Ship container to Spain

If you’re trying to figure out how long an international shipment to Spain takes, the first thing you need to consider is distance. Freight being transported from the US can take as long as 68 days (Kansas City-Barcelona) whereas shipments leaving from Europe can reach a Spanish port in 6 days on average. In any case, always remember there may be unexpected occurrences during transit which could lead to delays.

When it comes to having an overall idea of how to calculate your sea freight shipment, it is important to know that prices vary based on certain factors such as your container size, the transit time needed for your shipment, the applicable Incoterm as well as cargo type, weight and dimension. There are, nevertheless, other factors such as special handling of your cargo – an unavoidable request when shipping, say, hazardous goods - that may add to the cost.

CIF and FOB are commonly used Incoterms that, although substantially different, often lead to confusion among shippers. The main differences between the two are related to the extent of responsibility held by the seller and the buyer: CIF terms dictate sellers are to pay for all requirements up until the arrival of the goods at the destination port. FOB terms, on the other hand, state that all risks and costs are transferred to the buyer once the goods have been loaded on board.

As far as dry bulk is concerned, it is possible to ship just about anything – that is, any goods that don’t require particular conditions during transit such as temperature or airflow control. Standard dry shipping containers can cater to a wide range of volumen and dimensions since they are available in several standarized sizes.

With standardization of containers' dimensions and capacities in dry shipping containers, importers and exporters have an interesting number of options. By way of example, the smallest one (20ft) offers 1,172 CFT / 33.2 CBM of volume capacity while the 45ft HQ – the highest in capacity– is 3,122 CFT / 88.4 CBM. Shippers should nevertheless consider going for a Shared Container (LCL) when not dealing with high-volume cargo.

There's no going around it: there's a lot of paperwork to be dealt with when shipping internationally. Unfortunately, there isn't a standard list of documents required that apply to every case. Aside from the countries involved, other factors – e.g., the nature of the cargo - will determine what paperwork you will need to complete. However, you will find that they will usually include a bill of lading, a commercial invoice and a packing list.