Shipping from Spain to USA: The Complete Guide

If you’re shipping from Spain to USA, you will find all information right here.

From restricted imports, shipping method, custom clearance, cost of shipping to type of shipping container to use.

Let’s dive right in.

Prohibited and Restricted Goods to Ship from Spain to the USA

To avoid the possibility of your cargo being sent back from the USA due to illegality, here is a list of prohibited and restricted goods to evade in your shipment.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has provided a list of the country’s products and goods termed illegal.

In one way or another, these are products that pose a danger to the community, the health of persons, public safety, the American workers, children, domestic plant, and even animal life.

The CBP has partnered with other agencies to ensure that your shipment aligns with the rules and regulations of shipping into the U.S.

These rules apply to everyone globally, even Spain.

From the CDC to the Department of Agriculture, the officers in charge commit themselves to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens by checking what goes in and out of the country.

Spain being quite an economically stable state, business trades through exports and imports tend to be frequent.

Consequently, Spain has restrictions and regulations concerning shipping’s.

However, if you are considering making a Spain shipment to the U.S., ensure that you are free from the following illegal products:

Absinthe

This is a powerful alcoholic beverage that can cause death if consumed in excess.

Absinthe has been illegal for most of the years in the U.S.

This was up until 2007 when the restrictions lessened to a given percentage of Thujone.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that the absinthe should be Thujone free.

Alcoholic Substances

The U.S. has laws governing alcoholic beverages.

In case you are in the business of alcoholic drinks, it is best to ensure that the governing agency licenses your cargo.

Articles

Articles that majorly revolve around the defense department are software or hardware, including technology, blueprints design plan, and technical information concerning the U.S. defense system or even Spain.

Top clearance for shipping such articles is required.

Moreover, any reports suspected to violate the rights of copyrights of trademark regulations are regarded as illegal.

Automobile

It is not that shipping cars to the U.S. are illegal.

It is unlawful only when the car or cars do not fit the requirements outlined by the U.S. Department of transportation, under the office of vehicle safety compliance.

Your vehicle should ensure that it meets all the safety protocols.

It is also essential to ensure that you fill the CBP 7501 form and all the EPA and DOT compliance.

Failure to which, your car is termed as illegal

Biologicals

For these, you will require a clearance form for the CDC agency to make a smooth shipping.

Firearms

Shipping firearms into the U.S. comes with stringent regulations that must be adhered to.

This includes making sure that you are working with a licensed import agency that is answerable to the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives.

Dog and Cat Fur

It is illegal to import or even export cat or dog fur into the Unites states without any custom clearance permit or certifications.

The offense attracts a penalty ranging from $10,000-$3,000 depending on how the officials assess your crimes.

Moreover, pets and other animals must be checked for any diseases.

In fact, in the case of pets, the animals go to a mandatory quarantine, and a certified veteran approves of the animal’s safety.

Medicinal Drugs

You have to be specific with the kind of drugs you are taking to the U.S.

Narcotics and other drugs with the potential of being abused are prohibited by the USA.

The FDA plays a significant role in ensuring the drugs that you are shipping are licensed and approved for import.

Moreover, medical paraphernalia should be approved by the required licensed body.

For all other products, foods, and agricultural products, check-up with the CBP and ensure your product is free from restrictions.

The CBP is very efficient and very thorough in conducting its work.

Their officers are situated in most of the U.S. ports, ready to assess your cargo and advise you accordingly.

Goods to Ship from Spain to the USA

As long as you are shipping a good or merchandise that is not in the category of restricted or prohibited goods into the USA, then your goods are safe in the United States.

All you have to ensure is that your paperwork is well taken care of.

Besides, you should adhere to the rules and regulations of shipping in Spain and import rules for the USA, whether temporary or permanent.

Also, confirm with the relevant authorities whether your goods are safe to ship to the USA from the Spain authorities.

You can also seek further information from the USA authorities just to be sure.

Transit Time when Shipping from Spain to USA

Time is very crucial, especially if you are shipping perishable and edible goods.

