You ship to Haiti by ocean (FCL or LCL) directly to Port-au-Prince, Lafito or Cap-Haïtien, or by air where an airport is accepting cargo; LCL from Miami takes about 4 days, and the AGD clears entries on SYDONIA, charging national-tariff duty, a 5% verification fee and a 10% turnover tax. Haiti sits close to Miami on short-sea and feeder services, yet it is one of the hardest Caribbean markets to clear cargo into. It applies its own national tariff rather than the CARICOM Common External Tariff, and a large share of inbound freight is donated or tax-exempt cargo for NGOs that clears only with a ministerial exemption (the "franchise"). Since October 2, 2026, customs no longer accepts third-country goods trucked in under transit through a neighboring country, and operating conditions at Port-au-Prince terminals and its airport change, so the port of entry has to be confirmed at booking. Shippers who prepare documents and exemptions before the vessel sails avoid most of the storage cost that Haiti is known for.
Miami to Port-au-Prince is the shortest ocean lane into Haiti, at about 4 days for LCL; air takes 1 to 4 days where airports are open, and Asia 35 to 50 days.
| Route & mode | Transit | Indicative cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami to Port-au-Prince, LCL (5 CBM / 1,500 kg) | about 4 days | about $1,050 (IWF published LCL rate, September 2026; excludes destination duties, taxes and local charges) | relief kits, distributor restocks, equipment under a full box |
| USA (Miami, East Coast) to Port-au-Prince or Lafito, FCL 20ft/40ft | 3 to 7 days from Florida | quote on request | food, building materials, bulk relief supplies |
| USA to Cap-Haïtien, FCL or LCL | 1 to 2 weeks | quote on request | northern consignees, Caracol-area operations |
| Miami to Haiti, air | 1 to 4 days, subject to airport status | quote on request | medical supplies, spares, urgent documents |
| China / Asia or Europe to Haiti, FCL or LCL | 35 to 50 days | quote on request | factory orders, solar and electrical equipment |
Transit is port to port. Confirm terminal and airport status with your forwarder before committing to a delivery date, then follow the eight steps below.
Shipping to Haiti follows eight steps, and the first four happen before the cargo leaves Miami or origin.
Steps 2 and 3 are decided mainly by the US leg, which carries most of Haiti's imports.
Yes, you can ship commercial cargo from the USA to Haiti, and Miami is the shortest and most frequent gateway: LCL from Miami to Port-au-Prince runs about 4 days in transit on the IWF published lane. The US is Haiti's main source of imports. The reference rate is about $1,050 for 5 CBM / 1,500 kg (IWF published LCL rate, September 2026; excludes destination duties, taxes and local charges), quoted FCA Miami CFS to Port-au-Prince. Like shipping to Turks and Caicos, the Haiti lane from Miami is a short-sea run measured in days, not weeks.
LCL is the default for Haitian importers and NGOs shipping under 15 CBM: goods from several US suppliers are delivered to a Miami CFS, consolidated, and loaded into one Haiti-bound container. For larger programs (food aid, construction materials, generators), a 20ft or 40ft FCL from Miami keeps the cargo under one seal from origin to the consignee's yard, which matters on this lane. Interworld Freight handles container shipping to Haiti in both modes, with Miami warehousing for staging relief or project cargo until a site is ready to receive it.
Air freight is the option for medical supplies, cold-chain pharmaceuticals and critical spares, but routing depends on airport operating status. A Federal Aviation Administration NOTAM prohibits US air carriers and US-registered operators from flying below 10,000 feet in the Port-au-Prince area from September 1, 2026 until March 2, 2027; operations elsewhere in Haiti, such as Cap-Haïtien, are outside the prohibited zone. Air cargo planning must therefore check which carriers and airports (Toussaint Louverture in Port-au-Prince, or Cap-Haïtien in the north) are accepting shipments at the time of booking. Our Caribbean air freight team confirms the available routing before you commit.
Overland routing through the Dominican Republic is no longer an option for third-country goods. Under an AGD notice dated October 2, 2026, goods from third countries destined for the Haitian market cannot enter Haiti under the overland transit regime, and controls at land border points have been reinforced. Cross-border trade in goods produced or manufactured in the Dominican Republic is not affected; cargo for Santo Domingo itself follows the rules in our guide to shipping to the Dominican Republic. The same direct-routing rule governs cargo from Asia and Europe.
Asian cargo reaches Haiti in 35 to 50 days port to port, relayed by ocean via Panama, Kingston or other Caribbean hubs to Lafito or Port-au-Prince. Kingston's role as a relay hub is covered in our guide to shipping to Jamaica. European cargo follows the same relay pattern in three to six weeks. The cargo must be manifested to and declared at the Haitian port of discharge: the AGD notice on dry ports and transshipment states that no foreign dry port, transshipment center or transit platform is a recognized customs entry point, and that third-country goods must be routed directly to Haitian seaports or international airports. For order sizes, Chinese consolidation points and when LCL beats FCL from Asia, see our dedicated guide on shipping from China to Haiti, and for less-than-container loads the LCL shipping from China to Haiti service.
Many Haiti importers bring Asian and European goods into Miami first, then forward them to Haiti by sea with US cargo. That approach lets you inspect and relabel goods, combine several origins into one Haitian entry, and release cargo to Haiti only when the franchise or import permit is approved. Every routing ends at one of six Haitian gateways.
