Ocean and Air Shipping From India to Brazil

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Updated on 01 Mar 2022

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Importing from India to Brazil can be a long process. Over 14,500 kilometers separate the two nations—and that’s as the crow flies. There are no direct flights between India and Brazil, and shipping lanes head south across the Indian Ocean, past Mozambique, Madagascar, and South Africa before crossing the Atlantic. But the vast distance doesn’t stop trade between India and Brazil. In 2016, the value of exports and imports between the two reached $5.5 billion per year. Many freight forwarders can organize every aspect of your import from India to Brazil. For example, if you choose a door-to-door service your goods will be:

Picked up from your supplier or manufacturer in India
Transported by road or rail to your chosen port of origin
Shipped by an international carrier via ocean or air to Brazil
Taken by road or rail from port in Brazil to your final destination

This page outlines your options when shipping from India to Brazil. It features details about key airports and seaports, plus information about customs clearance, shipment times, and the pros and cons of air and ocean shipping.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight From India to Brazil?

Warehouse operative pushing a trolley stacked with boxes, from the flag of India towards the flag of Brazil

The only two feasible ways to export from India to Brazil are via air or sea. Both modes of transportation have pros and cons that will be outlined on this page.

Ocean Freight From India to Brazil

Less than Container Load (LCL): Book LCL shipping and a freight forwarder will arrange for your products to be loaded into a container with other goods before being lifted onto a cargo ship bound for Latin America. LCL makes sense if you only have a small consignment to ship. It requires logistics procedures known as consolidation and deconsolidation, which often makes transit times for LCL shipping a little longer than FCL.

Full Container Load (FCL): Sending ocean freight by FCL does not mean you have to wait until you can fill a container with your goods before shipping. FCL means you pay for the use and transportation of a container just for your goods. It’s up to you how much you load inside. Unlike LCL shipping, No consolidation or deconsolidation is required, so FCL shipping is often faster.

Air Freight from India to Brazil

The fastest way to transport goods from India to Brazil is with an air-freight carrier. But it is by far the most expensive option.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From India to Brazil?

Several factors are taken into account when freight forwarders calculate shipping quotes:

The size, volume, and weight of the consignment
The type of goods being shipped
The chosen mode of transportation—air or ocean?
If the shipper requires a port-to-door, door-to-port, port-to-port, or door-to-door delivery
How far the goods must be shipped between the origin and destination point

All shipping quotes are affected by the weight of the consignment, which can often be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing between air or ocean shipping. That’s because if your goods weigh under 100 kg, ocean and air shipping are likely to cost about the same. If your consignment tips the scales above 100 kg, ocean freight will typically be more economical than air shipping.

The vast majority of freight forwarders will not quote for shipments weighing 35kg or less. You should contact international couriers to get quotes for such consignments.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From India to Brazil?

Over 14,500km separates India from Brazil. So shipping goods between the two is a long haul by air and sea. Air shipping is significantly quicker. You should allow at least three days for air cargo from India to reach Brazil and obtain import customs clearance.

Ocean shipping will take at least 33 days by FCL and can take up to 59 by LCL. Your choice of origin and destination ports will affect timings.

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

With the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to traverse at an average speed of 35km per hour, a cargo vessel’s journey from South Asia to South America is a lengthy one. You should allow at least five weeks for a carrier to transport a shipping container from India to Brazil. Journey duration will depend on your choice of ports and whether you choose LCL and FCL as these examples show:

Nhava Sheva to Santos—33 days FCL, 40 days LCL
Chennai to Santos—55 days FCL, 55 days LCL
Mundra to Santos—33 days FCL
Chennai to Rio de Janeiro—34 days FCL, 34 days LCL
Kolkata to Santos—42 days LCL
Nhava Sheva to Rio de Janeiro—29 days LCL
Nhava Sheva to Rio Grande—45 days LCL
Cochin to Itaguai—56 days FCL
Nhava Sheva to Itapoa—37 days FCL
Nhava Sheva to Manaus—59 days FCL
Nhava Sheva to Navegantes—34 days FCL
Nhava Sheva to Suape—56 days FCL

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

Four days will almost certainly be the quickest time a freight forwarder can import from India to Brazil using air freight, as evidenced by these examples:

Cochin or Bangalore to Sao Paulo—8 days
Chennai to Rio de Janeiro—7 days
Mumbai to Sao Paulo or Curitiba—6 days
Mumbai or Chennai to Salvador—7 days
Delhi to Sao Paulo—4 days
Hyderabad to Sao Paulo—7 days

Customs Clearance Procedures in India and Brazil

Inspector checking containers as Shipa Freight helps with customs clearance

All consignments for ocean and air shipping from India to Brazil, no matter how big or small, need to be accompanied by the correct paperwork to pass customs checks in both countries. Whatever the nature of your shipment, you will need to complete the following:

Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

You can see examples of the above paperwork on the documents list page we have compiled. The list is not comprehensive and you may need to provide additional paperwork to accompany your shipment, such as a permit, certificate, or license.

With so much paperwork required, customs clearance is undoubtedly one of the most complex aspects of international shipping. As a result, many companies prefer to leave the process in the hands of a freight forwarder. This is a good way to ensure your shipment complies with rules and regulations, and avoids unnecessary delays.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight From India to Brazil

Shipping contaiuners from India to Brazil typically requires goods to be packed first onto pallets, although they can be loose-loaded in the container if that makes more sense. Special types of containers are likely to be required for perishable, delicate, or excessively large, heavy, or awkwardly-shaped goods. Your freight forwarder will inform you of your choices.

