Ocean · Fridays
Seaboard Marine
- PortMiami Friday
- San Antonio Day 28, a Friday
- Santiago 2 to 3 days later; LCL 3 to 5
By way of Panama. Full containers can also go on MSC, Maersk or Hapag-Lloyd, on their own sailing days.
Shipping from Miami to Chile
It sails on a Friday. It lands on a Friday.
Next sailing
- Cargo cutoff
- Tuesday 5:00 PM ET
- Sails
- Friday U.S. holiday
- San Antonio
- Friday, day 28
Seaboard Marine sails every Friday from PortMiami and reaches San Antonio 28 days later, on a Friday again. Our agent clears the cargo and has full containers in Santiago two to three days after that. By air, Atlas Air and LATAM fly Thursday, Friday and Saturday and land the next day.
We respond within 4 business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET).
The next six sailings
Pick the Friday it has to land. The cutoff is on the same line.
Cargo and documents on our Medley dock by Tuesday at 5:00 PM ET make that Friday’s sailing. Four Fridays later it’s in San Antonio. Hazmat and bonded cargo close a day earlier, Monday at 5:00 PM.
| Cargo cutoff On our Medley dock | Sails PortMiami | Four Fridays later 28 days in transit | San Antonio Day 28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next sailing Tuesday 5:00 PM | Friday U.S. holiday | 28 days at sea | Friday |
Dates are for the next six sailings whose cutoff hasn’t passed, in Eastern Time. Carriers can change a sailing; we confirm the vessel when you book.
A cutoff that falls on a holiday when we’re closed moves to 12:00 PM the business day before. An EEI filing doesn’t move your cutoff. Transit times are what we book to, not a guarantee.
When we’re closed for a holiday on a cutoff day, that cutoff moves to 12:00 PM the business day before. The dates above include it.
A sailing marked U.S. holiday can move by a day; we confirm when you book.
Hazmat and bonded cargo for the first sailing above close ET, because of a holiday when we’re closed.
Hazmat and bonded cargo have closed for the first sailing above. They can still make the second.
Ship every week and something lands every Friday. Our own LCL container sails every Friday, so four of them are on the way at any time.
Air · Thursday to Saturday
Atlas Air and LATAM
- Miami Book by 12:00 PM, on our dock by 2:00 PM
- Santiago (SCL) The next day
Thursday, Friday and Saturday flights from Miami International. Saturday’s flight closes Friday.
The port
San Antonio. Then Ruta 78 to Santiago.
Seaboard discharges at San Antonio, Chile’s leading container port, on the coast west of Santiago. From the gate, Ruta 78 runs inland to the capital, and our agent’s trucks have full containers in Santiago two to three days after the ship.
- Container traffic through San Antonio, 2025
- 2,060,244 TEU
- Ruta 78, port gate to Ruta 5 in Santiago
- 132.8 km
- Full containers in Santiago, after the ship
- 2 to 3 days
Sources: Empresa Portuaria San Antonio, 2025 throughput; Chile’s Ministry of Public Works, Dirección General de Concesiones, May 2025 (Ruta 78).
Ocean and air
Every Friday by sea. Thursday to Saturday by air.
Full containers and LCL sail every Friday. Air is for what can’t wait four weeks.
Ocean freight
Fridays- Carriers
- Seaboard Marine from PortMiami, every Friday, by way of Panama to San Antonio. For full containers we can also book MSC, Maersk or Hapag-Lloyd on their own sailing days.
- Full containers
- 20′, 40′, 40′ high cube and 45′ high cube. They load at our dock or at your door.
- LCL
- Smaller shipments are consolidated in our Medley warehouse into our own container for Chile, every Friday. Our agent unloads it at its own warehouse in Santiago.
- Out of gauge
- Flat racks and open tops for machinery that won’t fit a box.
- Vehicles
- New only, shipped in containers. Chilean law allows only unused vehicles in, with narrow exceptions, and a vehicle counts as unused only if its model year is the year customs accepts its import declaration or the next one.
- Refrigerated
- Cold cargo never comes through our Miami warehouse. It loads into a reefer container at your facility instead.
- Hazmat
- Moves on this lane, declared and documented before it reaches our dock. We don’t take explosives (class 1) or radioactive material (class 7). The cutoff is Monday 5:00 PM ET. See dangerous goods consulting.
Air freight
Thursday to Saturday- Carriers
- Atlas Air and LATAM, from Miami International.
- Lands at
- Arturo Merino Benítez International (SCL), about 17 km northwest of Santiago.
- Cutoffs
- Book by 12:00 PM and have it on our dock by 2:00 PM, documents complete. Saturday’s flight closes Friday. It lands the next day.
- Security
- We tender under our own TSA Indirect Air Carrier certification.
- Hazmat
- Accepted under the stricter air rules, except classes 1 and 7. Send the DGD and MSDS before pickup.
Commercial cargo only. No firearms or ammunition, and no explosives or radioactive material.
Source: Chile’s Ministry of Public Works, Dirección General de Concesiones, April 2026 (Santiago airport).
Both ends
We load it in Medley. Our agent takes it from San Antonio.
