On this page9
South Florida handles a disproportionate share of United States trade with Latin America and the Caribbean, and the reason is structural rather than geographic. Frequency, consolidation depth and a concentration of forwarders and warehouses mean a shipper here can send five pallets on a weekly service to a market that would otherwise require waiting for a full container.
The three gateways
PortMiami and Port Everglades both run frequent regional container services, with Everglades strong on the Caribbean and Central America. Miami International Airport carries the air freight that ocean cannot serve on time, and is one of the busiest cargo airports for Latin American traffic.
For most shippers the difference between the two seaports is service frequency to their specific destination and drayage cost from their warehouse. Both sit close to the same warehouse cluster, so either can be used.
Why consolidation matters more here than the rate
Order sizes into the region are small and frequent. Distributors and retailers hold limited stock and reorder, and they finance inventory at rates that make large purchases unattractive. That makes weekly consolidated departures more valuable than a marginally lower container rate.
A shipper joining an existing weekly consolidation sends what it has when it has it. A shipper waiting to fill a container ships when the container fills, which is a different business entirely. The mechanics are in LCL container shipping, and the cost drivers in what drives LCL shipping costs.
Transit expectations
Caribbean destinations are days rather than weeks on the water from South Florida. Our Miami LCL data shows transit from Miami to the destination port of 1 day to the Bahamas (Freeport), 2 days to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, 3 days to St Maarten, 4 days to Antigua, 5 days to St Lucia, 6 days to Barbados and 7 days to Grenada. Guyana runs 9 days and French Guiana (Degrad des Cannes) 11 days.
| Miami to | Transit | Arrival day | 5 cbm / 1,500 kg total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas (Freeport) | 1 day | Tuesday to Friday | $940 |
| Turks and Caicos (Providenciales) | 2 days | Monday and Saturday | $980 |
| St Maarten | 3 days | Sunday | $815 |
| Antigua | 4 days | Monday | $1,035 |
| St Lucia (Castries) | 5 days | Tuesday | $900 |
| Barbados | 6 days | Wednesday | $795 |
| Grenada | 7 days | Thursday | $1,095 |
| Guyana | 9 days | Saturday | $1,005 |
The totals are our quotes for a 5 cbm, 1,500 kg reference shipment on FCA terms. Weight is 1.5 tons against 5 cbm, so volume sets the chargeable figure. For the destination detail, see our guides for the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica, and the Caribbean overview in Caribbean transshipment hubs.
Larger markets from Miami
The Spanish-speaking and larger English-speaking markets run on separate rotations. Our quotes for the same 5 cbm, 1,500 kg reference shipment on FCA terms from Miami:
| Miami to | Estimated transit | 5 cbm / 1,500 kg total |
|---|---|---|
| Dominican Republic | 3 days | $635 |
| Puerto Rico | 3 days | $705 |
| Trinidad | 8 days | $985 |
| Jamaica | 4 days | $1,000 |
| Belize | 6 days | $1,020 |
| Haiti | 4 days | $1,050 |
| Grand Cayman | 5 days | $1,230 |
These transit times are estimates and the quote confirms the sailing. Detail for each market is in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and the Cayman Islands.
Central and northern South America are longer on the water, and the southern cone longer again. In every case the port and clearance days at destination decide the delivered date, not the sailing. Countries differ enormously in clearance speed, so budget free time accordingly and read demurrage and detention before committing to a delivery date.
The re-export flow
A large part of Miami's role is transloading cargo that arrives from Asia or Europe and leaves again for the region. Goods land, are stripped in a warehouse, are re-consolidated into destination-specific containers, and re-export. That saves the importer from buying full containers per country, and it lets a distributor serve a dozen markets from a single inventory position.
Where duty deferral matters, bonded and foreign trade zone space keeps goods outside US commerce until they leave again. Our warehousing service and gateway logistics are built around that pattern, and Panama plays the same role further south, as covered in Panama as a distribution hub.
The regimes behind duty deferral
- Public bonded warehouse. 19 CFR 19.1 defines a Class 3 warehouse as a public bonded warehouse used exclusively for storing imported merchandise. Our headquarters warehouse in Miami is a Class 3 CBP bonded warehouse, part of four facilities with more than 300,000 square feet in total.
- Manipulation in bond. A Class 8 warehouse is a bonded warehouse set up for cleaning, sorting, repacking or otherwise changing the condition of imported merchandise, but not manufacturing it, under Customs supervision.