Nonetheless, no one appreciates delays.

Shipping agencies making freights to the USA for their clients is very time conscious and ensures goods reach on time.

As much as these agencies are committed to ensuring your goods arrive on time, it all depends on the means you choose to transport your goods.

The primary means being air and sea/ocean.

Significant factors such as shipping from Spain to U.S. and shipping type determine your goods’ time to arrive in the U.S.

Time it takes for Ocean Freight Shipping from Spain to USA

It will take a week or even two to get your merchandise by the Ocean to the United States.

This all depends on the type of freight agency you use to help you ship your goods.

On average, 15 to 37 days is all it takes to reach the USA from Spain, factoring in the type of shipping one is using.

Here is a list showing timelines for Ocean freights from Spain to the USA.

• Valencia-Chicago—18 days FCL, 27 days LCL.
• Barcelona-Miami—15 days FCL, 31 days LCL.
• Valencia-Cleveland—31 days FCL, 25 days LCL.
• Barcelona-New York—18 days FCL.
• Bilbao-Chicago—31 days FCL, 30 days LCL.
• Bilbao-Los Angeles—37 days FCL, 34 days LCL.
• Barcelona-Los Angeles—28 days FCL, 31 days LCL.
• Bilbao-Houston—26 days FCL, 35 days LCL.
• Barcelona-Philadelphia—22 days FCL, 21 days LCL.
• Barcelona-Atlanta—27 days FCL, 22 days LCL.
• Valencia-Los Angeles—34 days FCL, 34 days LCL.
• Barcelona-Houston—24 days FCL.
• Barcelona-Savannah—20 days FCL.
• Bilbao-Seattle—34 days FCL

Time for Air Freight Shipping from Spain to USA

Air being the fastest means of transport globally, it would take no longer than three days to get your goods to the USA.

On average, a maximum of 8 days, depending on the location of your port.

Air transport is very convenient, especially for edible and perishable goods.

How Ocean Freight Shipping from Spain to USA Works

Ocean freights from Spain to the USA are relatively straight forward.

Like any other forms of shipping, all customs are counter checked to ensure the legal steps are fully adhered to.

From securing your cargo is custom cleared to loading it to the ship and ensuring that it arrives at the disclosed USA destination.

Main Ports in Spain

Spain hosts a number of ports to cater to shipments needs to the U.S.

If you are in Spain and need a port to help you reach the U.S., here are a number of ports that support you with your Agenda.

For Ocean freights, consider;

• Vigo
• Valencia
• Barcelona
• Bilbao
• Algeciras

For air freights, the following ports from Spain will help serve the purpose;

• Madrid
• Barcelona
• Bilbao

Main Ports in the USA

The main ports that can serve as receiving ends for shipments from Spain to the USA are as follows.

For Ocean freights, the main ports include;

• Miami
• Los Angeles
• Long Beach
• Savannah
• Seattle

Apart from the five main cargo ports in the U.S. earlier mentioned, shipments from Spain can find their way into the United States as well through the following international passages;

• New York
• Houston
• Baltimore
• San Francisco
• Oakland
• New Orleans
• Boston
• Atlanta
• Charleston
• Norfolk
• Tacoma
• Port Everglades
• Mobile

Benefits of Air Freight from Spain to the USA

Air Freight comes with a list of advantages compared to ocean freight.

With Air freight;

• Your goods will arrive faster than Ocean, after all, the air is the fastest means of transport.
• You can conveniently ship perishable goods.
• The security of your cargo is guaranteed.

International Airports in Spain

Spain has three main international airports that can transport your cargo from Spain to the USA.

They are;

• Madrid
• Barcelona
• Bilbao

International Airports in the USA

The following are the airports that will serve as the receiving ports for your cargo from Spain.

• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Cleveland
• Atlanta
• Dallas/Fort Worth

• New York JFK
• Charlotte
• Denver
• El Paso
• Houston
• Philadelphia Seattle
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Boston
• Detroit
• Sacramento

Handling Customs Clearance when Shipping from Spain to USA

Customs clearance is important during the transportation of your shipment from Spain to the USA.

