How Much Does It Cost to Ship from Brazil to the USA? What Sets the Price
Summary: US arrival costs have dated public examples. Clearit listed ocean customs brokerage at USD 149.95 per entry, plus USD 25 handling, checked September 12, 2026. None of the freight indexes this site cites prices Brazil to the USA, as of September 23, 2026. The freight comes from a quote, and US duties depend on the product. This guide explains each part, with its date.
Some market price references on this page date from September 12, 2026 or earlier. Market prices change, so confirm the current value in your quote.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship from Brazil to the USA?
The total has four parts. You pay freight from Brazil to the USA, charges at the Brazilian end, charges at the US end and any US duties. Each part has its own unit and its own source.
None of the indexes this site cites prices this lane as of September 23, 2026. The Drewry, Freightos and FreightAmigo series on our price guides, such as the ocean freight price guide, cover routes from Asia and Europe. None of them lists Brazil. So the freight line must come from a written quote for your cargo.
The US end is easier to check. Some brokers and carriers publish their fees, and section 5 shows dated examples. The table below lists what a complete quote for this lane should include.
| Cost line | Who publishes it | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean or air freight, Brazil to the USA | The carrier or forwarder, in the quote | Currency, unit, minimum, validity and the surcharges included |
| Charges in Brazil | The origin agent or terminal, in the quote | Pickup, terminal handling, export clearance and documents |
| US customs services | Some brokers publish fees (section 5) | Brokerage, handling, ISF, bond and any exam costs |
| US duties and government fees | US tariff schedule and CBP rules | HTS code, origin, entry date and customs value |
| Delivery in the USA | The trucking provider, in the quote | Address, waiting time and any storage |
Ocean Freight: Price per Container
With FCL, you book a whole container and pay per container. Ask for each size on its own, such as 20ft, 40ft and 40ft High Cube. Do not scale one size's price to guess another.
None of the indexes this site cites gives a container price for this lane. The table lists port pairs you can quote. Use the button on a row to request a quote for that pair.
| Origin | Destination | Price basis |
|---|---|---|
| Santos, BrazilQuote this route | Miami, USA | Quote per container type |
| Santos, BrazilQuote this route | New York, USA | Quote per container type |
| Paranaguá, BrazilQuote this route | Houston, USA | Quote per container type |
| Itajaí, BrazilQuote this route | Savannah, USA | Quote per container type |
The container price is only the ocean line. Check whether terminal handling at each end is in the rate. Ask which surcharges are included and how long the price is valid. Our FCL price guide shows dated container prices for routes from Asia, not from Brazil.
LCL: Price per CBM and the W/M Rule
With LCL, your cargo shares a container with other shipments. You pay for the space and weight you use, not for the whole box. The rate follows a weight or measure rule, called W/M.
Under a common W/M rule, 1 CBM counts the same as 1,000 kg. The carrier compares your volume in CBM with your weight in tonnes. It bills the larger number, then applies the minimum and any rounding.
Take a shipment of 2 CBM that weighs 900 kg. The weight is 0.9 tonnes and the volume is 2 CBM. The volume is larger, so the freight bills 2 W/M units.
The freight is then 2 units times the quoted rate per unit. None of the indexes this site cites gives that rate for Brazil to the USA. Our LCL price guide shows dated ranges for other lanes, and they do not apply here.
| Example shipment | Volume | Weight in tonnes | W/M units billed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light cartons | 2 CBM | 0.9 | 2 |
| Heavy machine parts | 1.2 CBM | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Small lot | 0.4 CBM | 0.3 | 0.4, or the minimum if it is higher |
LCL also has station fees at both ends. The cargo is packed at a CFS in Brazil and unpacked at a CFS in the USA. Ask which of these fees the quote includes. Our Brazil to USA LCL page covers the service side.
Air Freight: Price per Chargeable Kg
Air freight is billed per chargeable kilogram. The chargeable weight is the higher of two numbers: the gross weight and the volume weight.
IATA explains a common way to find the volume weight. Multiply length, width and height in centimetres. Then divide the total by 6,000 to get kilograms.
This divisor is not universal. DHL Express, for example, publishes 5,000 for its express service. Confirm the divisor, the minimum charge and the rounding in your quote.
