Asia
Container Shipping from the UK to Bangladesh
Chittagong is the country's main gateway, serving Dhaka and the garment manufacturing belt with regular consolidations for smaller consignments.
Container shipping from the UK to Bangladesh runs full container load to Chittagong (BDCGP). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Bangladesh at present. Sea transit is 26–32 days port to port and air freight 2–4 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Bangladesh are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Bangladesh
Full container load and groupage both go to Chittagong. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Chittagong
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Felixstowe.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Bangladesh at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for Bangladesh
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Bangladesh are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,520.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £2,400.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £80.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Bangladesh?
Textile and garment machinery, industrial spares, dyes and chemicals in packaged form, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and construction plant move through Chattogram as routine cargo.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Bangladesh?
Bangladesh charges VAT at a standard rate of 15%, charged on the assessable value plus duty plus supplementary duty. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0–25% customs duty, plus supplementary duty on many categories, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Most commercial imports into Bangladesh still move against a letter of credit, and the LC has to be opened before shipment — a buyer who has not arranged one cannot take delivery whatever the freight paperwork says. The consignee also needs a valid Import Registration Certificate. Chattogram is chronically congested, so build dwell time into any deadline rather than treating the sailing date as the arrival date.
What are the import restrictions in Bangladesh?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Bangladesh?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
UK to Bangladesh shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Bangladesh take?
Sea freight runs about 26–32 days port to port, and air freight 2–4 days airport to airport. Chittagong is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 26 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Bangladesh?
We move cargo through one port in Bangladesh: Chittagong (BDCGP). Full container load goes to Chittagong. We have no scheduled groupage service to Bangladesh at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Bangladesh?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Bangladesh — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Bangladesh lane?
Chittagong is a busy single-gateway port and container dwell times can be longer than the sailing schedule suggests. Where a shipment feeds a production deadline, plan against the upper end of the transit range. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes textile and garment machinery, dyes, chemicals and finishing agents, industrial equipment and spares.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Bangladesh — each one works as an origin or a destination.
China
Import & export · Shanghai
LCL from
£95.00
per cubic metre
32+ days
View lane
Singapore
Import & export · Singapore
LCL from
£90.00
per cubic metre
26+ days
View lane
India
Import & export · Nhava Sheva (JNPT)
LCL from
£72.00
per cubic metre
22+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Bangladesh? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.