You ship to the US Virgin Islands by ocean FCL or LCL into Crown Bay (St Thomas) or Krause Lagoon (St Croix), or by air into STT or STX; Florida FCL takes 5 to 10 days, needs EEI, clears CBP and pays 6% duty on foreign goods plus BIR excise. The flag is American and the currency is the dollar, but for freight the territory is not domestic. St Thomas, St John and St Croix sit outside the customs territory of the United States, so mainland cargo is treated as an export and cleared on arrival by US Customs and Border Protection applying Virgin Islands law, not US tariff law. Goods brought in for business, US-made or not, pay the territory's excise tax (4% for most goods), collected by the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). The Jones Act does not apply to the USVI, so foreign-flag vessels can carry cargo from US ports.
US Virgin Islands Shipping at a Glance: Transit Times and Options
A full container from Florida reaches St Thomas or St Croix in 5 to 10 days port to port, LCL takes 1 to 2 weeks including consolidation, air freight 1 to 3 days, and cargo from Asia 35 to 50 days.
| Route & mode | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Florida to St Thomas or St Croix, ocean LCL | 1 to 2 weeks including consolidation | mixed pallets, retail and hotel supplies |
| Florida to St Thomas or St Croix, ocean FCL 20ft/40ft | 5 to 10 days port to port | building materials, rebuild packages, vehicles |
| USA to St Thomas (STT) or St Croix (STX), air freight | 1 to 3 days | parts, medical supplies, urgent cargo |
| China/Asia to the USVI, ocean | 35 to 50 days via transshipment or via Miami | fixtures, furniture, equipment |
| Europe to the USVI, ocean | 3 to 5 weeks with one relay | specialist equipment and materials |
Freight rates change with fuel, season and space. Ask for a firm quote before you commit to a landed price.
How to Ship to the US Virgin Islands: Step by Step
Shipping to the US Virgin Islands follows eight steps, and the export filing at origin is the one US shippers miss:
- Classify the goods and record origin line by line. US-origin and foreign-origin goods are treated differently at entry, and regulated goods (food, plants, pharmaceuticals, chemicals) need permits or export licences before shipping.
- Choose the mode, the Incoterm and the island. Book Crown Bay for St Thomas (and St John, which is supplied via St Thomas) or Krause Lagoon for St Croix.
- Book from Florida or origin. Ocean services from Miami and other Florida ports call both islands, and foreign-flag carriers are eligible because the coastwise laws do not extend to the territory.
- Prepare the documents. Issue a commercial invoice showing the country of origin for each line, a matching packing list and a bill of lading or air waybill.
- File EEI in AES. Electronic Export Information is required for shipments from the United States or Puerto Rico to the USVI, under the same value and licensing thresholds as exports, before the cargo sails.
- Enter the cargo with CBP. On arrival, the importer or a customs broker files the entry with US Customs and Border Protection, which checks admissibility and assesses the Virgin Islands customs duty on foreign-origin goods.
- Pay duty, excise and the container tax. Duty goes to CBP; excise goes to the BIR at entry or, with a qualifying bond, by the 15th of the following month on Form 721V.I.
- Release and deliver. Once duty and excise obligations are met and any inspection is cleared, the cargo is released for delivery.
Most of this starts on the mainland, so the US leg comes first.
Shipping From the USA to the US Virgin Islands
Florida is the main gateway for US cargo to the US Virgin Islands: ocean services from Miami and other Florida ports call St Thomas and St Croix on regular rotations. Because the coastwise laws do not extend to the Virgin Islands, foreign-flag vessels can also carry US cargo to the territory, which widens the choice of services compared with the Jones Act lane described in our guide to shipping to Puerto Rico.
LCL suits the many shipments that do not fill a container: a restaurant restock, a villa's furniture, a few pallets of plumbing and electrical supplies. FCL is the standard for rebuild work: lumber, drywall, roofing, windows, cement, generators and steel move in 20ft and 40ft containers, and project cargo such as transformers or heavy equipment moves as flat rack or breakbulk. Our Caribbean container shipping service covers LCL and FCL out of Miami.
