Ocean & Air Freight Shipping from Canada to Belgium

Canada has good trade relations with Belgium, its 16th largest merchandise trading partner globally. In 2020, Canada exported $2.7 billion worth of goods to Belgium, with precious stones, metals, oil seeds, mineral ores, pharmaceutical products, and nickel among the most-exported sectors.

If your Canadian business is also looking into tapping into the market in Belgium, you first need to know all about your ocean and air freight shipping options. 

What Are the Options for Shipping Freight From Canada to Belgium?

To ship freight from Canada to Belgium, you can opt for ocean or air freight. 

Ocean Freight From Canada to Belgium

Ocean freight from Canada to Belgium is the cheapest and most flexible mode of shipment, making it a good option for businesses that don’t want to spend too much on their exports. Within ocean freight, there are two shipping options you can go for: less than container load and full container load. 

LCL is best for smaller shipments because it involves a consolidation process. Your goods will be consolidated with shipments belonging to other sellers and shipped together in a single container. You share the space, as well as the cost, with other shippers. While LCL is cost-efficient, it does have longer transit times. 

FCL, on the other hand, is ideal for larger, heavier, or high-value shipments. In this ocean freight option, your goods will be shipped in isolation. You rent the space in an entire container to ship your goods alone, which gives you much more liberty than in LCL. Also, because of this, however, FCL can get expensive. But it does offer faster transit times. 

Air Freight from Canada to Belgium

Another way you can get goods from Canada to Belgium is via air freight. Air freight is the fastest mode of shipment, able to get your goods to their destination in a matter of days. However, it’s also the most expensive and strictest, with limitations on what type of goods you can ship and how large or heavy they can be.  

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From Canada to Belgium?

The shipping costs for cargo coming from Canada to Belgium will differ based on the following factors: 

• Your choice of ocean or air shipping
• Your preference for door-to-door, port-to-port, port-to-door, or door-to-port shipment
• Your consignment’s weight, volume, and size
• Weight and size limits

To determine your shipping costs, use our online freight costs calculator. Additionally, you can find the current cost of shipping a standard 20-foot container from Canada to Belgium in the table below:

How long does it take to ship cargo from Canada to Belgium?

The transit time for goods shipped from Canada to Belgium is mainly determined by your selected international shipping method. However, other influencing factors include:

• The season of shipment (peak or low season)
• Whether the shipment route is direct or not
• The trade lane's popularity
• Geopolitical instability
• Possible incidents at any port

How long does it take to ship cargo by sea from Canada to Belgium?

Transporting goods from Canada to Belgium by sea will take roughly 15 to 50 days. 

How long does it take to ship cargo by air from Canada to Belgium?

Shipping from Canada to Belgium by air will take only 2 to 8 days. 

For the most accurate estimate, we recommend using our transit time calculator.

Customs Clearance in Canada and Belgium

When your goods land or dock in Belgium, they will need to be inspected by customs authorities. This process is known as customs clearance. To pass it, you need to complete and submit the following documents: 

• A commercial invoice
• A packing list
• A certificate of origin
• A letter of credit or other payment terms (depending on the contract between the parties involved)
• A bill of lading for ocean freight or an Airway Bill for air freight

We have a full documents list that you can refer to for examples of these customs clearance documents. 

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

The choice between ocean and air freight should be based on your unique shipping needs and priorities. To help you make the right decision, we provide some pointers for you to consider below. 

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight is the right choice if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to get your goods from Canada to Belgium. It allows you to ship large and heavy cargo, except with longer transit times than air freight. 

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

LCL is the best mode of shipment for goods that are small in size and volume. This is because of the consolidation process where your goods will be shipped with consignments from other sellers. Shipping large and heavy goods will not be cost-efficient with LCL. 

However, LCL is not the best choice if your goods are not suitable for consolidation, i.e., if they are fragile, high-value, or require special handling and movement. 

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

If you are shipping large, heavy, oversized, or overweight cargo, you may need FCL shipping. This mode of shipment can accommodate a range of cargo types and specifications because you can utilize the space in an entire container. 

While expensive, FCL is best for delicate, fragile shipments that cannot be consolidated with other cargo.

Air Freight

If your priority is getting your goods to Belgium fast, then air freight is your best bet. It can complete your shipment in a matter of days, which becomes important if you’re shipping high-value or perishable merchandise. 

However, You should note that air freight has strict restrictions on what you can ship and how big or heavy it can be. It’s also the most expensive means of shipping from Canada to Belgium. 

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo ports of origin in Canada

Port of St. John

The Port of St. John is the largest in Atlantic Canada and has a lot of road and rail connections. Every year, it handles 28 million metric tonnes of cargo, which it ships or receives from 500 ports worldwide. 

Port of Halifax

The Port of Halifax is highly efficient and data-driven. It can capture shipment and process data in 15 minutes or less, ensuring faster movement of cargo. The port has many connections worldwide, even more so than Canada’s Port of Montreal. 

Port of Prince Rupert

The Port of Prince Rupert is the third-largest port in Canada. It continually sees an uptick in goods per year, with 2020 being its peak shipment when it handled 32 million tonnes of cargo. 

Cargo ports of arrival in Belgium

Port of Antwerp

The Port of Antwerp is located in Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium. It is the second-largest seaport in Europe, handling more than 123.2 million tonnes of cargo. The port has good connections to rail, road, river, and canal waterways, allowing it to cater to the shipper’s needs. 

Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge

The Port of Zeebrugge, also called the Port of Bruges, handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo annually. It mainly handles container shipments, bulk cargo, and vehicle shipments. 

Port of Ghent

The Port of Ghent is Belgium’s third-busiest seaport. It handles around 47 million tonnes of cargo per year and has an annual container volume of 530.8 TEUs. 

Air Freight from Canada to Belgium: An airport guide

Airports of origin in Canada

Vancouver International

The Vancouver International Airport is in Richmond, British Columbia, serving Vancouver and Canada’s Lower Mainland region. It is Canada’s second-busiest airport by passenger traffic. The airport also handles many cargo operations, with a throughput of 232,600 tonnes per year. 

Calgary International

The Calgary International Airport is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It spans 20.82 square kilometers and houses airlines like WestJet, Air Canada, Lynx Air, and WestJet Encore. The airport handles 79,500 tonnes of cargo per year. 

Toronto Pearson

The Toronto Pearson International Airport is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It mainly serves Toronto and its surrounding regions, making it the country’s busiest and largest airport. It handles 303,000 tonnes of cargo per year. 

Airports of arrival in Belgium

Liege Airport

Liege Airport is the biggest cargo airport in Belgium, located near Liege in Wallonia, Belgium. It handles over 1.4 million tonnes of cargo through its airlines, such as ASL Airlines Belgium and Ethiopian Airlines.

Brussels Airport

The Brussels airport is located in Belgium’s capital city, Brussels. It is among the busiest European airports in terms of passenger traffic. Still, it also handles cargo operations with airlines such as Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, TUI Fly Belgium, and Air Belgium. 

Brussels South Charleroi Airport

The Brussels South Charleroi Airport is a supporting airport to the main Brussels Airport. It is located in Gosselies in Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The airport is a hub for cargo airlines, including Ryanair, Air Belgium, and Young Cargo.