Ocean freight, end to end
Around nine out of every ten tonnes that enter or leave Chile do so by sea. It is the cheapest way to move volume, and the one that demands the most coordination: a booking, a sailing schedule, a transhipment, a terminal, a customs entry and a truck, all of which have to line up.
Segucargo handles the whole chain under one contract and one invoice. You get one executive who owns your shipment from the booking to the delivery address, and a portal where you can see where the vessel actually is.
FCL or LCL
Two ways to ship by sea, and the right one depends on how much you are moving.
- FCL (Full Container Load): a whole container, exclusively yours. It makes sense from roughly 15 CBM upwards, and it is faster because there is no consolidation or deconsolidation step.
- LCL (Less than Container Load): your cargo shares a container with other shippers and you pay only for the volume you occupy. It suits smaller or irregular shipments.
Where we sail
We work every major trade lane into Chile: Asia (Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Busan), Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Valencia), North America (Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Savannah) and intra-regional routes in South America.
On the Chilean side we clear through San Antonio and Valparaíso in the central zone, plus Iquique, Antofagasta, Coronel and San Vicente depending on where your cargo is going.
What we take care of
- Booking with the carrier and space confirmation
- Bill of Lading, commercial invoice and packing list review before the cargo sails
- Cargo insurance, if you want it
- Customs clearance with our own in-house broker
- Port and terminal charges, handled directly
- Final-mile trucking to your warehouse, with proof of delivery
Transit times, as a reference
These are indicative port-to-port figures. Transhipments, blank sailings and port congestion all move them, which is exactly why we notify every schedule change the moment the carrier publishes it.
| Origin | Destination | Typical transit |
|---|---|---|
| China (Shanghai / Ningbo) | San Antonio / Valparaíso | 30–40 days |
| Northern Europe | San Antonio | 30–40 days |
| US East Coast | San Antonio | 18–25 days |
| US West Coast | San Antonio | 15–22 days |
| Brazil (Santos) | San Antonio | 12–18 days |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between FCL and LCL?
FCL means you book a whole container exclusively for your cargo, which suits volumes above roughly 15 CBM. LCL is consolidated cargo: you share the container with other shippers and pay only for the cubic metres you use.
How long does ocean freight to Chile take?
It depends on the origin: roughly 30 to 40 days from China, 30 to 40 from Northern Europe and 15 to 25 from the United States. Transhipments add time, and we tell you up front how many your routing has.
Which ports does Chile use for imports?
Mainly San Antonio and Valparaíso in the central zone, plus Iquique and Antofagasta in the north and Coronel and San Vicente in the south, depending on the final destination.
What documents do I need for an ocean shipment?
A commercial invoice, a packing list and the Bill of Lading. For customs clearance in Chile we also file the import declaration (DIN), and a certificate of origin where a trade agreement applies.
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