Air freight into Cyril E. King (STT) on St Thomas or Henry E. Rohlsen (STX) on St Croix is the answer for parts, medical supplies and anything that keeps a hotel, utility or job site running. Our Caribbean air freight service runs out of Miami.
The step US shippers miss: EEI filing. Under 15 CFR 30.2, shipments from the United States or Puerto Rico to the US Virgin Islands require EEI in the Automated Export System, under the same value and licensing thresholds that apply to exports. Your forwarder can file it, but the commercial data must be complete before the cargo sails.
Shipping From China, Asia and Europe to the US Virgin Islands
Cargo from China, Asia and Europe reaches the US Virgin Islands on a mainline vessel to a Caribbean hub and then a regional feeder, or through a US port and onward from Florida, in 35 to 50 days total from Asia. Crown Bay itself acts as a transshipment port for other islands, so feeder connections into St Thomas are frequent. Our guide to Caribbean transshipment hubs covers how relay choice affects transit.
Two routing options suit most importers. A direct booking from Asia to St Thomas or St Croix works for full containers of a single product. For mixed purchases, consolidating Asian and US cargo in Miami and shipping one LCL or FCL to the territory gives you one arrival and one clearance. Foreign-origin goods pay the Virgin Islands customs duty on entry, whatever the routing.
European cargo follows the same pattern, three to five weeks with one relay. It is foreign-origin and dutiable on arrival in the USVI. Both routings end at the same two container terminals.
Which Ports and Airports Handle Cargo in the US Virgin Islands?
Container cargo enters the US Virgin Islands through two Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) terminals, Crown Bay on St Thomas and the Wilfred Allick Transshipment Center on St Croix, and air cargo through STT and STX.
- Crown Bay Cargo Port, St Thomas: the Virgin Islands Port Authority's 20-acre cargo terminal near Charlotte Amalie, with a 2,720-foot bulkhead and 30-foot maximum draft; handles containerized and general cargo and serves as a transshipment point for other islands.
- Wilfred Allick Transshipment Center, Krause Lagoon, St Croix: the Virgin Islands Port Authority's main container terminal on St Croix.
- Gallows Bay, Christiansted, St Croix: a local waterfront commercial area rather than a main container gateway.
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT): St Thomas's airport, with cargo handling facilities.
- Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX): St Croix's airport, with a 10,004-foot runway handling cargo and military aircraft as well as passenger traffic.
St John has no container terminal; its cargo moves via St Thomas and local barge services.
How Does Customs Clearance Work in the US Virgin Islands?
Every commercial import into the US Virgin Islands clears with CBP and is reported to the BIR for excise, because the USVI is outside the US customs territory under 19 CFR 7.2. The Secretary of the Treasury administers the customs laws of the territory through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but tariff classification and duty rates are set by the Virgin Islands Legislature. Where Virgin Islands law is silent, US law serves as a guide.
A commercial entry runs in this order:
- Export from the mainland: EEI filed in AES before departure; the carrier issues the bill of lading or air waybill.
- Arrival and entry: on arrival in St Thomas or St Croix, the importer or a customs broker files the entry with CBP, which checks admissibility and assesses the Virgin Islands customs duty on foreign-origin goods.
- Excise payment: goods brought in for business are cleared by CBP and the BIR together. The importer pays excise tax to the BIR at entry, or by the 15th of the following month if it holds a qualifying excise tax bond or a rider on its customs bond, filing Form 721V.I. through the BIR excise portal.
- Release: once duty and excise obligations are met and any inspection is cleared, the cargo is released.
Accurate country of origin is critical. US-origin goods and foreign-origin goods are treated differently, so a mixed shipment needs a line-by-line origin breakdown on the invoice. Cargo that continues to Tortola leaves US jurisdiction entirely and clears under a separate British territory regime, covered in our guide to shipping to the British Virgin Islands.
