Import from Spain to the US
Ever since the turn of the century, the value of total imports from Spain to the US have more than doubled. From $5.9 billion in 2000, imports from Spain to the US have been growing steadily. In 2015, the United States imported over $13.6 billion worth of goods from Spain. Of these, the top three categories of products are machines, chemical products, and mineral products. They contribute to $2.43 billion (17.9%), $2 billion (14.7%), and $1.81 billion (13.3%) respectively.
FCL or LCL for your import from Spain to the US
When deciding on your import from Spain to the US, you can choose between either Full Container Load (FCL) shipping or Less than a Container Load (LCL) shipping. This will depend on the size of your total merchandise. Generally, you should choose FCL if you think you will be occupying more than half the container space. On the other hand, choosing LCL would be more cost-effective if you don’t have that much cargo. Many importers prefer FCL because of flexibility and the freedom of the greater control and lesser risk that FCL shipping comes with.
Documents needed to import from Spain to the US
As an importer, you have 15 days from arrival date of your import from Spain to the US to file entry documents. These include but are not limited to:
- Entry manifest
- Evidence of right to enter
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list (if any)
- Declaration forms (if any)
Customs
Ocean freight goods are required to pass through customs at both the port of origin and the port of destination. Customs offices handling ocean freight merchandise, including your import from Spain to the US, usually require the above-mentioned documents in order to release the goods. They may also request to inspect the merchandise if they find something suspicious or at random.
Incoterms
The shipper and the consignee decides the Incoterm under to send the merchandise. The Incoterm determines the cost liabilities related to the shipment. Some of the more common Incoterms used for imports from Spain to the US are:
Freight on Board (FOB)
Ex Works (EXW)
Cost and Freight (CFR)
Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)
Delivered at Place (DAP)
Door-to-Door shipping from Spain to the US
To better facilitate your shipment, you also have the option of shipping Door-to-Door when importing from Spain to the US. Besides Spain, iContainers also offers door-to-door shipping to the US from UAE, Taiwan, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, and China.
Read our page on Door-to-Door shipping to the US for more information.
Top 10 products the US imports from Spain
| Product | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1. Refined petroleum | $1.55 billion (11%) |
| 2. Cars | $710 million (5.2.0%) |
| 3. Human or animal blood | $683 million (5.0%) |
| 4. Delivery trucks | $479 million (3.7%) |
| 5. Spark-ignition engines | $389 million (2.9%) |
| 6. Paintings | $366 million (2.7%) |
| 7. Wine | $338 million (2.5%) |
| 8. Pure olive oil | $322 million (2.4%) |
| 9. Packaged medicaments | $311 million (2.3%) |
| 10. Vehicle parts | $258 million (1.9%) |