The busiest lane into Chile
China is Chile's largest trading partner, and the Asia–west coast South America lane is the one we book most often. We work with the main carriers out of Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Xiamen, into Valparaíso, San Antonio and Iquique.
What makes this route demanding is not the sailing. It is the origin side: supplier coordination, cargo consolidation, export documentation and the fact that a factory's "ready date" and the actual cut-off rarely match.
Transit times from the main ports
Add 5 to 10 days for LCL: consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at a bonded warehouse in Chile both take time that is not spent at sea.
| Origin port | Destination | Typical transit | Routing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | San Antonio / Valparaíso | 30–38 days | Direct or 1 transhipment |
| Ningbo | San Antonio | 30–38 days | Direct or 1 transhipment |
| Shenzhen / Yantian | San Antonio | 32–40 days | Usually 1 transhipment |
| Qingdao | San Antonio | 35–42 days | 1 transhipment |
| Xiamen | San Antonio | 33–40 days | 1 transhipment |
Chinese New Year, planned around
Factories in China close for one to three weeks around Chinese New Year, and the weeks before it are the tightest space of the year. Rates rise, bookings roll, and cargo that misses the last sailing waits for the plant to reopen.
If your goods need to land in Chile in the first quarter, the booking has to be made well before the holiday. We flag the cut-off dates for every client shipping from Asia, every year, rather than waiting to be asked.
What you pay beyond the freight
- Origin charges at the Chinese port: THC, export documentation and customs
- Ocean freight plus surcharges (BAF, CAF, peak season where it applies)
- Destination charges at the Chilean port and, for LCL, deconsolidation
- Import duty and VAT — Chile's trade agreement with China brings most tariff lines to 0%, but VAT at 19% still applies on the CIF value plus duty
- Inland trucking to your warehouse
The certificate of origin is worth real money
Under the Chile–China free trade agreement, most goods enter duty-free if they travel with a valid certificate of origin. Without it, you pay the general tariff on the full CIF value, and recovering it afterwards is slow and often not possible.
We check the certificate before the cargo sails, not when it arrives. It is the single cheapest piece of diligence in the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Chile take?
Between 30 and 40 days port to port for FCL, depending on the origin port and whether the routing has a transhipment. Add 5 to 10 days for LCL because of consolidation and deconsolidation.
Do I pay import duty on goods from China?
Under the Chile–China free trade agreement most tariff lines are at 0%, provided the shipment travels with a valid certificate of origin. VAT at 19% still applies on the CIF value plus any duty.
How does Chinese New Year affect my shipment?
Factories close for one to three weeks and the preceding weeks are the tightest space of the year, with higher rates and rolled bookings. Anything that needs to land in Q1 should be booked well before the holiday.
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