Haiti's cargo gateways are Port-au-Prince and the private Lafito terminal for the capital, and Cap-Haïtien for the north.
Imports clear through the Administration Générale des Douanes (AGD), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, on SYDONIA (the French-language name for ASYCUDA), and commercial entries are filed by a licensed Haitian customs broker. AGD reviews documents, determines tariff classification and valuation, and collects duties and taxes.
The broker also handles the import notice and coordination with the terminal, and AGD publishes declaration status and its national tariff on its website. The payment in step 5 is where Haiti's tax stack shows up.
Haiti charges import duty under its own national tariff, then a 5% verification fee, a 10% turnover tax and a 2% CFGDCT, with excise on specific goods. The U.S. Commercial Service guide to Haiti import tariffs notes that Haiti does not currently grant tariff preferences to any country; it will do so when the relevant provisions of the CARICOM Treaty come into effect. On top of import duty, expect:
Because the verification fee and TCA compound on top of duty, landed cost in Haiti is materially higher than freight alone suggests. Exemptions exist for NGO food and medical equipment with certification, educational materials, diplomatic goods and agricultural equipment. For a side-by-side view of how Haiti's charges compare with CARICOM CET islands, see our overview of Caribbean import duties and taxes. AGD verifies every one of these charges against the shipping documents.
A Haitian entry needs a signed bill of lading or air waybill, the original commercial invoice, a freight cost certificate and any permit or exemption the goods require:
The permit and franchise lines on that list depend on what the cargo is.
Firearms, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, plants and animal products need a licence before shipment, according to the U.S. Commercial Service guide to Haiti import requirements.
With permits and screening in place, the mode decision comes down to volume and urgency.
LCL from Miami is the right mode for 2 to 15 CBM to Haiti, FCL above 15 CBM, and air only when a carrier and airport are accepting cargo.
Food, fuel, construction materials and consumer goods make up most of Haiti's imports, sourced largely from the US and the Dominican Republic, with manufactured goods and solar and electrical equipment from Asia. Humanitarian organizations, NGOs and international agencies are a major freight category in their own right: medical supplies, water and sanitation equipment, shelter materials and food aid, much of it under exemption.
Exports are led by apparel assembled in Haiti for the US market, notably from industrial parks such as Caracol near Cap-Haïtien, followed by agricultural products such as mango, coffee and essential oils. For relief agencies and NGOs, the next step is building a reliable pipeline for exempt cargo, which our follow-up on shipping humanitarian and NGO relief cargo to Haiti covers step by step.
The right forwarder for Haiti earns its fee before the cargo sails: confirming terminal and airport status, routing cargo directly to a Haitian port of entry, preparing documents that match what AGD will verify, and making sure the franchise or permit is in motion so cargo does not sit in storage. Interworld Freight was founded in Miami in 1992 and moves ocean FCL and LCL, air freight and customs coordination from its Miami hub, with warehousing to stage cargo until release is assured. We cover every major trade lane into Port-au-Prince, Lafito and Cap-Haïtien, and quotes are answered within one business day.
Yes. Commercial cargo ships from Miami by sea to Port-au-Prince, Lafito or Cap-Haïtien, as LCL or full containers, and by air where a carrier and airport are accepting cargo. Since October 2, 2026, third-country goods can no longer be trucked into Haiti under transit through the Dominican Republic, so ship directly to a Haitian port.
LCL from Miami to Port-au-Prince takes about 4 days in transit on the IWF published lane. Full containers from Florida take 3 to 7 days. Customs, verification and any exemption approval add time after arrival.
The IWF published LCL rate from Miami to Port-au-Prince is about $1,050 for 5 CBM / 1,500 kg (September 2026), quoted FCA Miami CFS to Port-au-Prince. It excludes Haitian duties, taxes and local charges. Full container and air rates are quoted per shipment.
A SYDONIA declaration filed by a customs broker, a signed bill of lading or air waybill, the original commercial invoice, packing list, freight cost certificate, the importer's tax clearance and a certificate of origin. Food, pharmaceuticals and other licensed goods also need permits, and exempt cargo needs an approved franchise.
Import duty under Haiti's national tariff (not the CARICOM CET), a 5% verification fee on CIF, a 10% turnover tax (TCA) on the duty-inclusive value, and a 2% CFGDCT on most goods. Excise applies to vehicles, fuel, tobacco and alcohol.
No US embargo applies to trade with Haiti. OFAC sanctions target specific Haitian gangs and individuals, so screen every consignee, agent and service provider against the SDN List before shipping.
NGOs import duty-free with a per-shipment franchise. The NGO registers with the Ministry of Planning, obtains a fiscal identification number from the DGI, and then requests the franchise through its line ministry; the Ministry of Economy and Finance grants it, and it is presented to customs before release.
Only when a carrier and airport are accepting cargo at the time of booking. An FAA NOTAM prohibits US carriers and US-registered operators from operating in the Port-au-Prince area until March 2, 2027, so routing (carrier and airport, including Cap-Haïtien, which is outside the zone) must be confirmed at booking.
Photo: Container offloading at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Maj. Paul Hayes, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.