for you to choose as your port of arrival.

Wherever your port of origin is, your consignment to Brazil is likely to be shipped aboard a cargo vessel inside a 20ft or 40 ft shipping container. 20ft containers have a 33 CBM capacity and measure 5.9 meters long, by 2.35 meters wide and 2.39 meters high. 40ft containers are the same width and height, but are 12.03 meters long and have a 67 CBM capacity.

You can hire either a 20ft or 40ft container exclusively for your goods (FCL shipping) or choose to ship your freight in a shared container (LCL shipping).

To help you decide, we’ve included more information about both forms of ocean shipping below:

Less Than Container Load (LCL) Shipping to Brazil

International shippers tend to favor this option when the consignment they want to ship is:

• Relatively small
• Not urgently required in Brazil
• Able to be shipped in a shared container
• Not suitable for shipping as air freight

There are a couple of drawbacks to LCL shipping. For example:

• You cannot choose the type of goods with which your freight will share a container.
• Time-consuming logistics necessities called consolidation and deconsolidation are required, both of which can cause LCL shipping to take longer than FCL ,which requires no such procedures.

As a result, it could be best to avoid LCL shipping to Brazil if:

• You cannot afford delays to your shipment
• Your goods could be damaged by frequent moving and handling
• Your cargo is fragile, perishable, or high-value
• Your shipment is large, heavy, and/or awkwardly-shaped

Learn more about Less than Container Load on our dedicated page on LCL shipping.

Full Container Load (FCL) Shipping to Brazil

If LCL shipping doesn’t suit your needs, it’s likely FCL will, especially if:

• Your goods must be with your consignee in Brazil by a certain date.
• Your consignment fills at least half the load-space of a 20ft container.
• Your freight is delicate or heavy.
• You don’t want your goods sharing a container with other freight.
• You want to seal your container at the point of origin, and have it remain sealed throughout the shipping process.

Learn more about Full Container Load on our dedicated page on FCL shipping.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Brazil

Navegantes

Port Facts:

• Privately-owned port covering an area of 400,000 square meters
• Includes automated cold storage for 16,000 pallets
• Quay stretches for 900 meters
• Excellent road and rail links to inland Brazil via the BR-101 and BR-470 highways

Owned By: Portonave S/A.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRVIX.

Paranagua

Port Facts:

• Located in Southeastern Brazil in the State of Parana
• Brazil’s third-largest port for containerized goods
• Situated on Paranagua Bay at the base of the Serra do Mar, just 29 kilometers from the Atlantic

Owned By: Administração dos Portos de Paranaguá e Antonina.

Annual Container Volume: >752,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRPNG.

Suape

Port Facts:

• Situated in Ipojuca
• Located within 800 km of seven of Northeastern Brazil’s state capitals
• Linked to more than 160 ports around the world
• Handles the largest volume of containerized goods in Northern Brazil
• Processes over five million tonnes of freight annually

Owned By: Governor Eraldo Gueiros Industrial Port Complex.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSUA.

Manaus

Port Facts:

• Situated on the Rio Negro in Manaus, 1,450 km inland
• The port is the key cargo hub for the Amazon region
• Many mobile phone companies have manufacturing hubs near the port

Owned By: Federal Government of Brazil.

Annual Container Volume: >350,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRMAO.

Salvador

Port Facts:

• Ranked as Brazil’s seventh-biggest seaport
• Effective road, rail, and air connections to locations inland
• Situated in All Saints Bay at the peninsula separating the Atlantic Ocean from Todos os Santos Bay

Owned By: Companhia das Docas do Estado da Bahia.

Annual Container Volume: >301,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSSA.

Vitoria

Port Facts:

• Main port serving the Eastern Brazilian state of Espirito Santo
• Located just over 400 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro
• Offers easy access to a population of over 1.6 million in Gloria, Bento Ferreira and other districts

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo.

Annual Container Volume: >220,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRVIX.

Belem

Port Facts:

• Located one degree south of the Equator
• A small tropical river port 20 kilometers north of the city of Belem
• 130 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Pará-Autoridade Portuária.

Annual Container Volume: Unknown.

UN/LOCODE: BRBEL.

Pecem

Port Facts:

• A major port in Ceara State
• Located in Sao Goncalodo Amarante
• Occupies a 13,337-hectare site

Owned By: Companhia de Integração Portuária.

Annual Container Volume: >213,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRPEC.

Rio Grande du Sol

Port Facts:

• Medium-sized river port in Southern Brazil close to the mouth of the Rio Grande
• Brazil’s second-busiest port
• Located close to the border with Uruguay
• Easily accessed from the Atlantic Ocean
• Infrastructure includes a Super Porto for handling containers

Owned By: Superintendencia Porto de Rio Grande.

Annual Container Volume: >760,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRRIG.

Itajai

Port Facts:

• Important seaport in Santa Carina, Southern Brazil
• Container terminal has four berths
• Can handle cargo vessels with capacities of up to 9,000 TEUs
• Excellent facilities for handling temperature-sensitive sea freight

Owned By: Federal Government of Brazil.

Annual Container Volume: >196,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRITJ.

Itapoa

Port Facts:

• One of Brazil’s newest ports
• Brazil’s fifth-busiest container facility
• Earmarked for expansion that will double its container-handling capacity to one million TEUs

Owned By: Itapoa Terminais Portuarios S.A.

Annual Container Volume: >600,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRIOA.

Rio de Janeiro

Port Facts:

• Brazil’s third-busiest sea freight facility
• Mainly a cruise shipping port that handles a small volume of containers
• The port is 7 kilometers long with a 900-meter pier
• Storage facilities occupy a 65,000 square meter site

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro.

Annual Container Volume: >380,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRRIO.

Santos (São Paulo)

Port Facts:

• The biggest port in Latin America
• Brazil’s most technologically advanced ocean cargo hub
• Serves the city of Sao Paulo
• Linked to over 600 ports in 25 countries
• Projects to improve the rail and road routes serving the port are underway

Owned By: Federal Government of Brazil.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSSZ.

Air Shipping for Your Freight to Brazil

Your business should consider shipping goods to Brazil as air freight if any of the following apply:

• They have a short shelf-life and won’t survive weeks at sea
• They are urgently required in Brazil
• Your consignment is small—two to three pallets at most
• You’re shipping high-value goods that require tight security
• Your recipient in Brazil is located close to an international airport

Airports of Arrival in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro (IATA Code: GIG)

Airport Facts:

• Officially called Antonio Carlos Jobim/Galeão International Airport
• Infrastructure includes the longest runway in Brazil
• GIG is one of the largest logistics terminals in Latin America
• Ideal for imports heading to consignees in Mage, Marica, and Copacabana

Sao Paulo Viracopos (IATA Code: VCP)

Airport Facts:

• Also known as São Paulo Campinas Airport
• Located 100 kilometers north of downtown Sao Paulo
• Ranks as Brazil’s second-busiest air cargo facility
• The freight terminal occupies a 77,000 square meter site
• Perfect for routing goods to the hinterland via express lanes for courier traffic

Belo Horizonte (IATA Code: CNF)

Airport Facts:

• Also called Tancredo Neves International Airport
• Located in Confins, Minas Gerais
• Belo Horizonte is Latin America’s fifth-largest industrial base
• Infrastructure includes a 3,000 meter-long runway
• Offers easy access to 50% of Brazil’s population
• Suitable airport of arrival for freight destined for Patrocinio, Jacarepagua, Caxambu, and Uba

Manaus (IATA Code: MAO)

Airport Facts:

• Officially known as Eduardo Gomes International Airport
• Forms the main gateway to the Amazon region
• Boasts three cargo terminals
• Over 175,000 tonnes of air freight are handled here every year
• Easy to reach 10% of the Brazilian population from the airport

São Paulo Guarulhos (IATA Code: GRU)

Airport Facts:

• Sometimes called Cumbica Airport
• Located 20 kilometers from Sao Paulo city center
• South America’s biggest air-cargo logistics facility
• Connected to 34 countries
• Over 720 passenger and cargo flights daily
• Freight facilities cover a 97,000 square meter area

Curitiba (IATA Code: CWB)

Airport Facts:

• Located in the South East of Brazil
• Officially called Afonso Pena International Airport
• Runway was lengthened and cargo terminal upgraded in 2008
• Direct cargo-only services from airports in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands

Salvador (IATA Code: SSA)

Airport Facts:

• Also known as Salvador-Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport
• Located 24 kilometers outside the city of Salvador
• Some facilities are shared with the Brazilan Airforce

Porto Alegre (IATA Code: POA)

Airport Facts:

• Located in southern Brazil
• Also known as Salgado Filho International Airport
• Occupies a 3.8 million square meter site
• Infrastructure includes two terminals and cold storage facilities
• Ideal airport of arrival for goods headed to the states of Grande Do Sul and Santa Catarina

Recife (IATA Code: REC)

Airport Facts:

• Located 14 kilometers outside of downtown Recife
• Full name is Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport
• Provides fast access to the Pernambuco area of Brazil with its population of over four million people

Ocean and Air Shipping to Brazil: Why Choose Shipa Freight?

Shipa Freight’s digital-only focus brings ease and simplicity to international shipping. Our innovative website allows businesses of all sizes to access leading ocean cargo carriers and air freight companies.

Using our online platform, shippers can quickly request and receive quotes and then compare prices. Bookings and payments can be made online using a card or wire transfer, and all shipments can be tracked and managed via our website.

Other benefits of choosing Shipa Freight include:

• 24/7 access to a friendly team of customer service agents
• We’ll handle the complexities of customs compliance so you don’t have to
• We ensure your shipment complies with all applicable regulations
• We make sure the right documents accompany your consignment