International shipping guide to US

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Updated on 04 Jul 2021

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If you are sending goods by ocean & air freight to the US, you can take advantage of Shipa Freight’s partnerships with the world’s leading carriers. Our online platform gives you fast access to air cargo and LCL Shipping or FCL ocean freight shipping to the US from locations in around 100 countries.

We can also arrange domestic US logistics services to transport your freight from the port of arrival to its final destination.

If you are new to the process of international shipping to the US, you can find some useful information on this page, including approximate transit times for some of the most popular air and ocean freight routes and basic information about import standards and restrictions.

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Standards and Requirements for US Imports

We provide the details on this page purely for your information. As a Shipa Freight customer, you will not have to worry unduly about the customs and border formalities described here. Book your freight with us and we will take care of most of them for you, including the preparation and submission of document and declarations.

Entry Documentation for United States Freight from Overseas

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) stipulates that within 15 calendar days of an international shipment’s arrival at a U.S. port, entry documents must be filed at a location specified by the port director.

The documents to be filed are as follows:

A CBP Form 7533 (Entry Manifest), CBP Form 3461 (Application and Special Permit for Immediate Delivery) or possibly another form of merchandise release as required by the Port Director;
Evidence of right to make entry;
Commercial invoice (or a pro forma invoice if the commercial invoice is not available);
Packing lists (if appropriate).

If the value of the shipment exceeds $2,500, your freight forwarder must provide evidence that a bond has been posted with CBP to cover any duties, taxes, and charges that may accrue.

Other documents may also be necessary to determine the admissibility of your goods. Our platform has an integrated compliance engine to help customers prepare and complete the relevant documents for US imports.

Importer Security Filing for US Imports Arriving by Ocean

When shipping to US destinations using ocean freight, an electronic document, called an Importer Security Filing (ISF), must be submitted. The ISF must be transmitted in advance of the cargo’s arrival at the US port of entry.

List of Restricted US Imports

Certain types of goods and materials are restricted from importation into the United States. If you are considering shipping any products appearing on the list below, you should be aware of the relevant permissions, quotas, and requirements as applied by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and/or other agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA):

Cheese, Milk, and Dairy Products
Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
Insects
Livestock and animals
Meat, poultry, and egg products
Plants and plant products
Seeds
Tobacco-related products
Arms and ammunition
Household appliances
Industrial and commercial equipment
Children’s Toys
Bicycles and bicycle helmets
Fireworks
Flammable fabrics
Art materials
Cigarette and multi-purpose lighters
Electronic products
Radio frequency devices
Drug paraphernalia
Pesticides
Toxic, or hazardous substances
Petroleum products
Alcoholic beverages
Motor vehicles and boats

This list is by no means exhaustive, and it is therefore essential to validate the admissibility of your planned US imports with the appropriate controlling agencies.

Ocean Freight Shipping to the United States

The following information will help you to familiarize yourself with some of the main ocean freight routes for shipping to the United States. While the information here only covers port-to-port shipping legs, Shipa Freight also offers port-to-door and door-to-door transportation to destinations anywhere within the US.

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Busiest Trade Lanes for US Shipping

Five of the most frequented routes to ports in the United States (in no particular order) are:

Shanghai (China) to Savannah (Georgia)
Shanghai (China) to Miami (Florida)
Shanghai (China) to Long Beach (California)
Busan (South Korea) to Oakland (California)
Qingdao (China) to Savannah (Georgia)

Ocean Shipping to US Destinations: Longest and Shortest Transit Times

The routes with the longest transit times to the United States typically originate in Asia and arrive on the US’s East Coast. For example, the route from Singapore to Norfolk, VA takes around 43 days to complete.

However, some of the shortest transit times are also achieved on Asia-US trade lanes, specifically the routes terminating on the West Coast of the US. One such example is the 10-day transit time from Busan, South Korea to the Californian ports of Los Angeles or Long Beach.

List of Ocean Routes for Shipping to United States

The list of ocean shipping routes shown below is not exhaustive, and simply presents some examples of the trade lanes that exist and the approximate transit times from port to port.

From Europe

Country of Origin	Port of Origin	Destination Port	Duration
Belgium	Antwerp	Mobile	30 Days
Belgium	Antwerp	Houston	19 Days
Belgium	Antwerp	New York	12 Days
Belgium	Antwerp	Savannah	17 Days
France	Le Havre	Mobile	22 Days
France	Le Havre	Savannah	13 Days
France	Le Havre	New York	7 Days
France	Le Havre	Houston	26 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	Mobile	24 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	Houston	16 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	Charleston	11 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	Savannah	18 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	New York	10 Days
Italy	Naples	Savannah	22 Days
Italy	Genoa	Savannah	17 Days
Italy	Genoa	New York	12 Days
Netherlands	Rotterdam	Mobile	26 Days
Netherlands	Rotterdam	Houston	17 Days
Netherlands	Rotterdam	Savannah	17 Days
Netherlands	Rotterdam	Norfolk	10 Days
Netherlands	Rotterdam	New York	12 Days
Spain	Barcelona	New Orleans	24 Days
Spain	Valencia	Savannah	16 Days
Spain	Valencia	New York	11 Days
Spain	Valencia	Houston	20 Days
Spain	Algeciras	New York	9 Days
Spain	Algeciras	Savannah	13 Days
Spain	Algeciras	Houston	17 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Seattle	19 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Mobile	28 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Savannah	18 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	New York	11 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Baltimore	14 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Norfolk	16 Days
United Kingdom	Felixstowe	Savannah	18 Days
United Kingdom	London Gateway	New York	15 Days
United Kingdom	London Gateway	Savannah	20 Days
United Kingdom	London Gateway	Seattle	23 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Seattle	23 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Charleston	22 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Savannah	20 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Norfolk	17 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	New York	15 Days

