Air & Ocean Freight From India to US [Updated: April, 2021]

When you Ship freight from India to US destinations, it's a long haul from dispatch to delivery. But with Shipa Freight, you can make short work of getting a quote, booking your freight and paying for it.

Shipa Freight: It’s Freight Forwarding, but Not as You Know It

Shipa Freight makes transporting products between two of the world’s manufacturing powerhouses easier than ever. It’s the intelligent, internet-based freight service, backed by Agility Logistics and powered by clever technology. We cut the time and cost involved with organizing your shipment, and bring clarity to the world of commercial shipping.

Don’t settle for sub-standard services and high rates when shipping products from the sub-continent to the US. Try Shipa Freight for your next delivery and discover a new approach to freight-forwarding.

Experience a different way to send freight across the world. Start by completing the form above to get your quote.

Ocean Freight Shipping From India to the United States

We want to transform your freight-forwarding experience. To make time-consuming sign-up procedures a thing of the past. To get you quotes quicker than Speedy Gonzalez. To simply explain what’s involved in shipping by ocean from India to the US. Losing the jargon. Earning your trust. Guiding you through the maze of customs regulations.

Any products you send from India to the US will have plenty of nautical miles to cover, so expect your consignment to be at sea for several weeks. If you have 6 or 12 pallets to go, a full container load (FCL Shipping) is probably best for you. If your freight weighs over 500kg but measures less than 15 cubic meters, it might cost less to choose LCL shipping. There is a variety of ports in India where your cargo can be loaded, and it’s the same in the US for discharge.

If you go LCL, expect a slightly longer delivery time for your shipment, because your container won’t launch until it’s filled with other cargo in a process called consolidation. And on arrival in the United States, the shipment will have to pass customs and be de-consolidated before release.

The trade route your shipment will take from India will vary. If it’s bound for a port on the US West Coast, it’s likely to travel across the Pacific Ocean, while freight destined for East and South Coast ports in the United States will go via the Atlantic Ocean.

India Ports of Origin

Shipa Freight helps you plan which port in India to ship from. We provide door to door and port-to-port shipping from many locations. See below for a few details about several ports of origin for shipping from India to the United States:

Hazira

Head due south from Surat for 20 miles and you’ll reach the port of Hazira, a multi-cargo deepwater gateway to the US. It’s located close to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a hotbed of high tech industry. The result of a joint venture between energy giants Shell and Total, the cargo handling facilities here range from liquid chemicals to automobiles, and it’s the ideal port for your cargo if your manufacturing hub is based in Northern, Northwestern or Central India.

Owned By: Hazira Port Private Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHZR.

Kolkata

Founded in 1870, India’s oldest still-operational port is 126 miles from the coast. The port can process 650,000 containers per annum, via its 40 berths and 86 wharfs. The main categories of goods that are exported from Kolkata are leather and cotton items.

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust / Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >796,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCCU.

Tuticorin

Also known as V.O. Chidambaranar Port, this ranks as one of India’s top 12 ports, and is the nation’s fourth-largest container hub. A medium-sized artificial seaport, Tuticorin provides general cargo export services to the United States and other locations around the world, from 13 berths, 7 wharfs, and 3 piers.

Owned By: V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust / Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >560,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INTUT.

Port Pipavav

India’s first privately-owned port specializes in containers and liquid cargo. Situated 90km south of Amreli, it serves major trade routes in the Western coastal region of India and is close to the country’s busiest port at Nhava Sheva, which lies about 160 nautical miles away.

Owned By: A.P. Moller Maersk Group.

Annual Container Volume: >880,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INPAV.

Cochin

Spread across two islands – Willingdon and Vallarpadam – the port of Cochin attracts cargo vessels from all over the world, due to its location close to the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Boasting the largest trans-shipment facility in India, the port also has shipbuilding and maintenance zones.

Owned By: Cochin Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCOK.

Other Ports in India

India has more ocean freight gateways to the US than the five featured above. Here’s a list of the other ports in the sub-continent from where Shipa Freight provides FCL and LCL ocean shipping services.

• Kattupalli
• Krishanapatnam
• Kandla
• Nhava Sheva
• Mundra
• Chennai
• Haldia
• Visakhapatnam

United States Ports of Arrival

With Shipa Freight, your cargo will arrive ship-shape at one of the many ports on the East, West or South Coast of the US. Book our door to door service, and we’ll take your consignment from its arrival port to wherever you need it in the United States. Think of us as your cargo couriers without the big price tag.

Houston

Sporting a 25-mile-long complex of private and public facilities, the Port of Houston is the busiest in the US in terms of foreign tonnage, with 15% of its cargo emanating from the Asia/Pacific region. Part-artificial, part-natural port, Houston has a petrochemical complex within its boundaries.

Owned By: City of Houston.

Annual Container Volume: >1.6 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USHOU.

Detroit

Michigan’s largest seaport hugs the west bank of the Detroit River between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. There are several marine terminals which handle general, bulk and liquid cargo. Detroit could be the ideal destination port for your cargo from India if its onward destination is in the Northern or Central regions of the United States.

Owned By: Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority.

UN/LOCODE: USDET.

New Orleans

There is a port in New Orleans, they call Port NOLA (New Orleans Louisiana). It’s a thriving gateway for global shipping, generating over $100 million annually, with the majority the result of cargo-handling. Serving supply chain partners around the world, the port is on the Mississippi River, close to the Gulf of Mexico. Six gantry cranes handle TEU vessels, with four more under construction.

Owned By: The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USMSY.

Jacksonville

The United States’ newest port is Florida’s third-largest, with vehicle imports and exports a primary focus. Based on the St. John’s River, it’s responsible for handling over 21 million tons of cargo a year, and in September 2019, the port got the go-ahead for the construction of a $238.7 million international container facility.

Owned By: Jacksonville Port Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >1.3 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USJAX.

Chicago

Several large seaport facilities combine to create the port of Chicago, a world-class, strategically-driven facility. Terminals at Iroquois Landing Lakefront and Lake Calumet handle various types of cargo. There are also plenty of storage facilities at the port.

Owned By: Illinois International Port District.

Annual Container Volume: >36 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USCHI.

Other Ports in the United States

Shipa Freight’s impressive logistics network, courtesy of parent company Agility Logistics, means we are ready to receive your consignment from India at all these other container ports in the US:

• New York
• San Francisco
• Oakland
• Boston
• Baltimore
• Atlanta
• Charleston
• Norfolk
• Tacoma
• Port Everglades
• Mobile

India to the United States: Transit Times and Routes

Ocean shipping from India to the US is more of a marathon than a sprint. There are vast swathes of ocean to cover on the journey. Below is a table showing the estimated port-to-port times from selected Indian shipping gateways to their counterparts in the United States. Any door-to-door shipments will take longer when you add-on the overland journey times.

Port of Origin	Destination Port	Est. Transit Time
Chennai	New Orleans	41 Days
Kolkata	Atlanta	44 Days
Nhava Sheva	Mobile	42 Days
Visakhapatnam	Jacksonville	37 Days
Nhava Sheva	Savannah	25 Days
Chennai	Atlanta	38 Days
Nhava Sheva	Houston	35 Days
Kolkata	Seattle	59 Days
Chennai	Boston	55 Days
Kolkata	Jacksonville	39 Days
Chennai	Jacksonville	55 Days
Nhava Sheva	Detroit	25 Days
Visakhapatnam	New York	31 Days
Nhava Sheva	New Orleans	45 Days
Chennai	New York	33 Days
Visakhapatnam	Seattle	43 Days
Chennai	Long Beach	44 Days
Kolkata	Chicago	48 Days

Flying Freight From India to the United States

Flying direct from India to the United States is right on the limit of current aviation capabilities. Even the biggest planes can only carry a certain amount of fuel. As a result of the vast distance between the two countries, there are currently very few non-stop services. But here at Shipa Freight, we can ensure your freight wings its way from India to the US aboard flights from either Mumbai or Delhi to New York or Chicago.

Shipping your goods as air freight is certainly more expensive than by ocean, but well worth it if you:

• Need the speed: if you don’t want to keep your customers in the United States waiting for your goods from India, go air freight.
• Are a risk-averse shipper: all forms of transit carry an element of risk, but the less time your freight spends in transit, the less risk you face.
• Have delicate cargo: the long distance between India and the United States means perishable goods will arrive in much better condition after taking the shorter air-transit option.
• Want more reliability: airlines are strict with their schedules, and typically provide an excellent service, so any delays are kept to a minimum and usually rectified within a day. While rates are lower for ocean freight, shipments can be subject to delays in ports at either end of the journey, as well as at sea, which could push arrival times back by days or even weeks.
• Need cheaper insurance: because air cargo spends less time in transit, insuring it will cost less than if you decide to send it as ocean freight.

Air Freight or Courier Services—Which to Choose?

The differences between couriers and air freight are mostly felt in your pocket. Couriers' rates are high, so this mode of transport is best reserved for lighter items. If your cargo tips the scales at 400kg or above, air freight will almost always be more economical. It’s the same if you are shipping multiple items or high-value goods. Also, Shipa Freight provides a courier-like door-to-door service on top of our port-to-port service. We will be happy to give you a competitive quote for both.

Shipping freight from India to the United States involves vast distances. But for your quote, you need only scroll the short distance to the top of this page and complete the form.

India: Airports of Origin

Delhi

Indira Gandhi International Airport is the main air facility in the Indian capital and is spread out over a vast area of more than 5100 acres. The busiest airport in India for cargo, it has won the ‘World’s Best Airport’ award. There are separate greenfield and brownfield cargo terminals, making it a popular choice for businesses sending air freight to the United States.

United States Airports Served: Chicago-O’Hare, New York-JFK, San Francisco.

Delhi to United States Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: DEL.

Mumbai

With a full-name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, this airfield serves the city of Mumbai and is second only to Delhi in terms of cargo traffic. There are three terminals on the site, with the air cargo facility having air-side and city-side access, encouraging a faster transfer of shipments.

United States Airports Served: New York-JFK.

Mumbai to United States Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: BOM.

Other Airports of Origin in India

If you don’t wish to fly your freight direct from India to the United States, there are other airports from which Shipa Freight can offer indirect routes:

• Chennai
• Ahmedabad
• Bangalore
• Hyderabad
• Kolkata
• Cochin
• Coimbatore

Destination Airports in the US for Freight Arriving From India

Chicago-O’Hare

Located in the Northwest of Chicago, O’Hare has two cargo areas – the South and Northeast – with a combined capacity of over two million square feet. Over 1.8 million tons of cargo were shipped from here in 2018. Cargo that arrives from India can be easily forwarded onto destinations across the United States, thanks to the fast road and rail links the airport enjoys.

Connected Airports in India: Delhi.

India to Chicago-O’Hare Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: ORD.

New York-JFK

The Big Apple’s biggest international airport represents a major gateway into the United States. There are six terminals and four runways across this 5200-acre site. Many cargo companies have offices at the airport, and JFK is ranked the third-largest international freight airport in the US.

Connected Airports in India: Mumbai, Delhi.

India to New York-JFK Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: JFK.

San Francisco

The largest airport in the Bay area of California, San Francisco International is 21km south of downtown. There are four air freight runways and nine cargo facilities which, in 2018, saw over 570,000 tons of cargo loaded or unloaded.

Connected Airports in India: Delhi.

India to San Francisco Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: SFO.

Other Entry Points into the United States

Shipa Freight can organize the delivery of your shipment from India to the United States via indirect flights to the following airports:

• Atlanta
• Denver
• El Paso
• Houston
• Miami
• Philadelphia
• Seattle-Tacoma
• Cleveland
• Los Angeles
• Charlotte
• Cincinnati
• Dallas-Fort Worth
• San Diego-Lindberg Field
• Boston
• Detroit-Wayne County
• Sacramento

Trade Lanes and Times for Air Freight Between India and the US

Non-stop flights between India and the United States are right on the distance limits that current aircraft can manage. Below are the flight times of the few direct services operating between the two countries:

Airport of Origin	Destination Airport	Est. Transit Time
Delhi	Chicago	15 Hours
Mumbai	New York	16 Hours
Delhi	New York	15 Hours
Delhi	San Francisco	15 Hours

Using Shipa Freight for India to US Shipping: the Benefits

To give you a quote, all Shipa Freight requires is some basic information about the cargo you want to send, and whether you need an airport-to-airport or door-to-door service. Our market-leading technology taps into Agility Logistics’ networks and partnerships to reveal the best routes and generate competitive quotes. No phone calls are needed and no faxing of documents is required.

The speed and accuracy of the service is thanks to the logistics expertise of Shipa Freight’s parent company, Agility Logistics, a transportation and warehouse business with offices in both India and the United States:

Offices in India		Offices in United States
Jaipur	Ahmedabad	Honolulu	Alexandria	Denver
Jodhpur	Baroda	Venice	Atlanta	Detroit
Kanpur	Mumbai	St Rose	Boston	El Paso
Vadodara	Bangalore	New York	Burlingame	Houston
Nashik	Hyderabad	Irving	Charlotte	Irvine
Indore	Chennai	San Juan	Chicago	Cincinnati
Delhi	Kolkata	San Diego	Chester	Miami
Pune		Sacramento	Cleveland	Minneapolis

The Technology-Driven Freight-Forwarding Platform

Who has time these days for deep-diving into the complexities of international shipping? We know you’d rather focus on growing your business so that your next shipment from India to the United States is even bigger.

If you’re looking to save time, Shipa Freight is the technology-driven freight-forwarding platform for you, as it makes the benefits of global trading simple to understand and available to all. Our clever, automated online booking system is supplemented by a support team that’s all-human, with customer service experts available 24/7 by phone, email or online chat.

The Know-How to Clear Customs

As part of the online booking process, Shipa Freight’s built-in compliance features will pinpoint the shipping documents you need to accompany your freight, so you know precisely what needs filling-in, signing and sending. See also our International Shipping Guide. Other things you can do to get the green light for your goods:

• Speak to a Shipa Freight expert if you need any help or information at any stage of the process.
• Sit back and let Shipa Freight work its magic.

Experience the future of freight-forwarding now with Shipa Freight. Start by getting a free quote in moments.