Shipping from India to the United States
The longest of our main lanes and the most compliance-sensitive. FCL, LCL and air freight from Mumbai to the US East, Gulf and West Coasts, with the filings that matter flagged before the cargo loads.
Lane detail
The US lane at a glance
| Detail | What applies on this lane |
|---|---|
| Origin gateways | Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mumbai Air Cargo Complex, with inland collection across India. |
| Destination ports | New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston and Houston on the East and Gulf Coasts; Los Angeles and Long Beach on the West Coast. Air into JFK, ORD and LAX. |
| Sea transit, East Coast | Roughly 22–25 days port to port when services route via Suez. Carrier data puts Cape of Good Hope routings nearer 35–40 days. |
| Air transit, indicative | Typically 3–6 days airport to airport, depending on routing, space and whether the booking is express or consolidated. |
| Critical filing | An Importer Security Filing (ISF, commonly called 10+2) must be filed with US Customs before the cargo is loaded at origin. Late or missing ISF attracts penalties and holds. |
| Service types | FCL, LCL consolidation, air freight, temperature-controlled and hazardous cargo, door-to-door delivery. |
| Documentation | Shipping bill, HS classification, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, and any agency requirement the commodity attracts at the US end. |
Why Cargoking
Why the US lane is won or lost before loading
Most problems on this lane are not transit problems. They are filing problems. The Importer Security Filing has to be with US Customs before the vessel loads in India, and a late or inaccurate filing produces penalties and holds that no amount of sailing speed recovers.
Commodity-specific requirements add to that. Depending on what you ship, agencies beyond Customs may have an interest, and the time to establish that is at enquiry stage, not when the container is sitting at the destination terminal.
Transit itself is long and currently routing-dependent, so we quote against the service actually on offer and state whether it runs via Suez or the Cape. On a lane this long, an honest 35-day figure is worth more than an optimistic 22-day one.
- East, Gulf and West Coast ports
- ISF timing flagged before loading
- Routing stated: Suez or Cape
- Indian customs and DGFT handled in-house
How it runs
How a shipment to the USA is handled
Four stages, each owned by the same coordinator, so nothing is handed between companies while your cargo waits.
Enquiry and routing
Route, commodity, weight or volume and the date go in. Realistic options for the USA come back with the routing named, usually the same working day.
Documentation first
Shipping bill, classification and any permit the commodity needs are prepared and checked by our own Mumbai team before the cargo leaves your premises.
Booking and carriage
Space is contracted on the service quoted. Under our Multimodal Transport Operator licence a sea-plus-road movement runs on one document.
Destination and delivery
Clearance and onward delivery at the US end, reported back through the same coordinator who took your enquiry.
Pricing
One quotation, itemised, with the routing named
A rate without a named service behind it is not a quotation. On this lane we state the routing, the transhipment and the service the rate belongs to, so the delivery date you plan with is one you can defend to your buyer.
Every charge we control is listed. The ones we do not control, duties and statutory taxes, are named rather than buried, so the invoice matches what was agreed.
- Routing and transhipment named in the quote
- Customs and DGFT prepared in-house
- A named coordinator from enquiry to delivery
- Operations desk available 24/7
- 01Main carriageCarrier rate on the service and routing quoted
- 02Origin handlingPickup, export handling and terminal charges
- 03Customs and documentationShipping bill, classification and DGFT filings
- 04Destination chargesImport handling and clearance in United States
- 05Inland deliveryFinal leg to the consignee where agreed
Transit figures on this page are indicative ranges drawn from public carrier and port data. The quotation confirms the actual service, and duties and statutory taxes are listed separately because the authorities set them.
Common questions
Shipping to United States
To the US East Coast, roughly 22–25 days port to port when carriers route via Suez, and nearer 35–40 days when services route around the Cape of Good Hope. Air freight is typically 3–6 days airport to airport. Door-to-door adds cut-off, clearance and inland trucking at both ends.
The Importer Security Filing, often called 10+2, must be lodged with US Customs before the cargo is loaded at the origin port. It is the importer’s legal responsibility, usually executed by their US customs broker, and it depends on data we supply from the Indian end. Late or inaccurate filing attracts penalties and holds, so we make the timing explicit at booking.
It depends on where the consignee is and what the inland leg costs. East Coast ports suit the eastern seaboard and much of the Midwest; West Coast ports suit the west and can be faster via the Pacific. We price the realistic options with the inland leg included rather than comparing port-to-port figures that hide it.
Yes, through our agent network at destination, with the movement staying on one file and one coordinator from collection in India to the consignee.
Commercial invoice, packing list, shipping bill, Importer Exporter Code, correct HS classification and the transport document, plus a certificate of origin and any agency-specific requirement the commodity attracts. We prepare and check the set before handover.
Other lanes
Where else we move cargo
Moving cargo to United States?
Send the route, commodity, weight or volume and your target date. You will get a considered option with the routing named, usually the same working day.