How shipping from China to Haiti works
There is no direct China-to-Haiti service. Cargo leaves a Chinese port on a mainline transpacific vessel, relays at a regional hub, and completes the journey on a feeder.
The two hubs that matter are Kingston, on the Windward Passage and close to the mainline Asia-to-US-East-Coast route, and Caucedo in the Dominican Republic, which is geographically the nearest major container facility to Haiti and well connected onward. Cartagena and the Panamanian terminals also feed the lane.
Haiti's proximity to two of the region's largest transshipment hubs is a genuine structural advantage on paper. The constraint is not connectivity, it is what happens after discharge, and that is where planning effort belongs. The relay mechanics themselves are covered in Caribbean transshipment hubs.
How long it takes, leg by leg
Plan for 34 to 48 days end to end on a consolidated shipment and 30 to 43 days on a full container.
- Origin consolidation, 3 to 7 days. LCL only.
- Main ocean leg, 22 to 32 days. China to the relay hub.
- Relay dwell, 3 to 10 days.
- Feeder leg, 2 to 5 days. Hub to a Haitian port.
- Deconsolidation, 2 to 5 days. LCL only.
- Customs clearance, 1 to 7 days. Wider than the regional norm; plan for the upper end.
The realistic schedule risk on this lane concentrates at destination rather than in transit. Port throughput, inspection queues and local security conditions have a larger effect on when cargo actually reaches a consignee than anything that happens between Yantian and Kingston. Build buffer into the destination leg rather than the ocean leg, which is the opposite of the advice that applies on most Caribbean lanes. Regional comparisons are in China to Caribbean transit times.
What it costs and what drives the number
This is the section that matters most, because the headline number circulating in most guides is not the number you pay.
| Component | Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight | Per CBM (LCL) or per container (FCL) | Standard |
| Origin and destination CFS | Per shipment or per CBM | LCL only |
| Terminal handling, both ends | Flat | — |
| Customs brokerage | Per entry | — |
| Import duty | HS code | Assessed on CIF |
| Verification fee 5% | of CIF | Customs inspection verification. Waived for goods in transit, storage or temporary entry regimes, and for diplomatic and personal effects |
| TCA 10% | On CIF plus duty, inspection fee and excise | The general consumption tax |
| Special Duty 1% | of CIF | — |
| Territorial collectivities contribution 2% | of CIF, some food products | Applies to specific food categories |
Read the stack rather than the headline. Before the TCA is applied at all, a shipment has already accrued 6% of CIF in verification fee and Special Duty, and food categories can add a further 2%. The TCA is then computed on a base that includes duty, the inspection fee and any excise, so the fees compound into the tax rather than sitting beside it.
The CIF base therefore matters unusually much here, because almost every charge in the stack is calculated on it. Freight and insurance are inside the base for the duty, the verification fee, the Special Duty and the territorial contribution simultaneously. Reducing the freight component reduces four separate charges, not one, which makes buying FOB and booking your own freight more valuable on this lane than on any other in the region. The reasoning is in Incoterms for importing from China, and the general cost anatomy in China to Caribbean shipping cost.
LCL, FCL or air: choosing for Haiti
Deconsolidation capacity is thinner than at the region's major gateways, which pushes the breakeven earlier than the generic numbers suggest, and the additional handling exposure argues the same way.
- Under roughly 10 to 12 CBM: consolidated shipping still wins on cost.
- 12 to 18 CBM: price both ways, and weight the FCL side for the reduced handling.
- Above roughly 18 CBM: a full container usually wins.
A sealed container discharged and moved intact also spends less time in the part of the process with the most variance, which on this lane is worth more than the marginal cost difference for anything time-sensitive or valuable.
Interworld Freight runs the consolidated option as a single service from origin CFS in China through Haitian clearance: LCL shipping from China to Haiti. For full containers see container shipping to Haiti, and for the mode decision generally, LCL vs FCL for Caribbean imports.
Ports of entry in Haiti
Port-au-Prince is the principal gateway, serving the capital and the largest concentration of commerce, handled through the Caribbean Port Services terminal among others.
Lafito, north of the capital, is a modern deep-water facility built to handle larger vessels and higher throughput than the older infrastructure allows. For containerised cargo it is frequently the better option and its share of the trade has grown accordingly.
Cap-Haïtien on the north coast serves that region and is the natural entry point for consignees in the north, avoiding a long and sometimes difficult inland movement from the capital.
Port selection here is a more consequential decision than in most of the region. Match the port to where the cargo is actually going rather than defaulting to the capital, because the inland leg in Haiti carries real cost, time and risk.
Customs clearance in Haiti
Imports are administered by the Administration Générale des Douanes (AGD).