- Foreign trade zone. Foreign merchandise that has not been manipulated or manufactured so as to change its tariff classification can be given privileged foreign status on application to the port director on Customs Form 214 (19 CFR 146.41).
- Transportation and exportation entry. Under 19 U.S.C. 1553, a T&E entry is authorized for any merchandise except the classes excluded in 19 CFR 18.1(l), and it is filed through a CBP-approved electronic system (19 CFR 18.20).
Cargo moving under these regimes still files advance data. For shipments in-bond as immediate exportation (IE) or transportation and exportation (T&E), the importer security filing data is due 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port (19 CFR 149.2). The cargo declaration lists foreign cargo remaining on board, FROB, separately from cargo discharged in the United States (19 CFR 4.7a). The AES filing for the leg out of Miami goes to the carrier at least 24 hours before loading (19 CFR 192.14). See AMS filing for ocean freight for the inbound side.
The Asia leg into Miami
The re-export model starts with the inbound leg. In our transit data the China origins reach Miami in 18 days from Shanghai, 35 days from Qingdao, 35 days from Shenzhen and 37 days from Ningbo, and a consolidation from Shanghai reaches Freeport, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados and Grenada in 19, 22, 23, 24 and 25 days. For the Dominican Republic, the China to Caribbean range runs 21 to 40 days across the origins, and for Jamaica and Antigua 22 to 41 days. The rates in these tables were last refreshed on 21 July 2026. The lane is covered in shipping from China to the Caribbean and China to Caribbean transit times.
Who runs the Miami flow
Interworld Freight was founded in 1992 by John Crespo, is headquartered in Miami and serves more than 14,000 clients across 43 or more destinations. The company operates four offices of its own, with addresses in the USA, Panama, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, and four facilities with more than 300,000 square feet in total, anchored by its headquarters warehouse in Miami. The warehouse is a Class 3 CBP bonded warehouse open to public storage, and consolidation for the Miami departures runs through Miami. More on the company is on our about page.
Planning the export from Miami
Three clocks run before a Miami departure. The warehouse cut-off for the weekly consolidation comes first. The export filing in the Automated Export System follows, and the carrier needs its citation at least 24 hours before loading unless the commodity value per Schedule B number is $2,500 or less (19 CFR 192.14, 15 CFR 30.37). Used self-propelled vehicles run on a longer rule: CBP needs the vehicle and its title documents 72 hours before export (19 CFR 192.2). Work back from the arrival weekday of your lane to the cut-off, subtract the transit days in the table above, and send the invoice and packing list at booking so the filing is not waiting on documents.
What to check before choosing this route
- Frequency of service to your specific destination, not to the region
- Whether your forwarder consolidates in-house or buys space from another consolidator
- Warehouse cut-off day versus vessel cut-off
- Destination clearance profile and free days
- Whether your buyer can act as importer, or whether you need a delivered arrangement
FAQ
Why does so much Latin American cargo move through Miami?
Frequency and consolidation depth. The concentration of services and warehouses means small shipments get weekly departures to markets across the region, with set arrival weekdays on each lane.
Is Port Everglades or PortMiami better?
The answer is set by your destination's service pattern and your drayage cost. Compare the sailing schedule to your port and the trucking from your warehouse to each terminal. Both serve the region.
Can I ship less than a container to Latin America?
Yes. Consolidated services out of South Florida are the normal way small volumes move into the region. Our reference quote for 5 cbm and 1,500 kg runs from $795 to Barbados to $1,095 to Grenada.
How long does clearance take at destination?
Each country sets its own clearance process and its own free time. Check the destination guide and plan free time around the slower profile rather than the best case.
Can goods be re-exported without paying US duty?
Yes, under bonded warehouse, foreign trade zone and transportation and exportation entry regimes, subject to the conditions of each: the goods stay under CBP control and the export is documented.
How long is the transit from Miami to the Caribbean?
From 1 day to the Bahamas (Freeport) to 7 days to Grenada, and 9 days to Guyana. The quote lists the arrival weekday for each lane.
How long does cargo from China take to reach the Caribbean through our network?
A consolidation from Shanghai quotes at 22 days to Antigua and 24 days to Barbados, and from Shenzhen at 39 and 41 days. The same Shanghai origin reaches Miami in 18 days and Shenzhen in 35 days.
Which documents does a Miami export need?
The commercial invoice, the packing list and the AES filing citation, which the carrier needs at least 24 hours before loading. See commercial invoice requirements and packing list requirements for the content of each.
Building a Latin American distribution flow through Florida? Talk to our Miami team about frequency and consolidation.
Ready to ship your freight?
