Container Shipping to Paraguay — Get Instant Quotes
Why Ship to Paraguay with iContainers?
- River-hub advantage. Although land-locked, Paraguay moves about 80 % of all imports and exports along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway—a 2,100-mile barge corridor that links Asunción with deep-sea hubs in Argentina and Uruguay. (Grain Central, state.gov)
- Growing terminal capacity. Terport Villeta now handles up to 50 containers per hour and already accounts for a large share of the country’s total box traffic. (Liebherr)
- Reliable multimodal links. Containers arriving at Buenos Aires, Montevideo or Paranaguá are transferred to river barges that sail upriver to ports such as Villeta, Caacupemí and Asunción, with customs sealed all the way. Recent regulatory changes in Argentina are expected to lift barge volumes by ≈ 7 %. (SAFETY4SEA)
- Digital convenience. Book, upload documents and track milestones in one dashboard while our Asunción operations team manages trans-shipment formalities and last-mile trucking.
Our Container Shipping Services to Paraguay
Full Container Load (FCL)
High-volume shipments—electronics, industrial machinery, fertilizers—usually sail in 40 ft or 20 ft boxes to Buenos Aires (ARG) or Montevideo (URY), then barge 1 000 km upriver to Paraguay.
Popular routes & lead times
- Shanghai → Asunción: 30 – 40 days port-to-port (via Montevideo)
- Rotterdam → Asunción: 25 – 35 days (via Buenos Aires)
Less than Container Load (LCL)
Ideal for SMEs moving ≤ 15 m³ of textiles, spare parts or pharma products. Weekly console boxes depart from Antwerp, Singapore and Miami, keeping cash tied up in inventory to a minimum.
Air Freight — Fast Alternative
Urgent samples or perishables fly into Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU). Cargo volume there jumped 20 % in 2024, and door-to-door delivery from EU/US hubs averages 5 – 9 days. (Wikipedia)
Country-specific watch-outs
- Low-water season (Aug – Oct) can cut river drafts and slow barge schedules. Monitor depth advisories and add buffer days. (Reuters)
- New barges and relaxed safety rules are boosting capacity on the waterway, but expect intermittent congestion near Rosario and Zárate during soybean peak. (ldc.com, SAFETY4SEA)
Container shipping rates to Paraguay
How much does it cost to ship a container to Paraguay?
Estimated Transit Times to Paraguay*
| Origin Port | Mode | Est. Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai, CN | FCL | 30 – 40 days | Via Montevideo, barge upriver |
| Rotterdam, NL | FCL | 25 – 35 days | Via Buenos Aires port network |
| Miami, USA | LCL | 18 – 25 days | Weekly consol, river barge leg |
| Frankfurt → ASU | Air | 5 – 9 days | Includes customs and local drayage |
*Port-to-port or airport-to-airport; door service, documentation and river conditions may add extra days.
Key Paraguayan River Ports & Inland Terminals
| Terminal | Throughput / Capacity | Main Cargo | Connectivity |
| Terport Villeta | Handles a large share of the nation’s ~90 000 TEU flow; 50 containers/hour crane rate (Liebherr) | Containers, break-bulk | Direct barge link to Buenos Aires / Montevideo |
| Asunción (ANNP) | Traditional city port; hub for ICD traffic | Machinery, project cargo | Road / rail to Gran Asunción |
| Villeta Caacupemí & others | Private grain/export terminals | Soy, corn | Integrated into waterway convoy system |
Simple 5-Step Booking Workflow
- Instant Quote — Enter cargo specs; compare carriers in seconds.
- Secure Space — Lock your sailing or flight and fix the rate.
- Upload Docs — Commercial invoice, packing list and any MERCOSUR transit forms.
- Arrange Pickup — Door, port or bonded warehouse—your choice.
- Track & Manage — Real-time milestones until the container is cleared in Paraguay.
What Do Shippers Commonly Send to Paraguay?
- Electrical & electronic equipment — imports topped US $ 2.8 bn in 2024. (Trading Economics)
- Industrial machinery & spare parts for agriculture and construction.
- Fertilizers and chemicals supporting the soybean boom.
- Consumer goods re-exported via Ciudad del Este’s duty-free zone.
Main ports in Paraguay
FAQs About Shipping Containers to Paraguay
Below ~15 m³, LCL usually beats paying for a whole 20 ft container.
Not legally, but marine or all-risk cover is strongly recommended given the trans-shipment leg.
Exporters often sell CIF Asunción for simplicity; buyers seeking greater control choose FOB Origin Port.
Line-haul sailings to Buenos Aires/Montevideo remain punctual, but the barge leg can see cutbacks in draft-limited months—plan an extra 3-5 days buffer in late dry season. (Reuters)