Aerial view of the harbor shore at Puerto Cortés, Honduras

Shipping from Miami to Honduras

Four sailings a week. Puerto Cortés in three to four days.

Seaboard Marine sails from PortMiami on Sunday, Monday and Thursday and reaches Puerto Cortés in three days. King Ocean sails Monday from Port Everglades, three to four days away. By air, Amerijet, UPS and Avianca each fly four times a week and land the next day.

Get a Honduras rate Call (305) 597-9595

We respond within 4 business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM ET).

Port Everglades or PortMiami to Puerto Cortés: 3–4 days
Ocean sailings each week, on Sunday, Monday and Thursday: Four
Air on three airlines, four flights a week each: Next day
Puerto Cortés to San Pedro Sula by road: ~55 km

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at sunset, with the national flag flying over a hilltop monument — Tegucigalpa, about 300 km from the port

Inland

The port is on the coast. The customers are inland.

Puerto Cortés handles most of Honduras’s container traffic. Our agent clears the cargo there and delivers it to the door.

San Pedro Sula~55 km
The industrial center, down the highway from the port.
Cholomaport road
On the highway between the port and San Pedro Sula.
Villanueva and El Progresonear SPS
Just south and east of San Pedro Sula.
La Ceibanorth coast
East along the north coast from Puerto Cortés.
Tegucigalpa~300 km
The capital, by road from the port, or by air from Miami.

Anywhere else in Honduras, and the neighboring countries, on request. Give us the address with the quote so the inland leg is priced in.

The week

The ocean week closes Wednesday at noon.

Cargo and shipping instructions on our Medley dock by Wednesday 12:00 PM make the Sunday and Monday ships that follow. Three to four days after sailing, the container is in Puerto Cortés. Miss Wednesday and Seaboard’s Thursday ship still takes cargo that reaches us by Monday 12:00 PM.

Tue · 12:00 PMHazmat and bonded cutoff24 hours ahead of general cargo.
Wed · 12:00 PMCargo cutoffCargo and shipping instructions on our Medley dock.
Sunday or MondaySailsSeaboard Marine from PortMiami on either day, King Ocean from Port Everglades on Monday.
Wednesday to FridayPuerto CortésThree days on Seaboard, three to four on King Ocean, then cleared and delivered inland.

Air closes at two. Lands the next day.

Booking cutoff: 12:00 PM
On our dock, documents complete: 2:00 PM
Amerijet, UPS and Avianca from Miami International: 4 a week each
Lands in San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa: Next day

Hazmat and bonded cargo close a business day before general cargo, by sea and by air. Tell us at booking, not at the dock door.
If a cutoff falls on a holiday when we’re closed, it moves to 12:00 PM the business day before.
An EEI filing doesn’t move your cutoff.

The routes

Two ports. Four sailings a week.

Wednesday’s cargo makes Seaboard on Sunday or Monday, or King Ocean on Monday. Monday’s cargo makes Seaboard on Thursday. Amerijet, UPS and Avianca each fly four times a week from Miami International.

King Ocean

Mondays

from Port Everglades

Port EvergladesFort Lauderdale, FL

Puerto CortésHonduras

3–4 days at sea

Seaboard Marine

Sun, Mon, Thu

from PortMiami

PortMiamiMiami, FL

Puerto CortésHonduras

3 days at sea

Air

4 a week each

Amerijet, UPS and Avianca

MiamiBuilt up at our dock

San Pedro Sulaor Tegucigalpa

Lands the next day

Transit times are what we book to, not a guarantee. Send the cargo details and the date it needs to land, and we’ll quote the routing that fits.

Ocean and air

FCL four times a week, LCL every Monday. Three airlines, four flights a week each.

Red gantry cranes working a loaded container ship at a container terminal

Ocean freight

Sun, Mon, Thu

Carriers: Seaboard Marine from PortMiami on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, and King Ocean from Port Everglades on Monday, into Puerto Cortés.
Full containers: 20′ and 40′. They load at our dock or at your door.
LCL: Smaller shipments are consolidated with other Honduras cargo in our Medley warehouse and sail every Monday.
Out of gauge: Flat racks and open tops for machinery that won’t fit a box.
Hazmat: Moves on this lane, declared and documented before it reaches our dock. See dangerous goods consulting.
Refrigerated: Cold cargo never comes through our Miami warehouse. It loads into a reefer container at your facility instead.