Our agent in Santiago is licensed to clear customs. It files the import declaration, clears the cargo and delivers with its own trucks in central Chile. You call our operations desk for both ends.
Miami · EFI, since 1992
Up to the ship.
- FMC-licensed NVOCC, OTI No. 018467
- U.S. export filing (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent
- 50,000 sq ft bonded warehouse with 18 dock doors
- Our own trucks across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach
- Our own LCL container for Chile, every Friday
Santiago · our agent
From San Antonio to the door.
- A licensed customs agent. It files the Declaración de Ingreso, Chile’s import declaration
- Clears ocean and air cargo through Chilean customs
- Unloads our LCL container at its own warehouse in Santiago
- Delivers with its own trucks in and around Santiago, Valparaíso and San Antonio
Paperwork
SAG checks the wood. SUBTEL certifies the radios.
Only small shipments clear Chilean customs without a licensed customs agent: up to US$1,000 FOB, or US$3,000 by courier. Above that, our agent files the import declaration. Most of what follows sits with the importer in Chile, but a container can stall on any line of it. Check it before the cargo leaves Miami.
Is the wood packaging stamped?
Chile’s agriculture and livestock service, SAG, inspects pallets and crates. Without the ISPM 15 mark, or with bark or insects in the wood, it can order the whole shipment treated or destroyed. Ask your supplier for stamped pallets before anything ships.
Does it have a radio or a plug?
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other short-range radio devices can’t be sold in Chile without certification from SUBTEL, the telecommunications regulator, and phones have to be approved for its networks. Listed electrical and gas products need a certificate from a certification body authorized by SEC, Chile’s electricity and fuels regulator. Check before you ship a container of them.
Chile side
Commercial invoice Seller and buyer, a full description, quantities, unit prices and the sale terms. Make sure it matches the packing list and the bill of lading.
Bill of lading or air waybill Depending on how it moves.
Packing list Send one that matches the invoice.
Certificate of origin When the importer claims the free trade agreement rate.
Permits and certifications For regulated goods, from the agency that covers the product. See the table below.
U.S. side, and the duty
EEI, filed by us
Most commercial shipments worth more than US$2,500 per Schedule B number need Electronic Export Information filed in AES. We file it as your authorized agent, at least 24 hours before the container is loaded for ocean and 2 hours before departure for air.
We handle thisU.S.–Chile FTA, since 2004
The agreement has been in force since January 1, 2004, and U.S. goods that meet its rules of origin have entered Chile duty-free since January 1, 2015. The importer claims it on the import declaration, backed by a certificate from the importer, exporter or producer. The certificate has no set form, and a shipment worth US$2,500 or less doesn’t need one. Goods that don’t qualify pay the 6% general duty, and the 19% IVA (value-added tax) applies to all imports.
Optional, usually worth it| If you’re shipping | It goes through |
|---|---|
| Food and drinks | SEREMI de Salud The regional health authority issues a certificate for the shipment, then an authorization to use and sell it. Labels in Spanish, with the “ALTO EN” warning seals where they apply. |
| Animal and plant products, feed, fertilizers, agricultural pesticides, alcohol and tobacco | SAG The agriculture and livestock service sets the requirements and inspects at entry. |
| Medicines and medical devices | ISP Sanitary registration with the Public Health Institute, for medicines and for the medical devices under its sanitary control. |
| Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other short-range radio devices, and phones | SUBTEL Certification before sale. Phones must be approved for Chile’s networks. |
| Listed electrical and gas products | SEC A certificate from a body the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels authorizes. |
This section is general information, not customs or legal advice. For your specific shipment, talk to a licensed customs agent. New to exporting? Start with our import and export guide.
Sources: U.S. International Trade Administration, Chile Country Commercial Guide (opens in a new tab): Import Requirements and Documentation, Labeling, Trade Barriers and Import Tariffs, November 24, 2025; Chile’s National Customs Service, Compendio de Normas Aduaneras, chapter 3, as amended November 27, 2024; ChileAtiende (SEREMI de Salud, ISP and SUBTEL), 2024 to 2026; SAG Resolution 133/2005; Decree 298/2005 (SEC); USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAIRS Country Report CI2025-0024, December 3, 2025; WTO Trade Policy Review of Chile, 2023 (used tires); Library of the National Congress of Chile (BCN), Law 18.483 (vehicles) and Law 20.606 (food labels); USTR, U.S.–Chile FTA Chapter 4; U.S. Foreign Trade Regulations, 15 CFR Part 30, current as of October 7, 2026.
The licenses
Who stands behind your container.
| Credential | Issued by | What it means for your cargo |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed NVOCC, OTI No. 018467 | Federal Maritime Commission | Your cargo moves on our license, our bond and our bill of lading. |
| CTPAT partner | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Container inspection and high-security seals on the containers we stuff. |
| Indirect Air Carrier | TSA | We tender air cargo to the airline under our own certification. |
| Bonded container freight station | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Cargo can be received and held under bond in our Medley facility. |
| Registered food facility | FDA | Our warehouse is registered with the FDA as a food facility. |
- In freight since
- 1992
- Bonded warehouse in Medley
- 50,000 sq ft
- Dock doors
- 18
- Destinations from Miami
- 35
Questions
Your questions about shipping to Chile.
