Ship to Venezuela, after OFAC and BIS screening, by ocean FCL or LCL into Puerto Cabello or La Guaira, or by air into Caracas (CCS): 5 to 10 days by sea from Miami, 1 to 3 by air, SENIAT clearance on SIDUNEA World, 16% IVA, 5% to 35% duty.
Venezuela is a market where compliance comes before freight. Before a shipper compares rates or transit times, it has to confirm that the transaction is permitted under US sanctions rules, that no party in the chain is a blocked person, and that the goods do not require an export license. Once that check is done, the logistics are familiar: Venezuela is close to Miami, Puerto Cabello and La Guaira are within a week to ten days of South Florida by sea, and food, medicine and consumer goods make up a large share of the cargo moving south. Clearance runs through the Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria (SENIAT), and importers and suppliers who handle the compliance steps first find the lane workable and predictable.
Ocean freight from Miami reaches Puerto Cabello in 5 to 10 days port to port, air freight to Caracas takes 1 to 3 days depending on routing, and Asian cargo needs 35 to 50 days via transshipment hubs.
| Route & mode | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Miami to Puerto Cabello / La Guaira, ocean LCL | 10-20 days, including consolidation | food and consumer goods restocks under 15 CBM |
| Miami / US East Coast to Puerto Cabello, ocean FCL | 5-10 days port to port, depending on the service | full loads of food, consumer goods, spare parts |
| Miami to Caracas (CCS), air freight | 1-3 days, depending on available routings | medicines, spare parts, urgent cargo |
| China / Asia to Puerto Cabello, ocean FCL | 35-50 days, via transshipment hubs | consumer goods, machinery, inputs |
| Europe to Puerto Cabello / La Guaira, ocean FCL | 18-30 days, direct or via hubs | food products, machinery, chemicals |
Transit times are indicative and depend on carrier schedules, which change more frequently on this lane than on others in the region. Venezuela is not part of the IWF published LCL rate table, so request a quote for current pricing. On this lane the schedule only starts once the compliance step at the top of the process is closed.
Shipping to Venezuela follows eight steps, and the first one is a US compliance check, not a booking.
US cargo for Venezuela moves through Miami after a sanctions and export control check, then sails to Puerto Cabello or La Guaira in five to ten days. The compliance step comes first.
Compliance check before booking. This is a compliance checklist, not legal advice. US persons shipping to Venezuela must follow the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 591), administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control under its Venezuela-related sanctions program, and US export controls administered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Licensing positions change, so the check has to be repeated for each new customer and periodically for repeat shipments.
Miami is the main US gateway for Venezuela-bound cargo. Suppliers deliver to Miami warehouses, where food, consumer goods and spare parts are consolidated into containers for Puerto Cabello or La Guaira. Major container lines and regional carriers operate services to Puerto Cabello, several of them as part of Caribbean feeder networks, and port-to-port transit from South Florida runs five to ten days depending on the service and any intermediate calls.
LCL consolidation suits the many Venezuelan importers who buy from several US suppliers in volumes below a full container; our explainer on how LCL container shipping works covers the process. Full loads move as container shipping to Venezuela, with 40ft high cubes the standard for light consumer goods and 20ft containers for dense products such as canned food or oils. Food shipments benefit from storage that meets food safety standards while orders are consolidated, which is what food-grade warehousing in Miami provides.
Air cargo enters through Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) at Maiquetía, which serves Caracas. Routings and capacity between the US and Venezuela have changed several times in recent years, so confirm the available service, direct or via a connecting hub, at the time of booking. Air suits medicines, medical supplies, electronics and spare parts. Distributors that also sell across the western border plan each market separately: shipping to Colombia runs on DIAN's 48-hour advance declaration and a trade agreement with the US, and carries no sanctions screening layer.
Asian cargo reaches Venezuela through transshipment hubs in the Caribbean or Panama, in 35 to 50 days from Chinese ports to Puerto Cabello. The same hub-and-feeder pattern serves Venezuela's eastern neighbor, as our guide to shipping to Guyana shows for Georgetown. LCL from Asia takes longer because it waits for consolidation at origin and the hub connection. Buyers who also source in the US can route Asian goods through Miami, complete sanctions screening and document checks there, and ship one consolidated container south.
European cargo arrives at Puerto Cabello and La Guaira on direct or relayed services in 18 to 30 days. European exporters should note that EU and US sanctions rules differ; any US person involved in the transaction, including a US-based forwarder or bank, brings US rules into play. Whatever the origin, the cargo ends at one of four Venezuelan ports or the Maiquetía airport.
