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First Base FreightFreight forwarding

Americas

Container Shipping from the UK to Brazil

Santos is Latin America's largest container port, serving São Paulo and the industrial southeast, with Paranaguá covering the south.

Code
BR
Ports
9
Sea transit
18–28days

Container shipping from the UK to Brazil runs full container load to Santos (BRSSZ), Paranaguá (BRPNG), Itajaí (BRITJ), São Francisco do Sul (BRSFS), Imbituba (BRIBB), Rio Grande (BRRIG), São Sebastião (BRSSO), Salvador (BRSSA) and Aratu (BRARB). Less than container load runs to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Rio Grande and Salvador, with onward delivery to Canoas, Curitiba, Novo Hamburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Suape and Vitoria. Sea transit is 18–28 days port to port and air freight 2–4 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Brazil are not included.

Where we ship

Ports in Brazil

Full container load goes to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, São Francisco do Sul, Imbituba, Rio Grande, São Sebastião, Salvador and Aratu. Groupage goes to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Rio Grande and Salvador. It is delivered onward to Canoas, Curitiba, Novo Hamburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Suape and Vitoria. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.

FCLFull container load
  1. UK door
  2. UK port
  3. Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, São Francisco do Sul, Imbituba, Rio Grande, São Sebastião, Salvador or Aratu

Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Southampton.

LCLLess than container load
  1. UK door
  2. UK loading warehouse
  3. Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Rio Grande or Salvador
  4. Canoas, Curitiba, Novo Hamburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Suape or Vitoria

Consolidated first at our UK loading warehouses: Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle.

Santos

BRSSZ

Santos, São Paulo

20–26 daysView port

Paranaguá

BRPNG

Paranaguá, Paraná

21–27 daysView port

Itajaí

BRITJ

Itajaí, Santa Catarina

21–27 daysView port

São Francisco do Sul

BRSFS

São Francisco do Sul, Santa Catarina

21–27 daysView port

Imbituba

BRIBB

Imbituba, Santa Catarina

22–28 daysView port

Rio Grande

BRRIG

Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul

22–28 daysView port

São Sebastião

BRSSO

São Sebastião, São Paulo

20–26 daysView port

Salvador

BRSSA

Salvador, Bahia

18–24 daysView port

Aratu

BRARB

Aratu, Bahia

18–24 daysView port

Inland delivery points in Brazil

Groupage reaches 6 locations beyond the ports, by road from whichever port the container is stripped at. If your town is on this list we deliver to the door; if it is not, ask — the list is where we run a regular service, not the limit of where we can go.

Canoas

Curitiba

Novo Hamburgo

Rio de Janeiro

Suape

Vitoria

The transit figures on the port cards above are port to port. Delivery to an inland point adds the road leg from the arrival port, which is confirmed with your quote rather than estimated here.

Get a price for Brazil

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 Brazil are payable there and are not included.

ServiceFromUnit
FCL — 20ft General Purpose£995.00per 20ft container
FCL — 20ft General Purpose£995.00per 20ft container
FCL — 40ft General Purpose£995.00per 40ft container
FCL — 40ft General Purpose£995.00per 40ft container
LCL groupage£147.65per cubic metre
LCL groupage£147.65per cubic metre
Air freightPlease check with our teamper 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 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 Brazil?

Industrial machinery and spares, oil and gas equipment, scientific and medical instruments, automotive components and chemicals in packaged form move through Santos and Paranaguá.

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 Brazil?

Brazil taxes imports through a stack of federal and state charges rather than one rate, applied in sequence — import duty, then IPI, then PIS and COFINS, then state ICMS — so the total routinely exceeds the value of the goods themselves. Customs duty is separate and runs at Import duty typically 0–20%, before federal and state taxes, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.

Brazil is the most demanding market on this list and it is worth planning for properly. The consignee must hold a RADAR licence to operate in the Siscomex system before they can import anything at all, and an import declaration (DI) has to be filed against an NCM classification. Effective tax loads of 40 to 60% of CIF value are normal rather than exceptional, so quoting freight alone badly understates what your customer will actually pay.