From South/Central America

Country of Origin	Port of Origin	Destination Port	Duration
Brazil	Rio Grande	New Orleans	28 Days
Chile	San Antonio	New York	20 Days
Colombia	Cartagena	Savannah	15 Days
Colombia	Cartagena	Houston	10 Days
Colombia	Cartagena	Long Beach	27 Days
Colombia	Buenaventura	New York	9 Days
Honduras	Puerto Cortes	Savannah	13 Days
Honduras	Puerto Cortes	Houston	5 Days
Mexico	Altamira	Savannah	12 Days
Mexico	Altamira	Houston	2 Days
Panama	Manzanillo	Savannah	17 Days
Panama	Colon	New York	8 Days
Panama	Colon	Savannah	8 Days
Panama	Manzanillo	Charleston	11 Days
Peru	Callao	New York	14 Days

From Asia

Country of Origin	Port of Origin	Destination Port	Duration
China	Xiamen	Miami	42 Days
China	Shanghai	Long Beach	17 Days
China	Dalian	Long Beach	24 Days
China	Ningbo	Long Beach	15 Days
China	Qingdao	Long Beach	19 Days
China	Shanghai	Los Angeles	18 Days
China	Ningbo	Los Angeles	20 Days
China	Qingdao	Los Angeles	19 Days
China	Qingdao	Savannah	29 Days
China	Ningbo	Savannah	27 Days
China	Shanghai	Savannah	26 Days
China	Shanghai	Tacoma	12 Days
China	Shanghai	Oakland	22 Days
China	Xiamen	Los Angeles	13 Days
China	Ningbo	Tacoma	11 Days
China	Qingdao	Tacoma	21 Days
China	Qingdao	Oakland	26 Days
China	Ningbo	Seattle	17 Days
China	Ningbo	Houston	28 Days
China	Xiamen	Houston	27 Days
China	Shanghai	Seattle	13 Days
China	Shanghai	Charleston	29 Days
China	Ningbo	Oakland	19 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Miami	40 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Savannah	31 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Houston	26 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Los Angeles	15 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Long Beach	15 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Tacoma	22 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Los Angeles	23 Days
Japan	Yokohama	Oakland	18 Days
Japan	Yokohama	Los Angeles	16 Days
Japan	Kobe	Los Angeles	14 Days
Japan	Kobe	Long Beach	14 Days
Japan	Yokohama	Long Beach	16 Days
Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	Oakland	28 Days
Malaysia	Port Klang	Los Angeles	27 Days
Malaysia	Port Klang	New York	25 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Norfolk	43 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Miami	32 Days
Singapore	Singapore	New York	25 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Los Angeles	24 Days
South Korea	Busan	Savannah	28 Days
South Korea	Busan	Houston	21 Days
South Korea	Busan	Los Angeles	10 Days
South Korea	Busan	Long Beach	14 Days
South Korea	Busan	New York	30 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Miami	42 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Seattle	20 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Los Angeles	13 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Long Beach	13 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Savannah	26 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Tacoma	17 Days
Thailand	Laem Chabang	Los Angeles	19 Days
Thailand	Laem Chabang	Oakland	22 Days
Thailand	Laem Chabang	Long Beach	19 Days
Vietnam	Vung Tau	Miami	35 Days
Vietnam	Vung Tau	Los Angeles	16 Days
Vietnam	Vung Tau	New York	26 Days
Vietnam	Vung Tau	Long Beach	17 Days

US Shipping by Air Cargo Carrier

The following information covers some of the main air freight routes for shipping to 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 destinations anywhere within the US.

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Busiest Air freight Routes for US Imports

Five of the busiest air freight routes to the United States (in no particular order) are:

Mexico City (Mexico) to New York
Mexico City (Mexico) to Dallas
London (United Kingdom) to Los Angeles
Frankfurt (Germany) to Chicago
Frankfurt (Germany) to New York

Longest and Shortest Transit Times for Air freight Shipping to US

The longest transit times for air freight to United States destinations typically originate in Asia. For example, a cargo flight from Singapore to Los Angeles takes around 16 hours.

Meanwhile, the shortest international air freight routes to the US originate in the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico, as well as from airports in the Caribbean and Central America. For instance, freight traveling from Guatemala to Miami is in the air for no more than two hours.

List of Air freight Routes for Shipping to United States

The list below comprises a sample selection of the routes in use by air freight carriers serving the United States. Many other air freight lanes exist, enabling us to fly cargo to US airports from 100 countries around the world.