What Are the Import Duties and Taxes in the US Virgin Islands?
Foreign-origin goods pay a 6% Virgin Islands customs duty collected by CBP, unless the Legislature has exempted them, and almost all goods imported for business pay a BIR excise tax of 2% to 10% on the invoice value plus a 5% mark-up, with no VAT or sales tax at the border. The rules differ from both the mainland and Puerto Rico:
- Virgin Islands customs duty: federal law allows the Virgin Islands Legislature to levy a customs duty of up to 6% ad valorem on imported goods. Duty is imposed at 6% on goods manufactured or originating outside the United States; US-origin goods are not subject to it. CBP collects the duty on behalf of the territory, and the Legislature has exempted certain tourist and construction items.
- Excise tax: under Title 33 of the Virgin Islands Code, excise tax applies to goods manufactured in or brought into the Virgin Islands for sale, for processing or for any other business purpose, whatever their origin. According to the BIR tax structure booklet, the base is the invoice value plus a 5% mark-up, and the rates run by category: drugs, medicine and clothing 2%; tires 5%; firearms, ammunition and bicycles 10%; a "catch-all" 4% for items not specifically listed. Beer, liquor, cigarettes and carbonated drinks pay specific rates per case or carton.
- Excise exemptions: most foodstuffs, books and certain educational materials, fuel oil, animal and poultry feed, commercial fertilizers, goods brought in for export trade, and specified tourist and construction items (which are also exempt from customs duty). Exempt imports are still reported on Form 721-TC V.I. or 721 EP V.I.
- Container tax: $50 for each container or flat rack up to 39 feet and $100 for 40 feet and longer, payable by whoever brings the container in; transshipment and in-bond containers are exempt.
- Gross receipts tax: not a border charge, but importers selling locally pay 5% on gross business receipts, which shapes landed pricing.
- Recent history: collection of excise was stopped in 2018 after a federal court found that taxing importers but not local manufacturers violated the Commerce Clause. After litigation through the Third Circuit and back, the District Court lifted the injunction in December 2020, once the BIR showed an electronic system that applies the tax equally to importers and local manufacturers, and collection resumed on 1 January 2021.
Our overview of Caribbean import duties and taxes compares how the territory sits against its neighbors, from the free ports in our guide to shipping to Anguilla and St Maarten to the VAT islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Origin and value drive every one of these charges, so the documents have to carry them.
What Documents Are Required to Ship to the US Virgin Islands?
Shipping to the US Virgin Islands requires a commercial invoice with country of origin for each line, a packing list, a bill of lading or air waybill and the EEI confirmation for mainland cargo:
- Commercial invoice with seller, buyer, Incoterm, unit values and country of origin for each line
- Packing list matching the packages, with weights and dimensions
- Ocean bill of lading or air waybill
- EEI filing confirmation (AES ITN) for cargo from the US mainland or Puerto Rico
- Importer details for the CBP entry and BIR excise registration
- Permits or certificates for restricted goods (see below)
Restricted Goods and Import Permits in the US Virgin Islands
CBP checks admissibility on arrival in the US Virgin Islands, so food, plants, animal products, pharmaceuticals and regulated chemicals need the right permits and certificates before they ship. Exports from the mainland that need an export licence still need one when going to the USVI. Wood packaging should meet ISPM 15.
Vehicles, boats and heavy equipment move as FCL, RoRo or flat rack and are declared with full identification numbers. Hazardous materials such as fuel, gas cylinders, paints, solvents and lithium batteries must be declared and packed under IMDG for ocean and IATA or DOT rules for air, and space on hazmat-accepting sailings is limited.
LCL, FCL or Air Freight to the US Virgin Islands: Which to Choose?
For the US Virgin Islands, choose LCL below 12 to 15 CBM, FCL above it or for heavy rebuild materials, project cargo for oversized loads, and air for urgent or light consignments:
- Under 12 to 15 CBM: LCL. Pay by the cubic meter and share container space. Our explainer on LCL container shipping shows how consolidation works.