None of the indexes this site cites gives an air price per kilogram from Brazil to the USA. The Freightos figures on our air freight price guide cover the Far East to the USA and Europe. They are not a Brazil price.
| Step | Example value |
|---|---|
| Cartons | 10 cartons of 60 × 50 × 40 cm |
| Gross weight | 12 kg each, 120 kg in total |
| Volume | 120,000 cm³ each, 1,200,000 cm³ in total |
| Volume weight | 1,200,000 ÷ 6,000 = 200 kg |
| Chargeable weight | 200 kg, because it is higher than 120 kg |
The quote then applies its rate per kilogram to 200 kg, or the minimum if it is higher. Ask whether fuel and security charges are separate lines.
Costs at Destination
Costs at the Brazilian end come from the quote. They can include pickup, terminal handling, export clearance and document fees. No official source sets one price for them.
At the US end, some fees are published. The table shows dated supplier examples and the rules that apply by law. These are examples, not the price for your shipment.
| Charge | Published amount or rule | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Clearit ocean customs brokerage, per entry, with 3 HTS codes and 1 invoice | USD 149.95 | Clearit, checked September 12, 2026 |
| Clearit air customs brokerage, per entry | USD 129.95 | Clearit, checked September 12, 2026 |
| Clearit mandatory handling, per transaction, added to brokerage | USD 25 | Clearit, checked September 12, 2026 |
| Clearit on-time ISF filing, per filing | USD 50 | Clearit, checked September 12, 2026 |
| Clearit continuous bond, per year | USD 500 | Clearit, checked September 12, 2026 |
| Hapag-Lloyd import demurrage in Charleston, per container and calendar day: first 3 charged days / next 3 / after that | USD 260 / 335 / 440 | Hapag-Lloyd, effective January 1, 2026; checked September 12, 2026 |
| Hapag-Lloyd import detention in the US excluding California, per container and calendar day: first 3 charged days / next 3 / after that | USD 200 / 250 / 300 | Hapag-Lloyd, effective October 1, 2025; checked September 12, 2026 |
| Importer Security Filing (ISF) for ocean cargo | Most data due at least 24 hours before loading at the foreign port | 19 CFR 149.2(b), eCFR, checked September 23, 2026 |
| FDA Prior Notice for food | Due at least 8 hours before arrival by water, 4 hours by air | 21 CFR 1.279, eCFR, checked September 23, 2026 |
| Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), formal entry | 0.3464% of the value of the goods, with a yearly minimum and maximum | 19 CFR 24.23(b)(1), eCFR, checked September 23, 2026 |
| Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF), ocean cargo | 0.125% of the cargo value | 19 CFR 24.24(a), eCFR, checked September 23, 2026 |
| Terminal handling, storage and delivery | Confirm in the quote | The terminal and the written quote |
Clearit excludes duties, MPF/HMF, disbursements, agency and extra services from base brokerage. Published supplier examples checked on September 12, 2026; not a Suaid Global tariff. The Hapag-Lloyd examples apply to import merchant haulage with 20ft or 40ft standard or non-operating reefer units, after the free time. Our ocean freight price guide keeps the full notes.
Duties and Tariffs
US duty depends on the product, not only the country. You need the HTS code, the origin, the customs value and the entry date. Our US tariffs guide, reviewed on September 12, 2026, explains each measure.
Check whether your product and its Brazilian origin are covered in the official annexes. On Section 301, the guide states: “Since July 24, 2026, a separate Section 301 action covers 60 economies at 10% or 12.5%, with product exemptions.”
For metal goods, check the full HTS line. The guide states: “Section 232 depends on the product, origin and metal content. Covered steel, aluminum and copper articles can face 50%; other treatments include 10%, 15% and 25%.”
On the older surcharge, the guide states: “The 10% Section 122 surcharge expired on July 24, 2026. For a later entry, check the new measures and the product’s HTS code.”
If you paid IEEPA duties on past entries, note this line from the guide: “Refund eligibility requires an entry review under CBP guidance.”
This page gives no product duty rate. Look up your line in the USITC tariff schedule and confirm it with a licensed customs broker.
Transit Time: What the Schedule Covers
Sailing time is only one part of the trip. A carrier schedule shows port-to-port days for a named service. It does not cover pickup, export steps, customs release or delivery.
This page gives no fixed transit time. Ask the quote to name the service, its port-to-port days and the date of the schedule. Price and timing are confirmed in the written quote.
| Stage | Included in the sailing time? |
|---|---|
| Pickup from the supplier | No |
| Export clearance and the terminal cutoff | No |
| LCL packing at the origin CFS | No |
| Sea or air leg, port to port | Yes |
| Transshipment at a hub port, if the service uses one | Yes, when the schedule shows the full routing |
| US customs release and any exam | No |
| LCL unpacking at the US CFS | No |
| Delivery to your address | No |
What Changes the Price
- Season and carrier notices — Carriers announce surcharges and rate changes by notice. Ask which notices apply to your sailing date and whether the quote includes them.