What are the import restrictions in Brazil?

Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.

The consignee must hold a RADAR licence in Siscomex before any import is possible.
Goods are classified to an NCM code, and misclassification carries substantial penalties.
Used machinery generally requires prior authorisation and is often refused.
Some categories need an import licence issued before shipment (LI anuência prévia).

What documents do I need to import into Brazil?

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.

Commercial invoice with the NCM code and value
Packing list
Original house bill of lading
Certificate of origin
Consignee's RADAR licence and CNPJ
Import licence (LI) where prior approval is required

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.

A GB EORI number — free from HMRC, usually issued within a few working days, and no export declaration can be filed without one.
The export declaration itself, which we file with HMRC against your EORI before the vessel sails.
A commercial invoice showing the commodity code, value, currency, Incoterm and both parties in full.
A packing list with piece count, dimensions and gross weight — per pallet where the cargo travels as groupage.
An export licence where the goods are controlled. Dual-use items with both civilian and military application need one even when the destination is routine.
Proof of export, which is what lets you zero-rate the sale for VAT. Keep it — HMRC can ask for it years later, and without it the VAT becomes yours to pay.

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 Brazil shipping: FAQs

How long does shipping from the UK to Brazil take?

Sea freight runs about 18–28 days port to port, and air freight 2–4 days airport to airport. Salvador is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 18 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 Brazil?

We move cargo through 9 ports in Brazil: Santos (BRSSZ), Paranaguá (BRPNG), Itajaí (BRITJ), São Francisco do Sul (BRSFS), Imbituba (BRIBB), Rio Grande (BRRIG), São Sebastião (BRSSO), Salvador (BRSSA), Aratu (BRARB). Full container load goes to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, São Francisco do Sul, Imbituba, Rio Grande, São Sebastião, Salvador and Aratu. Groupage runs to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Rio Grande, Salvador, Canoas, Curitiba, Novo Hamburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Suape and Vitoria, including inland points served by road from the arrival port. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.

Do you handle customs clearance for Brazil?

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 Brazil — 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 Brazil lane?

Brazilian import formalities are document-heavy and unforgiving of inconsistencies between the invoice, packing list and bill of lading. Getting those three to match exactly before shipping prevents most of the delays seen on this lane. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes industrial machinery and equipment, chemicals and specialty materials, automotive and aerospace components.

Compare lanes

Other countries we ship to and from

Rates and transit times for countries near Brazil — each one works as an origin or a destination.

View all countries
Americas

Mexico

Import & export · Veracruz

LCL from

£209.56

per cubic metre

18+ days

ExportUK → MexicoImportMexico → UK
Americas

United States

Import & export · Los Angeles

LCL from

£143.67

per cubic metre

11+ days

ExportUK → United StatesImportUnited States → UK
Americas

Canada

Import & export · Vancouver

FCL from

£1,472.05

per 20ft container

10+ days

ExportUK → CanadaImportCanada → UK

Plan the rest of the move

Full container load (FCL)Container types, dimensions and when a full box beats a shared one.Less than container load (LCL)Shared-container consolidation for part loads and smaller orders.Air freightWhen 2–4 days justifies the premium over sea.RoRo (vehicles and plant)Cars, motorbikes and wheeled machinery, driven on rather than containerised.Shipping by cargo typePallet, box, crate, drum or motorbike — how each is priced and packed.Customs clearanceExport declarations at one end and entry formalities at the other.Shipping guides and insightsIncoterms, documentation and how freight pricing actually works.Request a quoteAny country to any country — origin and destination, city by city.
A large cargo ship loaded with containers sailing under a vibrant sunset sky

Shipping to Brazil? 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.

Indicative from £995.00 per 20ft container on Brazil lanes. Cities and cargo details next.

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