Shipping your goods from Spain to the U.S. will not be a walk in the park if your paperwork is not aligned with the Customs clearance rules and regulations from both states.

It would be best if you were fully accountable for your shipment.

As a result, special documents should accompany your cargo as you await a go-ahead to ship your countries to the USA.

Due to the voluminous work entailed in the process of acquiring customs clearance, most people hire the services of freight forwarders.

They are committed to ensuring that all your shipment needs are in line with the customs and regulations required.

Moreover, freight forwarders have specialized in the shipping process bringing about professionalism in the shipping industry.

Nonetheless, you will be required to avail of some documents which mandatorily should come from you as the shipper.

These documents entail;

• Certificate of origin
• Packing list
• Commercial invoice
• Airway Bill or Bill of loading depending on whether it is air or ocean freight
• Credit letter or any other document describing terms of agreement for parties involved in the cargo.

If needed, any licenses and permits to help credit your cargo and evade the U.S. scrutiny on your cargo should as well be presented.

This is especially if your shipment involves any sort of merchandise that is not acceptable in the U.S. border without a CBP clearance certificate or permit.

Spain also has a custom export clearance procedure that is mandatory for every cargo owner to adhere to.

Calculating Cost of Shipping from Spain to USA

The cost of shipping involves a lot of factors.

From the type of shipping, you opt for to the size of container for your cargo.

The three major factor that will play a major role in determining the pricing for your cargo revolve around;

• The means of transport
• The type of shipping
• And your cargo size

The Means of Transport

Air freights are more expensive compared to Ocean freights.

Especially if your cargo is sizeable as well.

Ocean freight rates are more pocket friendly compared to air freights.

However, you will pay the price of time over the monetary ones, which is sort of worth it.

Here is a trick, if you want to beat the time with ocean fright, always make your bookings early in advance.

This way you will have cut costs.

Sometimes the best way to conduct business is to always be ahead of time.

Type of Shipping

This might either be between LCL and FCL.

As for LCL, your cost will be much less expensive because you only pay for the space your cargo is occupying.

And maybe some service fee.

As for the FCL, you are accountable for the size of your cargo in terms of pricing.

It might be a little pricy if you have a large size shipment.

Although sometimes there are discounts. But the larger your cargo, the higher the price.

Sometimes it’s the size of the container, not even the size of your cargo.

Hence it becomes pricy to use FCL for small cargo.

Hence, it is advisable to go for the LCL, although time-consuming.

How LCL Shipping from Spain to USA compare to FCL Shipping from Spain to USA

Less than Container Load (LCL) shipping mostly entails sharing a shipping container with other shippers.

It is very convenient for small shipments that cannot fill up a container.

Also, you will not have to face the hustle of choosing a container size to fit your goods.

However, if your shipment is fragile, heavy, or perishable, LCL might not be your best option.

Additionally, your cargo might take longer to arrive; hence it is advisable for goods that are not urgently needed.

Full Container Load (FCL) shipping has your container full to capacity.

There is no sharing of your container space.

Your shipment is thus sealed and requires no consolidation.

The advantage FCL has over LCL is that it is much faster to transport.

Moreover, if your cargo is urgently needed, FCL will make it on time.

Your goods are guaranteed privacy since the shipment is sealed all the way from Spain to the U.S.

Once your shipment arrives, it does not have to go through de-consolidation.

This is much attributed to the fact that LCL has to go through a process of offloading to ensure every shipper’s goods are accounted for.

For the FCL, your goods arrive as they get delivered to the destination of your preference.

How Door to Door Shipping from Spain to USA Works

There are three container shipping services that are made available to all shippers. These are;

• Door to door container shipping
• Port to door container shipping
• Port to port container shipping

For the Door to door shipping services, you get to give full attention to your cargo, from the pickup point to the drop of point.

The Door door Shipping is very convenient as you are assigned a forwarder to help in keeping track of your merchandise.

The following activities are involved when you choose the Door to door shipping.

