Ship container to Portugal

Estimated transit time to send a container to Portugal can go from 12to 42 days. The main – although not the sole - factor that determines this is the route and distance between the port of origin and the destination port. However, you should also keep in mind there could be unexpected incidents to be faced during transit that could result in delays.

When it comes to having an overall idea of how to calculate your sea freight shipment to or from Portugal, it is important to know that prices vary based on certain factors such as container size, the transit time needed for your shipment, the applicable Incoterm as well as cargo type, weight and dimension. There are, nevertheless, other factors such as special handling of your cargo – an unavoidable request when shipping, say, hazardous goods - that may add to the cost.

FOB and CIF Incoterms often generate confusion among shippers, since the agreement terms can sometimes be misleading. The basic difference between the two lies in the extent of the responsibility held by the buyer and the seller. According to the FOB terms, sellers hold liability of the goods until they’re loaded on the vessel. Under CIF, however, sellers hold on to this responsibility until the goods arrive at the destination port.

Standard dry shipping containers – as their name suggests – are suitable for transportation of dry goods and, more specifically, non-perishable goods. This type of container doesn’t include refrigeration or ventilation systems which is why it is not recommended for sensitive cargo but it is available in different sizes, which allows shippers to choose the best container according to the volume of their shipment.

With standardization of containers' dimensions and capacities in dry shipping containers, importers and exporters have an interesting number of options. By way of example, the smallest one (20ft) offers 1,172 CFT / 33.2 CBM of volume capacity while the 45ft HQ – the highest in capacity– is 3,122 CFT / 88.4 CBM. Shippers should nevertheless consider going for a Shared Container (LCL) when not dealing with high-volume cargo.

As a general rule of thumb, paperwork required for ocean freight can be sorted into two types: documents that you will invariably have to deal with regardless of the details of your shipment – a Bill of Lading, a commercial invoice or a packing list, for instance – and those that will vary according to aspects such as country-specific formalities or the type of goods involved in the transaction.