- The importer needs a NIF, the Numéro d'Identification Fiscale, which is the identifier customs and the tax authority work from. It also governs exemption status where one applies.
- Importers complete a digitized import notice on the AGD's automated customs platform.
- A licensed Haitian customs broker then lodges the declaration in SYDONIA, Haiti's automated customs system. Broker representation is standard for commercial cargo.
- Duty is assessed by HS code on the CIF value.
- The verification fee of 5% of CIF applies to the inspection process, waived for goods in transit, storage or temporary entry regimes and for diplomatic missions and personal effects.
- TCA at 10% is charged on the CIF value plus duty, the inspection fee and any excise duties.
- Special Duty at 1% of CIF applies, and a 2% territorial collectivities contribution on some food products.
- The AGD issues a release order once payment is confirmed and inspection is complete.
Haiti is a CARICOM member, but CARICOM duty-free treatment covers goods of CARICOM origin. It does nothing for a container from China, which pays the applicable duty rate in full. The regional position on preferential regimes is in Caribbean import duties and taxes.
What importers actually bring in from China
The Haitian import mix from China runs heavily to construction and building materials, textiles and apparel inputs for the garment assembly sector, consumer goods and household items, agricultural and light industrial equipment, and packaging.
Two categories carry specific implications. Garment sector inputs move under temporary entry and re-export arrangements in some cases, which is precisely the situation in which the verification fee is waived, so the classification of the regime matters as much as the classification of the goods. And food products attract the additional 2% territorial contribution, which importers of packaged foods routinely omit from their landed cost until it appears on the entry.
Where these shipments fail
- Budgeting 10% and finding 18%. The TCA is the headline, not the total. Verification fee, Special Duty and, for food, the territorial contribution all sit on CIF alongside it.
- Defaulting to Port-au-Prince. If the consignee is in the north, Cap-Haïtien avoids a costly inland leg. If throughput matters, Lafito is frequently the better facility.
- Building buffer into the wrong leg. On this lane the variance is at destination, not in transit. Plan the clearance and inland legs generously and the ocean leg normally.
- Assuming CARICOM membership helps. It covers CARICOM-origin goods. Chinese goods pay in full.
- Accepting a CIF price from the supplier without pricing the freight. Almost every charge in the Haitian stack is calculated on CIF, so padding in the freight line is multiplied across four separate charges.
- Booking at the LCL cutoff rather than before it. A missed sailing means a missed relay connection behind it.
Interworld Freight is a global freight forwarder headquartered in Miami, running transpacific consolidation from China alongside its transatlantic, Middle East and Oceania trades, with Hispaniola among its longest-established Caribbean lanes. The wider lane picture is in shipping from China to the Caribbean, and the neighbouring market, which shares hubs but almost nothing else, in shipping from China to the Dominican Republic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does shipping from China to Haiti take?
Plan for 34 to 48 days end to end on a consolidated shipment and 30 to 43 days on a full container. There is no direct service, so cargo relays through Kingston or Caucedo before a feeder leg into a Haitian port. Clearance can run wider than the regional norm, so build buffer into the destination leg rather than the ocean leg.
What taxes and fees apply to imports into Haiti?
More than the headline rate suggests. Import duty by HS code on the CIF value, a customs verification fee of 5% of CIF, TCA at 10% charged on CIF plus duty, inspection fee and excise, a Special Duty of 1% of CIF, and for some food products a territorial collectivities contribution of 2% of CIF. The verification fee is waived for goods in transit, storage or temporary entry regimes and for diplomatic and personal effects.
Which Haitian port should my cargo arrive at?
Port-au-Prince for the capital and the main commercial centre, Lafito for a modern deep-water facility with higher throughput, and Cap-Haïtien for consignees in the north. Port selection matters more here than in most of the region, because the inland leg carries real cost, time and risk. Match the port to the final destination rather than defaulting to the capital.
Does Haiti's CARICOM membership reduce duty on Chinese goods?
No. CARICOM duty-free treatment applies to goods certified as being of CARICOM origin. A container manufactured in China pays the applicable Haitian duty rate in full, along with the TCA and the associated fees.
What is the verification fee in Haiti?
A customs inspection charge of 5% of the CIF value, applied as part of the import verification process. It is waived for goods in transit, in storage or under temporary entry regimes, and for goods imported by diplomatic missions or as personal effects. Because it is calculated on CIF, a lower freight cost reduces it directly.
Should I use a consolidated shipment or a full container to Haiti?
Consolidated shipping still wins on cost below roughly 10 to 12 CBM, but the breakeven arrives earlier here than at the region's major gateways because deconsolidation capacity is thinner and the additional handling carries more exposure. Between 12 and 18 CBM, price both and weight the full-container side. Above roughly 18 CBM a container usually wins outright.