- Above 15 CBM, or heavy rebuild materials: FCL. Lumber, drywall, roofing and cement fill containers quickly, and a full box protects the load from extra handling.
- Oversized or heavy lift: project cargo. Transformers, generators and plant equipment move on flat racks or as breakbulk.
- Urgent or light: air. Under a few hundred kilograms, or when downtime is expensive, fly it into STT or STX.
Key Industries Shipping Freight to the US Virgin Islands
Construction and rebuilding drive the largest share of inbound freight to the US Virgin Islands. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck in 2017, the territory entered a long rebuild of homes, schools, hospitals, power and water infrastructure, and that work still pulls in building materials, electrical equipment, generators and heavy machinery. Port upgrades at Crown Bay and the airports add to the project cargo flow.
Tourism and retail are the other pillars. Hotels, villas, restaurants and cruise-linked businesses on St Thomas and St Croix import food, beverages, furniture, linens and equipment, and retailers bring in consumer goods weekly. For contractors and public agencies, the hard part is moving construction packages to two islands on schedule, which we cover in Shipping Construction and Rebuild Materials to St Thomas and St Croix.
Choosing a Freight Forwarder for the US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands reward a forwarder that treats the territory as an export: EEI filed correctly, origin declared line by line, and CBP and excise paperwork ready before arrival. Interworld Freight was founded in Miami in 1992 and runs its own Miami hub with warehousing, so purchases from US and Asian suppliers can be consolidated into one shipment. We handle ocean FCL and LCL, air freight and customs coordination, with coverage on every major trade lane. Start with our Miami to Caribbean freight forwarding service; quotes are answered within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shipping to the US Virgin Islands considered international?
For customs purposes, partly yes. The USVI is a US territory but sits outside the US customs territory under 19 CFR 7.2, so mainland cargo needs EEI in AES and clears CBP on arrival, while duty rates and classification are set by the Virgin Islands Legislature. No foreign-exchange or visa issues apply, and US-origin goods pay no customs duty.
Do I need to file EEI to ship from the US mainland to the USVI?
Yes. 15 CFR 30.2 requires Electronic Export Information for shipments from the United States or Puerto Rico to the US Virgin Islands, under the usual filing thresholds. It is filed in AES before departure.
What duty applies to goods shipped to the USVI?
Foreign-origin goods pay a 6% Virgin Islands customs duty, collected by CBP. US-origin goods are not subject to it, which is why accurate origin declaration matters.
What is the USVI excise tax?
It is a territorial tax on goods brought into or manufactured in the Virgin Islands for business use or sale, administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It is charged on the invoice value plus a 5% mark-up: 2% on drugs, medicine and clothing, 5% on tires, 10% on firearms, ammunition and bicycles, and 4% on most other goods, with most foodstuffs exempt.
How much does it cost to ship freight to the USVI?
The freight rate depends on mode, volume and service, so get a quote for your cargo. On top of freight, budget for the 6% customs duty on foreign-origin goods, BIR excise (4% for most goods), the territorial container tax of $50 per container under 40 feet or $100 for 40 feet and longer, and local port and delivery charges.
Does the Jones Act apply to shipping to the USVI?
No. Under 46 U.S.C. 55101, the coastwise laws do not apply to the Virgin Islands unless the President proclaims otherwise. Foreign-flag vessels can carry cargo between US ports and the USVI.
Which ports handle containers in the USVI?
Crown Bay Cargo Port serves St Thomas, and the Wilfred "Bomba" Allick Port and Transshipment Center at Krause Lagoon serves St Croix. St John is supplied via St Thomas.
How long does shipping to St Thomas or St Croix take from Florida?
A full container takes 5 to 10 days port to port, and LCL takes 1 to 2 weeks including consolidation. Air freight arrives in 1 to 3 days.
Photo: Charlotte Amalie harbour, St. Thomas, USVI. Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.