How long does shipping from Miami to Chile take?
By sea, 28 days from PortMiami to San Antonio: it sails on a Friday and arrives on a Friday four weeks later. Full containers reach Santiago two to three days after the ship, LCL three to five. By air, Atlas Air and LATAM land in Santiago (SCL) the day after the flight. Add pickup to our Medley dock before the cutoff, and clearance and delivery on the Chile end.
When does the ship sail, and what’s the ocean cutoff?
Every Friday, on Seaboard Marine from PortMiami. Cargo and documents are due on our Medley dock by Tuesday 5:00 PM ET for that Friday’s sailing. Hazmat and bonded cargo close 24 hours earlier, on Monday at 5:00 PM. Miss Tuesday and the cargo waits a week.
What are the air freight cutoffs?
Book by 12:00 PM ET and have the cargo on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. Atlas Air and LATAM fly Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Saturday’s flight closes Friday. The cargo lands the next day. Hazmat closes 24 hours earlier.
Which carriers do you use to Chile?
By sea, Seaboard Marine every Friday from PortMiami, by way of Panama. For full containers we can also book MSC, Maersk or Hapag-Lloyd on their own sailing days and quote the one that fits. By air, Atlas Air and LATAM.
Which port does my cargo arrive at?
San Antonio, Chile’s leading container port, on the coast west of Santiago. Air freight lands at Arturo Merino Benítez International (SCL), about 17 km northwest of Santiago.
How does cargo get from San Antonio to Santiago?
By truck, on Ruta 78: 132.8 km from the port gate to Ruta 5 in Santiago. Our agent’s trucks have full containers in Santiago two to three days after the ship, and LCL is ready at its warehouse a day or two after that.
Who handles customs clearance in Chile?
Our agent in Santiago, a licensed agente de aduanas. It files the import declaration and clears ocean and air cargo through Chilean customs; only shipments up to US$1,000 FOB, or US$3,000 by courier, can clear without one. On the U.S. side, we file the export (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent.
Do you deliver outside Santiago?
In central Chile, yes: in and around Santiago, Valparaíso and San Antonio. Give us the address when you ask for the quote so the inland leg is priced in.
Can you ship LCL, or do I need a full container?
Both. Smaller shipments are consolidated in our Medley warehouse into our own container for Chile, which sails every Friday on Seaboard, and our agent unloads it at its own warehouse in Santiago. LCL is ready there three to five days after the ship. Full containers run in 20′, 40′, 40′ high cube and 45′ high cube. Send dimensions and weight and we’ll price it both ways.
Can you ship dangerous goods to Chile?
Yes, by sea and by air, except explosives (class 1) and radioactive material (class 7). We need the Dangerous Goods Declaration and the MSDS before the truck arrives. Hazmat closes 24 hours before general cargo: Monday 5:00 PM ET for the Friday ship.
Do U.S. goods enter Chile duty-free?
Usually, if they qualify. The U.S.–Chile Free Trade Agreement has been in force since January 1, 2004, and U.S. goods that meet its rules of origin have entered duty-free since January 1, 2015. Goods that don’t qualify pay Chile’s 6% general duty, and the 19% IVA applies to all imports. This is general information, not customs advice. Confirm your goods with a licensed customs agent.
Can I ship a vehicle to Chile?
A new one, yes, in a container. Chilean law allows only unused vehicles to be imported, with narrow exceptions, so we don’t ship used ones. The law also counts a vehicle as unused only if its model year is the year customs accepts the import declaration or the next one, so a car of this year’s model that lands in January can be refused.
Is there anything you won’t ship to Chile?
Firearms and ammunition, explosives, radioactive material and used vehicles. We ship commercial cargo only. The WTO also lists used and retreaded tires as barred in Chile, and food, medicines, radio devices and listed electrical products need the approvals in the paperwork section. Cold cargo loads into a reefer at your facility instead of coming through our warehouse.
What do you need from me to quote Miami to Chile?
Tell us if you want sea, air or both priced side by side. The pickup address, or tell us you’ll deliver to our dock. The delivery address in Chile. Piece count, dimensions and weight. The commodity, its tariff code and its value. Any dangerous goods class. Cargo insurance, if you want us to arrange it. And the date it needs to land. We reply within 4 business hours.
Sails every Friday
Tell us what’s going to Chile.
Ocean closes Tuesday at 5:00 PM ET for Friday’s ship. Air flies Thursday, Friday and Saturday: book by 12:00 PM and have it on our dock by 2:00 PM, on Friday for Saturday’s flight.
Next ocean cutoff ET
We respond within 4 business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET).
- Facility
- 7950 NW 77th Street,
Unit 1
Miami, FL 33166 (Medley) - Phone
- (305) 597-9595
- Hours
- Monday to Friday
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET - Operations desk
- ops@express-freight-intl.com
Chile is one of 35 destinations we ship to from Miami. See all shipping lanes
Other lane guides and related pages: