Ocean · Fridays
King Ocean and Seaboard Marine
King Ocean from Port Everglades, Seaboard Marine from PortMiami
- Manzanillo, Atlantic side
- Day 5
- Panama City, Pacific side
- Day 6
Shipping from Miami to Panama
Every Friday by sea. Every day by air.
King Ocean from Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine from PortMiami sail every Friday and reach Manzanillo, on the Atlantic side, in five days. Our agent trucks the container across to Panama City the next day. By air, DHL flies to Panama City every day and lands the next day.
We respond within 4 business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET).
By sea Cargo cutoff Tuesday 5:00 PM, sails Friday, Manzanillo the next Wednesday, Panama City on Thursday. By air DHL every day, landing the next day. Next sailing: .
The week
Closes Tuesday in Miami. In Panama City the next Thursday.
Cargo and documents on our Medley dock by Tuesday at 5:00 PM make that Friday’s sailing. Miss Tuesday and it waits a week. Hazmat and bonded cargo close a day earlier, Monday at 5:00 PM.
Air · Every day
DHL
From Miami International
- Tocumen (PTY), Panama City
- Next day
The cutoffs
- Ocean · Cargo and documents
- Tuesday 5:00 PM
- Ocean · Hazmat and bonded
- Monday 5:00 PM Closed for this sailing
- Air · Booking
- 12:00 PM the day it flies
- Air · On our dock
- 2:00 PM documents complete
Ocean dates are for the next sailing 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.
We’re closed for a holiday on a cutoff day this week, so that cutoff moves to 12:00 PM the business day before. The dates above include it.
This sailing falls on a U.S. federal holiday. Carriers sometimes move it a day; we confirm when you book.
The crossing
It lands on the Atlantic. It’s delivered on the Pacific.
Manzanillo sits at the Caribbean entrance to the Canal, next to Colón. Panama City is on the Pacific side, about 70 km away by road. Our agent trucks your container across the isthmus. It never goes through the Canal.
About 70 kmBy road from Manzanillo to Panama City. The container is in the city the day after the ship arrives.
Panama City is east of ColónThe Canal runs northwest to southeast, so the Pacific city sits east of the Atlantic port.
Anywhere in PanamaOur agent’s trucks deliver in Panama City, Colón and anywhere else in the country.
Sources: road distance from the OpenStreetMap road route (OSRM), October 2026; coastline from Natural Earth; the Canal’s line is drawn approximately.
Ocean and air
Ship it Friday or fly it tomorrow.
Full containers and LCL sail every Friday. DHL flies every day of the week.
| Ocean freight Fridays | Air freight Every day | |
|---|---|---|
| Carriers | OceanKing Ocean from Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine from PortMiami. | AirDHL, from Miami International. |
| Arrives | OceanManzanillo on day 5. Panama City on day 6. | AirTocumen International (PTY), Panama City, the next day. |
| Cutoffs | OceanTuesday 5:00 PM. Hazmat and bonded, Monday 5:00 PM. | AirBooked by 12:00 PM, on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. |
| How it moves | OceanFull containers in 20′, 40′ and 40′ high cube, loaded at our dock or at your door. Smaller shipments are consolidated in Medley into our own container for Manzanillo, every Friday. | AirDelivered to our dock, then tendered to DHL under our own TSA Indirect Air Carrier certification. |
| Hazmat | OceanMoves on this lane, declared and documented before it reaches our dock. See dangerous goods consulting. | AirAccepted, under the stricter air rules. Send the DGD and MSDS before pickup. |
| Also | OceanFlat racks and open tops for machinery. New and used vehicles, shipped in containers. Cold cargo loads into a reefer at your facility, never through our warehouse. | AirParts, samples and anything due before the next ship lands. |
Commercial cargo only. We don’t take household goods or personal effects to Panama.
Both ends
One call covers both ends of the lane.
We load it in Medley. Our agent, based in Panama City, clears it through Panama’s customs and delivers it anywhere in the country.
Miami · EFI, since 1992
Everything before 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 Manzanillo container for LCL, every Friday
Panama City · our agent
From Manzanillo to the door.
- A licensed customs broker. It files the import declaration with Panama’s National Customs Authority
- Clears ocean and air cargo through Panama’s customs
- Unloads our LCL container at its own warehouse
- Delivers with its own trucks, anywhere in Panama
Paperwork
Regulated cargo needs a Panamanian sign-off.
Panama uses the U.S. dollar, so there’s nothing to convert on the invoice. The import rules are Panama’s own, though, and most of them sit with the importer in Panama. A shipment can stall on any line below, so check it before the cargo leaves Miami.
Panama side
Commercial invoiceThe original, describing the goods, quantities and prices so they match the packing list and the bill of lading.
Bill of lading or air waybillDepending on how it moves.
Packing listRequired for food shipments, and worth sending with everything.
TPA certification of originWhen the importer claims the duty-free rate.
Registrations and permitsFor 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 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 thisThe U.S.-Panama TPA, since 2012
The Trade Promotion Agreement has been in force since October 31, 2012. Most U.S. consumer and industrial goods entered Panama duty-free from the start, and the rest were phased out over ten years. The claim rests on a certification from the importer, exporter or producer, in English or Spanish, with no set form. Panama’s 7% ITBMS, its value-added tax, still applies to the CIF value plus any duty. Food, medicines and school supplies are exempt.
Optional, usually worth it| If you’re shipping | It goes through |
|---|---|
| Packaged food and drinks | APA and the Ministry of HealthAn import notice to the Panamanian Food Agency, and sanitary registration with the Ministry of Health. |
| Medicines | Ministry of HealthIts National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs: sanitary registration and import authorization. |
| Medical devices | Ministry of HealthIts National Directorate of Medical Devices: registration and import permits. |
| Plants, seeds, animals and animal products | MIDAThe agriculture ministry. Its quarantine directorate, DECA, issues the import licenses and inspects at the port. |
| Pesticides and agrochemicals | MIDARegistered with its National Directorate of Plant Health. |
| Radio and telecom equipment | ASEPThe public services regulator approves each model (homologación). Cell phones are exempt. |
| Firearms and ammunition | Ministry of Public SecurityThrough its directorate for public security matters, DIASP. |
Sources: U.S. International Trade Administration, Panama Country Commercial Guide (opens in a new tab), March 27, 2026; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAIRS Country Report PN2026-0004, April 17, 2026; Ministry of Health (MINSA); MIDA; ASEP Resolution AN No. 8105-Telco; Ministry of Public Security (MINSEG).
Is it registered?
Packaged food, medicines and medical devices can’t clear until they’re registered in Panama. Give us the product and its tariff code with the quote, and our agent checks it before anything ships.
Is it banned outright?
Panama bars counterfeit currency, mislabeled liquor or medicine, certain firearms and war materials, foreign lottery tickets, smoking opium and obscene material. Fertilizers need a special import permit, and the agriculture ministry can bar plants, seeds or animals.
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: U.S. International Trade Administration, Panama Country Commercial Guide: Customs Regulations and Prohibited and Restricted Imports, March 27, 2026; USTR, U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, Chapter 4.
The licenses
Five credentials behind every booking.
- In freight since
- 1992
- Bonded warehouse in Medley
- 50,000 sq ft
- Dock doors
- 18
- Destinations from Miami
- 35
Licensed NVOCC
Federal Maritime Commission · OTI No. 018467
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.
Questions
Your questions about shipping to Panama.
01How long does shipping from Miami to Panama take?
By sea, five days from Port Everglades or PortMiami to Manzanillo, and Panama City the next day. By air, DHL lands in Panama City the day after the flight. Add pickup to our Miami dock before the cutoff, and clearance and delivery on the Panama end.
02When does the ship sail, and what’s the ocean cutoff?
Every Friday. Cargo and documents are due on our Medley dock by Tuesday 5:00 PM 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.
03How often does air freight fly to Panama?
Every day. DHL flies from Miami to Tocumen International (PTY) in Panama City and lands the next day. Book by 12:00 PM and have the cargo on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. Hazmat closes 24 hours earlier.
04Which carriers do you use to Panama?
By sea, King Ocean out of Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine out of PortMiami, both sailing on Fridays. By air, DHL.
05Which port does my cargo arrive at?
Ocean freight arrives at Manzanillo, next to Colón at the Caribbean entrance to the Canal. Air freight lands at Tocumen International (PTY), east of Panama City.
06Does my cargo go through the Panama Canal?
No. It lands at Manzanillo on the Atlantic side, and our agent trucks it about 70 km across the isthmus to Panama City on the Pacific side.
07Who handles customs clearance in Panama?
Our agent in Panama City, a licensed customs broker, files the import declaration with Panama’s National Customs Authority and clears ocean and air cargo through Panama’s customs. On the U.S. side, we file the export (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent.
08Do you deliver outside Panama City?
Yes. Our agent delivers anywhere in Panama: Colón, the interior and the rest of the country. 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 are consolidated in our Medley warehouse into our own container for Manzanillo, which sails every Friday, and our agent unloads it at its own warehouse. Full containers run in 20′, 40′ and 40′ high cube. Send dimensions and weight and we’ll price it both ways.
10Can you ship dangerous goods to Panama?
Yes, by sea and by air. We need the Dangerous Goods Declaration and the MSDS before the truck arrives. Hazmat closes 24 hours before general cargo: Monday 5:00 PM for the Friday ship.
11Do U.S. goods enter Panama duty-free?
Usually, if they qualify. The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement has been in force since October 31, 2012. Most U.S. consumer and industrial goods entered duty-free from the start, and the rest were phased out over ten years. Panama’s 7% ITBMS still applies, though food, medicines and school supplies are exempt. This is general information, not customs advice. Confirm your goods with a licensed customs broker.
12Can I ship a vehicle to Panama?
Yes, new or used, in a container. Our agent confirms the Panama duty and paperwork for the model before it ships. On the U.S. side, a used vehicle needs an EEI filing whatever its value, and the vehicle and its title documents must be presented to U.S. Customs at least 72 hours before export.
13Is there anything that can’t go to Panama?
Panama bars counterfeit currency, mislabeled liquor or medicine, certain firearms and war materials, foreign lottery tickets, smoking opium and obscene material, and regulated goods need the right registration or permit. We ship commercial cargo only, so no household goods or personal effects. 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 Panama?
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 destination in Panama. Piece count, dimensions and weight. The commodity, its tariff code and its value. Any dangerous goods class. And the date it needs to land. We reply within 4 business hours.
Fridays by sea, every day by air
Tell us what’s going to Panama.
Ocean closes Tuesday at 5:00 PM for Friday’s ship. Air closes the day it flies: book by 12:00 PM and have it on our dock by 2:00 PM.
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
Panama is one of 35 destinations we ship to from Miami. See all shipping lanes
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