- Port pair and routing — Santos, Paranaguá and Itajaí can price differently to the same US port. A direct call and a transshipment can differ too.
- Density and the W/M rule — Light, bulky cargo bills by volume in LCL and by volume weight in air. Heavy, compact cargo bills by weight.
- Dangerous goods and batteries — Declared dangerous goods need special handling and carrier acceptance. Declare them before you ask for a price.
- Minimum charges — A small LCL or air shipment may pay the minimum charge instead of the rate. Check the minimum before you split or combine orders.
- Incoterm and who pays what — Under FOB, the buyer pays the main freight; under CIF, the seller pays it to the destination port. Our Incoterms guide explains each term.
- Pickup and delivery — Door-to-door adds trucking at both ends. Waiting time, a liftgate or storage can add lines.
- Exchange rate and free time — Brazilian charges may be quoted in reais. Record the exchange rate and its date. Check the free days before storage, demurrage or detention start.
Worked Budget Example
This example follows an LCL shipment from Santos to Miami. It uses the published US examples and leaves the freight rate as a variable. It is an illustration, not a quote.
- Measure the cargo: Take packed cartons of 2 CBM that weigh 900 kg in total. Use outer dimensions, including pallets. Our CBM calculator adds up the volume.
- Find the W/M units: Under a rule of 1 CBM per 1,000 kg, 900 kg equals 0.9 tonnes. The volume of 2 CBM is higher, so the freight bills 2 W/M units.
- Apply the quoted rate: Ocean freight equals 2 W/M units times your quoted rate per unit, or the minimum if it is higher. None of the indexes this site cites sets this rate for Brazil to the USA.
- Add the published US examples: Clearit published USD 149.95 for ocean brokerage, USD 25 for handling and USD 50 for on-time ISF filing, checked September 12, 2026. Together, that is USD 224.95 before duties, MPF/HMF and a bond.
- Add the Brazil end and delivery: Add pickup, terminal and export charges from the quote. Add US delivery if you need it. Keep each line with its source, unit and date.
- Add duties last: Apply the duty for your HTS code and entry date. Ask your broker to check it before you ship.
What to Send for a Quote
A complete request gets a complete price. Send these details, and use our CBM calculator for the volume. The Brazil to USA shipping page covers the service side of this lane.
- Origin city or port in Brazil, and the US city or port
- Number of packages, with the length, width and height of each
- Gross weight, including pallets and packing
- What the goods are, with the HS or HTS code if you have it
- The date the cargo will be ready
- The Incoterm agreed with the supplier, such as FOB Santos
- Door-to-door or port-to-port
- Whether the cargo is dangerous, needs a set temperature or is food
Questions About Shipping Costs from Brazil to the USA
Sources and References
- Clearit — US customs brokerage and related service prices — Public provider fees, checked September 12, 2026. Handling is additional; taxes and other services are separate.
- Hapag-Lloyd — US import port demurrage — Charleston example, effective January 1, 2026. Merchant haulage and specified equipment only. Checked September 12, 2026.
- Hapag-Lloyd — US detention schedule — US excluding California example, effective October 1, 2025. Import merchant haulage and specified equipment only. Checked September 12, 2026.
- IATA — Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules — Common volume-weight method with a 6,000 divisor. Not a Suaid Global tariff. Checked September 23, 2026.
- DHL Express UK — Weight and Dimensions — Service-specific divisor of 5,000; not a universal air cargo rule.
- eCFR — 19 CFR 149.2, Importer Security Filing timing — Timing of ISF data elements for vessel cargo. Checked September 23, 2026.
- eCFR — 21 CFR 1.279, FDA Prior Notice timing — Minimum notice before arrival by road, rail, air and water. Checked September 23, 2026.
- eCFR — 19 CFR 24.23, Merchandise Processing Fee — Ad valorem rate of 0.3464% for formal entries, with a minimum and a maximum adjusted each year. Checked September 23, 2026.
- eCFR — 19 CFR 24.24, Harbor Maintenance Fee — Port use fee of 0.125% of the value of commercial cargo on a vessel. Checked September 23, 2026.
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule lookup — Official US tariff schedule. No product duty rate is supplied here. Checked September 23, 2026.
