There is no direct sailing from China. Cargo leaves a Chinese port on a mainline transpacific vessel, relays at a hub, and arrives on a feeder.
The relay points are Kingston and Cartagena, the latter well connected to the southern Caribbean through Asia-to-Latin-America services. Caucedo also feeds the lane. Grenada sits at the southern end of the Windward chain, close to Trinidad, so some cargo routes via the southern network rather than the Windward Passage. Ask which relay is being quoted, because it changes the transit materially. See Caribbean transshipment hubs.
Plan for 36 to 50 days end to end on a consolidated shipment and 32 to 45 days on a full container.
Regional comparisons are in China to Caribbean transit times.
| Component | Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight | Per CBM (LCL) or per container (FCL) | Southern Windwards feeder |
| Origin and destination CFS | Per shipment or per CBM | LCL only |
| Terminal handling, both ends | Flat | — |
| Customs brokerage | Per entry | — |
| Import duty | 0% to 45% by HS code | Wider than the CET headline suggests |
| VAT 15% | On customs value plus duty, due at the same time as duty | — |
| Customs Service Charge 3–6% | On all imports | Not a duty; omitted from most tariff comparisons |
Two planning points follow. First, do not model duty from the CET bands alone; check the Grenadian rate for your specific classification, because the national schedule reaches considerably higher on some lines. Second, because VAT falls due at the same moment as duty, the full destination charge has to be funded in one payment at clearance rather than spread. For an importer running tight working capital, that timing is worth knowing before the vessel arrives, not at the counter.
The regional table is in Caribbean import duties and taxes, and the cost stack in China to Caribbean shipping cost.
St. George's has modest container handling capacity and a small container freight station market, which pushes the breakeven early.
Interworld Freight runs the consolidated option from origin CFS in China through local clearance: LCL shipping from China to Grenada. For full containers, container shipping to the Caribbean. The mode analysis is in LCL vs FCL for Caribbean imports.
St. George's is the principal cargo gateway, serving the capital, the main commercial centre and the tourism corridor around Grand Anse. All containerised imports route through here.
Carriacou and Petite Martinique are served onward from Grenada by inter-island vessel. Cargo destined for either is a separate leg with its own cost and timing.
Imports are administered by the Customs and Excise Division, with VAT administered alongside by the Inland Revenue Division.
CARICOM duty-free entry applies to goods of CARICOM origin only. Chinese-origin cargo pays the applicable rate in full.
Grenada's mix reflects tourism, an agricultural and spice-processing sector, an offshore university population and a resident market: construction and finishing materials, hospitality furniture, fixtures and equipment, consumer electronics and appliances, agricultural and processing equipment, furniture and household goods, and general retail.
Agricultural and food-processing equipment is worth flagging because it can fall into capital-goods classifications carrying much lower duty than finished consumer goods, and the difference on this island's wide tariff range is substantial. That is exactly the case where checking the specific rate before ordering, rather than assuming a band, changes the purchase decision.
Interworld Freight is a global freight forwarder headquartered in Miami, running transpacific consolidation from China alongside its transatlantic, Middle East and Oceania trades. The wider lane is in shipping from China to the Caribbean, and the neighbouring markets in shipping from China to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and shipping from China to Trinidad and Tobago.
Plan for 36 to 50 days end to end on a consolidated shipment and 32 to 45 days on a full container. Cargo relays through Kingston, Cartagena or Caucedo and arrives at St. George's on a feeder. Grenada sits at the southern end of the Windward chain, so some cargo routes via the southern network rather than the Windward Passage, which changes the transit materially.
Duty ranges from 0% to 45% by HS code, which is wider than the CARICOM Common External Tariff headline of 0% to 20% would suggest, so check your specific classification rather than assuming a band. VAT is charged at 15% on customs value plus duty, at the same rate as on locally produced goods, and it is due at the same time as the customs duty. A Customs Service Charge of 3% to 6% applies on top.
At the same time as the customs duty. That means the whole destination charge has to be funded in a single payment at clearance rather than spread, which is worth planning for before the vessel arrives if working capital is tight.
St. George's, serving the capital, the main commercial centre and the Grand Anse tourism corridor. Carriacou and Petite Martinique are served onward by inter-island vessel, which is a separate cost and schedule element.
No. CARICOM duty-free entry applies to goods certified as being of CARICOM origin. Chinese-manufactured goods pay the applicable Grenadian duty rate in full, plus VAT at 15% and the Customs Service Charge.
By classifying accurately rather than defaulting. Grenada's tariff range is wide, and agricultural, processing and capital equipment can attract materially lower rates than finished consumer goods. Checking the specific rate before placing the order, rather than assuming a band, is the highest-value preparation on this lane and can change the purchase decision itself.