Another choice to make is between FCL and LCL ocean shipping. This will be influenced by the type of goods you will ship, their volume and weight, as well as your choice of port of origin and port of arrival. Let’s look at the pros and cons of FCL and LCL sea freight.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

Less-than-container-load shipping entails your freight sharing a container with consignments belonging to other shippers. The process of filling containers with goods from different shippers is known as consolidation—and it will happen in your chosen port in India. Deconsolidation will occur upon arrival in Brazil. Both are logistics procedures that can make LCL shipping take a little longer than FCL.

LCL could be the best option for your business if:

Your consignment is 14 cubic meters or less (equal to six standard pallets)
Your freight is not urgently required in Brazil
Your cargo is safe to be shipped in the same container as other products
You’re OK with not having any control over what those other products are
Air shipping is not an option

LCL should perhaps be avoided if:

Your freight is fragile or perishable
You want minimal handling and moving of your goods
Your consignment must be in Brazil by a certain date
Your freight is awkwardly shaped, extremely large, and/or very heavy.

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

Full-container-load shipping is the alternative option when transporting a shipping container from India to Brazil. Your products will have exclusive use of a container, which could make FCL the best option if:

Your cargo must reach the buyer in Brazil by a specified date
Your consignment totals over 14 CBM
You can seal your container in India and want it to remain sealed until it arrives in Brazil
Your cargo is fragile, an unusual shape, or extremely heavy, making it unsuited for shipping in a shared container

Air Freight

When the speed of shipment is more vital than the cost, choose air shipping. It’s the fastest way to export from India to Brazil. And if you can afford the price tag, it’s ideal for:

Cargo with a short shelf-life that needs to arrive in Brazil quickly
High-value freight that requires the robust security controls offered by airlines and airports
A relatively small consignment—no more than three pallets
Supplier and consignees based closer to an international airport than a seaport (thus saving on overland transport costs)

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in India

Nhava Sheva

Port Facts:

Also known as Jawaharlal Nehru or JNPT
India’s largest port
Over 50% of the nation’s containerized trade is processed here
In 2019, it became the first port in India to reach an annual throughput of over five million TEUs
The presence of five container terminals and excellent road and rail connections from Central and Western India help explain the port’s popularity

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Chennai

Port Facts:

Regarded as the gateway to Southern India
Located in the Bay of Bengal
Facilities include two container terminals
Popular with international shippers who have a supply chain link or manufacturing hub in this part of the subcontinent

Owned By: Chennai Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMAA.

Mundra

Port Facts:

Situated in Gujarat, India’s westernmost state
Ranks in the world’s top-50 busiest container ports
A privately-owned sea freight facility
Infrastructure includes four container terminals
Ideal for suppliers and manufacturers based in North or Northwestern India

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMUN.

Visakhapatnam

Port Facts:

Has a lower container throughput than many Indian ports
The only sea freight hub in Andhra Pradesh
A useful gateway for an export from India to Brazil if your goods are produced in Eastern India

Owned By: Visakhapatnam Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >350,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INVTZ.

Kattupalli

Port Facts:

An alternative to the nearby Port of Chennai
Congestion-free approach roads make getting goods here quick and easy
Self-sealed containers can benefit from direct port entry status to speed things up

Owned By: Kattupalli Port Private Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >345,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INKAT.

Other Ports of Origin in India:

Here is a selection of other ports in India from which you can ship to Brazil:

Tuticorin
Pipavav
Haldia
Hazira
Krishnapatnam
Kolkata
Mormugao

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Brazil

Santos

Port Facts:

Brazil’s busiest port for containerized goods
South America’s largest ocean port
Serves the bustling city of Sao Paulo
Its sea freight handling facilities are the country’s most modern
Road and rail links into the port currently exceed their capacity.
The port’s owners—the Brazilian government—are taking steps to improve the flow of goods, with several projects in the pipeline

Owned By: Federal Government of Brazil.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSSZ.

Rio de Janeiro

Port Facts:

Better known for cruise ships than container vessels
Its biggest pier stretches for nearly 900 meters
Occupies a seven-kilometer stretch of Eastern Brazilian coastline
Warehouse facilities cover an area of over 65,000 square meters

Owned By: Companhia Docos do Rio de Janeiro.

Annual Container Volume: >380,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRRIO.

Belem

Port Facts:

Located just one degree south of the Equator
A tropical river port about 20 km north of Belem city center in the State of Pará
A small sea freight facility situated in the delta of the River Amazon
130 kilometers inland from the Atlantic Ocean

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Pará-Autoridade Portuária.

Annual Container Volume: Unknown.

UN/LOCODE: BRBEL.

Rio Grande du Sol

Port Facts:

A medium-sized river port 12 kilometers from the mouth of the Rio Grande in Southern Brazil
The second-busiest port in Brazil with a Super Porto handling containers from all over the world
Excellent road and rail links to destinations across the south of Brazil

Owned By: Superintendencia Porto de Rio Grande.

Annual Container Volume: >760,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRRIG.

Vitoria

Port Facts:

The main port serving the State of Espirito Santo in Eastern Brazil
Just over 400km north of Rio de Janeiro
Regarded as the most difficult port in Brazil to access from the sea
Has an extremely narrow entrance to the docks

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo (CODESA).

Annual Container Volume: >192,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRVIX.

Other Ports of Arrival in Brazil:

You could also choose to discharge your commercial goods from India at these ports:

Salvador
Suape
Navegantes
Pecem
Paranagua
Haguali
Itapoa
Itajai
Manaus

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide