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Container Shipping in the
United States of America

CONTAINER SHIPPING IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA

DTL GROUP is your partner for transportation and shipping around the world.

Shipping services to and from the United States of America provide flexible solutions, ongoing support and customs handling thanks to the expert logistics team and partner network located all over the world.

Organizing a container shipment to and from the United States of America requires the necessary documentation and knowledge of freight information to enable the export and/or import of goods from one country to another. Here you will find a selection of shipping options to and from the United States of America depending on volume, weight and delivery time to ship anything and everything at the best price.

Local solutions

Documents required for container shipping to the United States of America

Container shipping to and from the United States of America requires the submission of three important documents to customs:
  • Bill of lading: a document produced by the ocean carrier and used by the seller and buyer as a means of transferring ownership of the cargo at a particular point in the shipment based on agreed Incoterms.

  • Container bill of lading and commercial invoice for the cargo: documents required to enable the customs clearance process in the country of destination.

What are the Incoterms for shipping to the United States of America?

Incoterms are rules established by the International Chamber of Commerce that define the terms of exchange between seller and buyer for the sale of goods worldwide.
FOB – Free On Board, the buyer assumes the shipping costs from the port of origin, thus also the choice of shipping company and timing.
Instead, the buyer is responsible for all expenses once the container has been loaded on the ship, which include ocean transport costs to the destination customs and shipping costs.

Special information for shipping to the United States of America

Two documents required exclusively in the United States are the Automated Export System (AES) for export shipments and the Import Security Filing (ISF) for import shipments. The AES is an export declaration to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the purpose of registration with the Census Bureau and must be completed 2 hours prior to the departure of the shipment from a port in the United States. ISF import security filing, also known as 10+2, is a pre-declaration to CBP of imported goods that must be completed at least 24 hours prior to the ship’s departure for its last voyage bound for the United States.

However, exceptions to these rules can also occur.
Informazioni speciali per la spedizione negli Stati Uniti d’America
Due documenti richiesti esclusivamente negli Stati Uniti sono l’Automated Export System (AES) per le spedizioni in esportazione e l’Import Security Filing (ISF) per le spedizioni in importazione. L’AES è una dichiarazione di esportazione alla dogana e alla protezione delle frontiere degli Stati Uniti (CBP) ai fini della registrazione presso l’ufficio censimento e deve essere completata 2 ore prima della partenza della spedizione da un porto negli Stati Uniti. Il deposito di sicurezza all’importazione ISF, noto anche come 10+2, è una pre-dichiarazione al CBP delle merci importate che deve essere completata almeno 24 ore prima della partenza della nave per l’ultimo viaggio diretto negli Stati Uniti.

Tuttavia, possono verificarsi anche eccezioni a queste regole.

Shipping information 

Informazioni di spedizione

Freight transportation times for container shipment to the United States of America.

  • Freight times for a container shipped to the United States can vary depending on several factors, such as the location of departure and arrival, the shipping service used, and shipping traffic conditions. As an example, the average transit time for shipping a container from Italy to the United States can range from 2 to 6 weeks.
  • It is important to consider that freight transit times, in addition to being affected by shipping routes and the shipping option chosen, can also vary due to unforeseen factors, such as adverse weather conditions, port congestion or particularly complex customs procedures.
  • Contact DTL GROUP customer service or request a quote to arrange your shipment and find out the transportation time according to your needs.

Insurance for container shipment to the United States of America.

Insurance is not compulsory for shipments to or from the United States of America, but the transportation of goods can involve various risks. DTL GROUP recommends cargo insurance to protect your cargo during transportation.

DTL GROUP offers freight insurance coverage to protect your company from property damage, theft, or delay of cargo during shipment and ensure safe transit, whether air, sea, or land shipments from the point of departure to the point of destination.

Customs practices for shipping containers to the United States of America 

The process of clearing goods changes from country to country and even from port to port. Knowing in advance the customs clearance rules valid in United State of America allows you to cross the border without complications.

DTL GROUP, upon request, handles cargo clearance services for the shipper.

For import, the following are required:

  • Importer Security Filing (ISF, or “10+2”): deposit required by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for shipments by sea and must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the ship’s departure from the last foreign port of departure for the U.S.
  • Import license

Here is a list of the documents you need to provide to ship to or from United State of America:

  • Commercial invoices
  • Packing list
  • Bill of lading
  • HS codes of the cargo


Shipping options

Shipping options

FULL TRACK LOAD SHIPPING (FTL)

Do you need to transport voluminous
freight and need a full truckload?

FTL shipping is the best choice! The intermodal transport of a Full track load (FTL) involves a single truck with all sender’s goods, directed to only one destination. Freight is therefore transported in one-time delivery.

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GROUPAGE SHIPMENT OR LESS THAN CONTAINER LOAD (LCL)

If your freight takes up little space and does not fill an entire container, then groupage or less than container load (LCL) shipping is the best choice for your needs! Groupage shipping is a shipping method of combining goods from different senders and directed to the same destination in a single transport operation.

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CUSTOMIZED SHIPPING 

Customized shipping to satisfy all your needs! DTL GROUP proposes several customized freight for your loading and unloading operations to any destination.

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AS A partner

DTL GROUP is always looking for new partners to expand its network of shipping services worldwide.

Submit your company’s references here!