Puerto Cabello is Venezuela's main container port, La Guaira serves Caracas, and Simón Bolívar International (CCS) at Maiquetía is the main air cargo gateway.
Port operations are administered by Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos).
Venezuelan imports clear through the Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria (SENIAT), the national tax and customs authority, via a licensed customs agent filing on SIDUNEA World, the UNCTAD ASYCUDA platform SENIAT first adopted in 2002 and later upgraded. Its selectivity module assigns each declaration to release, documentary review or physical inspection.
Because documents are checked closely, the invoice, packing list and bill of lading must match exactly in descriptions, quantities and values. Our guide to commercial invoice requirements lists the details customs authorities expect. The declared CIF value then sets the tax bill.
Venezuela grants US goods no preferential treatment, so imports pay the full tariff of 5% to 35% on the CIF value plus 16% IVA.
Because no preferential treatment applies, classification determines the duty. Neighboring markets work differently: shipping to Curaçao, off the Venezuelan coast, runs on its own tariff with a 9% sales tax (OB) at import. Classification also decides which documents and permits the entry needs.
A Venezuelan import needs the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, the importer's RIF and any permit its legal regime requires; on the US side, keep export filings and sanctions screening records.
Restrictions on Venezuela run on two tracks: US export controls and sanctions on the way out, and Venezuelan sanitary, phytosanitary and COMEX permits on the way in.
Most Venezuela cargo moves LCL from Miami between 2 and 15 CBM, FCL becomes cheaper from 15 CBM, and air suits medicines and urgent spare parts when routings allow.
That mode split follows directly from what Venezuelan importers buy.
Food and consumer goods dominate the southbound flow. Venezuelan importers and distributors buy processed foods, cooking oils, grains, personal care and household products, from multiple US suppliers consolidated through Miami. Medicines and medical supplies are a steady second flow, followed by spare parts for vehicles, industrial equipment and energy-sector machinery.
Retail and wholesale distributors in Caracas, Valencia and Maracaibo drive much of the volume, and their purchasing is frequent and mixed, which is why consolidation is the dominant mode. The food side has its own requirements on permits, packaging, shelf life and compliance, which we cover in our guide to supplying Venezuela's food and consumer goods importers.
On this lane, a forwarder must handle compliance screening, document control and consolidation as one process. Interworld Freight has operated from Miami since 1992, with a Miami warehouse for receiving and consolidation, ocean FCL and LCL, air freight and customs coordination with licensed agents at destination. For shippers serving several markets in the region, our guide to shipping from Miami to Latin America shows the hub model. Quotes are answered within one business day, after the sanctions and export control checks described above.
Yes, in many cases. OFAC guidance states that the Venezuelan people are not subject to comprehensive US sanctions, and food and medicine can be exported without a specific OFAC license when no Specially Designated National is involved and BIS rules are met. Every party must be screened and current general licenses checked before shipping.
No specific OFAC license is needed for US-origin food or medicine as long as the transaction does not involve property of an SDN and the export is authorized by BIS. General License 4C also covers certain related transactions. Confirm the current rules on OFAC's website for each shipment.
Ocean freight from Miami to Puerto Cabello takes five to ten days port to port for a full container, and 10 to 20 days for LCL. Air freight to Caracas takes one to three days depending on routing. From China, allow 35 to 50 days.
The general IVA rate is 16%. A reduced 8% rate applies to some items, and an additional 15% luxury rate applies to high-value goods such as vehicles valued at $40,000 or more.
Duties range from 5% to 35% of the CIF value depending on the product: about 5% for capital goods, 10% to 15% for raw materials and intermediates, and 15% to 35% for finished goods.
Puerto Cabello is the main container port and the closest to Valencia's industrial area. La Guaira is closest to Caracas. Maracaibo and Guanta serve the west and east of the country.
SENIAT, the national tax and customs authority, processes import declarations on SIDUNEA World, filed through a licensed Venezuelan customs agent. The importer needs a RIF.
Decree 5,198, in force since January 5, 2026, amended 1,371 subheadings of the customs tariff schedule, replaced the Regime 9 import license with a COMEX permit and centralized sanitary permits in the Automated COMEX System. Check the legal regime of each HS code with your customs agent before shipping.
Photo: Port of La Guaira, Venezuela. Annia Pedreira, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.