Air cargo containers being loaded onto a cargo aircraft

Air freight

4 a week each

Carriers: Amerijet, UPS and Avianca, from Miami International.
Where it lands: San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa. Tell us the delivery address and we’ll book the right one.
Cutoffs: Booked by 12:00 PM, on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete.
Transit: Four flights a week on each airline, landing the next day.
Security: We tender under our own TSA Indirect Air Carrier certification.
Hazmat: Lithium batteries, refrigerants and airbag inflators fly under stricter rules than they sail. Send the DGD and MSDS before pickup.

What moves on this lane

New auto parts
Industrial machinery
Textiles and apparel
Electronics and consumer goods
Office equipment
Pharmaceutical and medical

Some of it is dangerous goods. Electronics with lithium batteries, air-conditioning parts charged with refrigerant, airbag inflators, shock absorbers and pressurized cylinders all count. We classify, document and pack them before they leave Miami, so the paperwork doesn’t hold up the cargo at the port. See hazmat compatibility.

Both ends

We run Miami. Our agent runs Honduras.

Our agent in Honduras files the import entry and handles the delivery.

Exterior loading docks at the Express Freight International warehouse in Medley, Miami — Medley, Miami

Miami · EFI, since 1992

Up to the vessel.

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

Honduras · our agent

The port to the door.

Files the Honduran import entry
Clears ocean cargo at Puerto Cortés and air cargo on arrival
Delivers to San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba and the rest of the country
Neighboring countries on request

You call our Medley ops desk for both ends.

Paperwork

What Honduran customs checks, and two things that hold cargo.

Honduras side

Commercial invoiceSeller and buyer, place and date, a full description, quantities, unit and total prices, and the sale terms. If it isn’t in Spanish, attach a Spanish translation. It doesn’t need a consulate’s stamp.
Packing listIt should match the invoice.
Bill of lading or air waybillDepending on how it moves.
CAFTA-DR certification of originWhen your consignee wants the duty-free rate. Check it against the invoice before it ships.
Permits for regulated goodsFrom the Honduran agency that covers the product. See the table below.

Your consignee imports under its RTN, the Honduran taxpayer number.

U.S. side

EEI, filed by us

Most commercial shipments over $2,500 per Schedule B number need Electronic Export Information filed through 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 this

CAFTA-DR, the duty-free claim

The agreement has covered U.S.–Honduras trade since April 1, 2006. U.S.-origin goods that meet its rules of origin can enter duty-free. The claim is usually backed by a certification from the importer, exporter or producer. There’s no set form, but it has to carry the data the agreement lists, and imports with a customs value of US$1,500 or less don’t need one.

Optional, usually worth it

Regulated cargo and who issues the permit
If you’re shipping	It goes through
Processed food and drinks, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices and hygiene products	ARSA, the Sanitary Regulation Agency, which issues the sanitary registration.
Plants, seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, animals and animal products	SENASA, the agricultural health service under the Ministry of Agriculture. Plant and farm-input permits are issued per shipment.
Radio and telecom equipment	CONATEL, which issues the homologation certificate.
Refrigerant gases	UTOH, Honduras’s ozone office.
Firearms, ammunition and explosives	The Ministry of National Defense.

Sources: U.S. International Trade Administration, Honduras Country Commercial Guide, published January 2024; WTO import licensing notification G/LIC/N/3/HND/17, April 2026; CONATEL resolution NR006/23; Aduanas Honduras disposition DNSOA-SVA-022-2023 and RECAUCA art. 323 (invoices).

Export packing timber stamped with the IPPC mark and the HT heat-treatment code — The mark customs looks for

Check 1

Look for the stamp on the wood.

SENASA’s current rule, Acuerdo 001-2025, requires the ISPM 15 treatment mark on every solid-wood pallet, crate and piece of dunnage. Plywood and particleboard are exempt. Unmarked wood is treated, replaced or sent back, and the importer pays for it.

A USDA report found that most of the 445 seizures of U.S. farm shipments in Honduras in 2020 came down to a missing or unreadable stamp on the pallets. In 2021, 95% of seizures for ISPM 15 violations involved U.S. shipments.

Check 2

Get the origin certification right.

A certification with a missing field, or one that doesn’t match the invoice, can cost your consignee the duty-free rate.

Check the certification against the commercial invoice, line by line, before the cargo leaves Miami.

This section is general information, not customs or legal advice. For your specific shipment, talk to a licensed customs broker. New to exporting? Start with our import and export guide.

Sources: SENASA Acuerdo C.D. 001-2025, La Gaceta No. 36,867, June 18, 2025; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAIRS Country Report HO2024-0007, October 2024; USTR, CAFTA-DR Chapter 4.

The licenses

The paperwork behind our paperwork.

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	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

Shipping from Miami to Honduras, answered.

01How long does shipping from Miami to Honduras take?

By sea, to Puerto Cortés: three days on Seaboard Marine from PortMiami, three to four on King Ocean from Port Everglades. By air, the next day. Add pickup to our Miami dock before the cutoff, and clearance and delivery on the Honduras end.

02When do the ships sail, and what’s the ocean cutoff?

Seaboard Marine sails Sunday, Monday and Thursday, and King Ocean sails Monday. Cargo and shipping instructions on our Medley dock by Wednesday 12:00 PM make the Sunday and Monday ships; by Monday 12:00 PM, Seaboard’s Thursday ship. Hazmat and bonded cargo close a business day earlier: Tuesday 12:00 PM for Sunday and Monday, Friday 12:00 PM for Thursday.

03What are the air freight cutoffs?

Book by 12:00 PM and have the cargo on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. Hazmat closes 24 hours earlier. Each airline flies four times a week, landing the next day.

04Where does air freight land?

In San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa. Amerijet, UPS and Avianca each fly from Miami International four times a week. Tell us the delivery address and we’ll book the right one.

05Which carriers do you use on this lane?

By sea, Seaboard Marine out of PortMiami on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, and King Ocean out of Port Everglades on Mondays. By air, Amerijet, UPS and Avianca.

06How far is San Pedro Sula from the port?

About 55 km (35 miles) by highway from Puerto Cortés. Tegucigalpa is about 300 km (190 miles) by road. Our agent delivers from the port to the door.

07Who handles customs clearance in Honduras?

Our agent in Honduras files the import entry and handles the delivery. On the U.S. side, we file the export (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent.

08Do you deliver outside San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa?

Yes. La Ceiba, Choloma, El Progreso, Villanueva and the rest of the country by road, and the neighboring countries on request. Give us the address when you ask for the quote so the inland leg is priced in.

09Can you ship LCL, or do I need a full container?

Both. Smaller shipments consolidate with other Honduras cargo in our Medley warehouse and sail every Monday. Full containers run in 20′ and 40′. Send dimensions and weight and we’ll price it both ways.

10Can you ship dangerous goods to Honduras?

Yes, by sea and by air. Lithium batteries, refrigerants, airbag inflators and pressurized cylinders all move on this lane. We need the Dangerous Goods Declaration and the MSDS before the truck arrives, and hazmat closes a business day before general cargo.

11Do U.S. goods enter Honduras duty-free?

Often. CAFTA-DR has been in force between the U.S. and Honduras since April 1, 2006, and U.S.-origin goods that meet its rules of origin can enter duty-free. Your consignee usually makes the claim with a certification, often from you as the exporter. This is general information, not customs advice. Confirm your goods with a licensed customs broker.

12Will Honduras reject my wood pallets?

Not if they carry the ISPM 15 mark. SENASA requires the mark on all solid-wood packaging, and unmarked pallets, crates and dunnage are treated, replaced or sent back at the importer’s cost.

13Is there anything that can’t go to Honduras?

Some vehicles. Honduras bars vehicles more than 10 years old (classics excepted), buses more than 13 years old, and refurbished or right-hand-drive vehicles. Regulated goods need a permit from the agency that covers them. And cold cargo can’t come through our Miami warehouse, so it loads into a reefer at your facility.

14What do you need from me to quote Miami to Honduras?

Tell us if you want sea, air or both priced side by side. The pickup address, or whether you’ll deliver to our dock. The destination city in Honduras. Piece count, dimensions and weight. The commodity and its value. Any dangerous goods class. And the date it needs to land. A rate comes back within 4 business hours.

Four sailings a week

Tell us what’s going to Honduras.

Ocean closes Wednesday at 12:00 PM for the Sunday and Monday ships, and Monday at 12:00 PM for Thursday’s. Air closes the day it flies: book by 12:00 PM and have it on our dock by 2:00 PM.