Ocean & Air Freight Shipping from Canada to Lebanon

Canada and Lebanon enjoy fruitful trade relations, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching $160 million in 2021. Canada is Lebanon’s top exporter of agriculture and agrifood products such as wheat and legumes. It also exports vehicle parts, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial and consumer goods.

If your business carries these products, Lebanon is rife with opportunities. To access the Lebanese market, however, you must first know all you can about ocean and air freight shipping from Canada to Lebanon. 

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

To ship cargo from Canada to Lebanon, you can choose between ocean and air freight. 

Ocean Freight From Canada to Lebanon

Ocean freight is the most common means of shipping goods to Canada and Lebanon because it’s cost-efficient and gives shippers more liberty regarding what type of goods they can ship. Ocean freight accommodates a wide range of shipments with two container options: less than container load and full container load. 

LCL is a shipping option where a seller’s goods will be consolidated with consignments belonging to other shippers. It’s best for smaller merchandise and allows shippers an economical way to get their goods to Lebanon. 

On the other hand, FCL is where a shipper rents the space in an entire container. As such, they can fill the unit with their products or ship larger, heavier items in one go. This isolated mode of shipment can be more expensive but allows shippers to enjoy faster transit times compared to LCL. 

Air Freight from Canada to Lebanon

If you need your goods to arrive in Lebanon within a tighter timeframe, you can opt for air freight. Shipments sent by plane usually arrive in a couple of days. But there are limitations in air freight from Canada to Lebanon. 

First, there are strict guidelines regarding what you can and can’t ship via air freight. Large, heavy goods may not be accommodated due to the limited space and weight limits. Air freight is also quite expensive, especially compared to the cheap shipping costs of ocean freight. 

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

The cost of shipping cargo from Canada to Lebanon depends on various factors. These include: 

• 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

Determine your shipping costs by using our online freight costs calculator. The table below shows the current cost of shipping a standard 20-foot container from Canada to Lebanon:

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

The duration for shipping goods from Canada to Lebanon is primarily influenced by the international shipping mode chosen. Other factors that can affect this include:

• The season (whether it's peak or low season)
• The directness of the shipment route
• How popular the trade lane is
• Geopolitical instability
• Potential incidents at the ports

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

Shipping cargo from Canada to Lebanon via ocean freight will take an average of 15 to 50 days.

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

Air freight from Canada to Lebanon can be completed in as fast as 2-8 days.

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

Customs Clearance in Canada and Lebanon

When you ship from Canada to Lebanon, your goods must go through the latter’s customs authorities before being imported into the country. Customs clearance can be quick and easy, provided that you have prepared and completed 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

For a more specific overview of these documents, check out our complete customs clearance documents list.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Before you decide to ship via ocean freight or air freight, you need to know your shipping priorities, as well as the needs of your shipment. Here are some pointers to help you make an informed shipping decision.

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight is best for you if you’re shipping large or heavy cargo, and don’t mind the longer transit times as long as you get to enjoy cheaper shipping. Your choice of LCL or FCL will also depend on some factors.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

LCL is suitable for you if your goods are: 

• Small or you’re shipping in small quantities 
• Ideal for consolidation with other shipments 
• Not requiring special handling or isolated shipping
• Not delicate, fragile, and high-value

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

FCL, on the other hand, might be a much better choice if your cargo is: 

• Large, heavy, oversized, or overweight 
• Composed of multiple goods 
• Delicate, fragile, or high-value 
• Requiring special handling and isolated shipping 
• Not suitable for consolidation with other shipments

Air Freight

If you’re only shipping smaller and lighter goods and your priority is getting them to Lebanon in a shorter timeframe, then you should go for air freight. This mode of shipment can get your cargo to its destination in a couple of days, which is very important for high-value goods. Air freight is also more secure than ocean freight because of stricter airport regulations. 

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo ports of origin in Canada

Port of Saint John

The Port of Saint John is the largest in the East of Canada. It offers a variety of shipping methods, including container shipping, dry cargo, bulk shipping, breakbulk, and liquid cargo. It connects to 500 ports worldwide and is accessible through Canada’s road and rail systems.

Port of Halifax

The Port of Halifax is a highly efficient port that can move cargo from origin to destination faster than other ports can. This is thanks to its self-imposed deadlines and capacity to handle two mega vessels simultaneously. These have led to the port increasing its capacity twice fold.

Port of Prince Rupert

The Port of Prince Rupert handles most of Canada’s exports of natural resources. It handles wheat and barley and has the capacity to ship over 7 million tonnes of grains annually. The nations it primarily serves include the Middle East, America, and North Africa.

Cargo ports of arrival in Lebanon

Port of Beirut/Bayrut

The Port of Beirut is Lebanon’s premier port and gateway to the Middle East. It is located amid three important continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. The port spans 1,200,000 square meters and has several terminals to handle cargo.

Port of Amchit

The Port of Amchit mainly handles Lebanon’s trade of clean oil products. It houses two terminals, namely the IPT terminal and Universal Gas Terminal. This port primarily serves as a subport of the Port of Beirut.

Port of Tripoli

The Port of Tripoli is Lebanon’s second-busiest port. It spans 3,000,000 square meters and is building a container terminal and free market zone. This port's primary goods include vehicles, construction materials, iron, iron scrap, wood, sugar, and beans.

Air Freight from Canada to Lebanon: An airport guide

Airports of origin in Canada

Hamilton International (YHM)

Hamilton International Airport also called the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Toronto-Hamilton International Airport, is located in Ontario, Canada. It handles about 121,800 tonnes of cargo per year with the help of its cargo operators Swoop, Cargojet, UPS Airlines, SkyLink Express, and KF Cargo.

Calgary International (YYC)

The Calgary International Airport mainly serves the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. It spans 20.82 square kilometers and houses important cargo providers like WestJet, Air Canada, Lynx Air, and WestJet Encore, enabling it to handle 79,500 tonnes of cargo per year. 

Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau (YUL)

The Montréal–Trudeau International Airport mainly serves the city of Dorval in Quebec, Canada. Among all the Canadian airports, it is the only one designated by Transport Canada to serve the Montreal area. The airport handles 81,400 tonnes of cargo per year.

Airports of arrival in Lebanon

Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport

The Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is Lebanon’s only commercial airport handling cargo operations. It houses the country’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), and Lebanese operator Trans Mediterranean Airways (TMA).