First off, your cargo will be picked from where you wish and delivered to the port

Then your freight forwarder organizes the transport for your shipment be ensuring your cargo gets a spot in the ship.

To ensure your goods are not tampered with, the forwarder keeps track of your cargo until it arrives at the stipulated destination.

Thereafter, your cargo’s transportation from the port to the exact drop off destination is arranged by the forwarder.

There you have your cargo shipped fast and efficiently.

However, it will be a little costly compared to the Door to port and port to port shipping.

Nonetheless, it is all worth it, especially if you have fragile goods that need that extra care during shipping.

How Drop Shipping from Spain to USA Works

Dropshipping might just be one of the lucrative business ideas which serve to be beneficial in Spain provided that you have traffic on your website.

In the event that you find yourself a client in the USA for your goods or services on your website, it is quite easy to get the goods to your client.

Once your client deposits the amount as per your sale, as the owner of the business, you then make orders to your supplier.

Thereafter, your supplier organizes for shipping to your clients’ destination in the U.S.

Airlines to use when Shipping from Spain to USA

The following airlines will guarantee you a safe arrival for your cargo to the USA if you are shipping from Spain.

For direct flights, Madrid has airlines connected to the U.S. airport directly.

• DHL Aviation,
• Swift air,
• Kalitta air.
• DPS airlines
• Turkish Cargo.

Shipping Companies to use in Shipping from Spain to USA

There are dozens of shipping companies in Spain that can help in delivering your cargo to the USA.

Below are a few of them;

• Alfa ship. Company. It best serves shipments from the strait Gibraltar and the Canary Islands.
• Albatros shipping company. With its main office in Barcelona, Albatros company extends its shipping services to its branches in Algeciras, LasPalmas, Tarragona, and Valencia.
• Mold trans
• Vit logistica
• Arola Commercio Internacional
• Bluewater shipping
• Transmit Group
• Xarxa Spain
• Full safe logistics
• All logistics
• Logistics
• New block International and Customs Agency
• Logistica MC
• RMT logistics
• OMP logistics
• ALC logistics
• Z. logistics
• Across logistics
• Resa Expo logistics
• Volans
• Acirfa Shipping International
• Nice
• LeoProex
• Cargo club Forwarders

All of these shipping companies are based in Spain across the cities of Barcelona and Madrid.

Labeling Requirements when Shipping from Spain to USA

Labeling makes it easier to identify your cargo and thus even promote ways of better handling your cargo during shipping.

As a result, Spain has put regulations and guidelines to help shippers identify their cargo.

This is key; for example, in the case of fragile goods, the shipping agency in charge will know how to handle them.

It also serves the US CBP officers well since the goods will be directed to the agency in charge for inspection purposes.

So when you are shipping your goods to the USA from Spain,

• The language used on labeling should be English; however, the U.S. still accepts any other language used in the labeling of your cargo.
• It is mandatory to state the origin of your cargo, that is, “Made in”
• The weight of your cargo should appear in the standardized metric units.
• For foodstuffs, ensure you list all the ingredients present.

This is key to ensure that no illegal substance gets to the USA.

The U.S. food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Agriculture, take keen scrutiny of foodstuffs being exported or imported into the state.

• For textile and fabrics, instructions on how to take good care of the apparel are of importance.
• Drugs Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics require a mandatory and detailed label of their chemical composition. The same applies to fertilizers and fungicides.

How to Package Goods before Shipping from Spain to USA

The USA has strict rules regarding your packaging style.

The rules serve to ensure that your goods are not tampered with, and they arrive safely.

If you want your goods to arrive safely then;

• Ensure your cargo has a friendly packaging style.

That is, if you opt for Ocean freights, oceangoing containers, or even pallets, it offers you safety as well as a friendly means to package your cargo.

• The cargo should also be in containers that suit your cargo’s weight. That is, the container and your cargo should be evenly distributed.
• The package should be well sealed in a protective manner and be able to provide a moisture absorbent protection mechanism. There are containers suited to serve this need.

How Courier Service from Spain to USA Works

Just like any other courier service, