Ocean transit, port to port
| Origin | Destination | FCL | LCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | San Antonio | 30–38 days | 35–46 days |
| Ningbo | San Antonio | 30–38 days | 35–46 days |
| Shenzhen / Yantian | San Antonio | 32–40 days | 38–50 days |
| Qingdao | San Antonio | 35–42 days | 40–52 days |
| Xiamen | Valparaíso | 33–40 days | 38–50 days |
| Hong Kong | San Antonio | 30–38 days | 35–46 days |
Air freight, for comparison
Express air from the main Chinese hubs to Santiago runs 5 to 10 days door to door, including customs clearance in Chile. Standard consolidated air runs 7 to 14. Sea–air sits at 18 to 25 days at a cost well below pure air freight.
Why the real number is longer than the quoted one
- Port-to-port excludes inland trucking at both ends and customs clearance — add 3 to 7 days for door to door
- Transhipments add 3 to 10 days each, and most Asia–Chile routings have at least one
- Blank sailings: carriers cancel departures when demand drops, and your booking rolls to the next vessel
- Port congestion at either end, which comes and goes without much warning
- LCL adds consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at a bonded warehouse in Chile
The two dates that actually matter
The cut-off date is the latest your cargo can be at the terminal for a given sailing. The ETA is the estimated arrival. Everything else is noise.
Plan backwards from the cut-off, not forwards from the day the factory says it will be ready. A factory ready date and a terminal cut-off are different kinds of promise, and only one of them has a ship attached to it.
Chinese New Year
Factories close for one to three weeks and the weeks before are the tightest space of the year. If your cargo must land in Chile in the first quarter, book well before the holiday — every year, without exception.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Chile take?
30 to 40 days port to port for FCL, and 35 to 50 for LCL, depending on the origin port and transhipments. Add 3 to 7 days for inland transport and customs clearance to get the door-to-door figure.
Why is my shipment taking longer than quoted?
Usually a transhipment, a blank sailing where the carrier cancelled the departure, or port congestion. Quoted transits are port to port and exclude inland trucking and customs at both ends.
What is the fastest option from China?
Express air freight, at 5 to 10 days door to door. Sea–air sits at 18 to 25 days and costs considerably less than pure air.
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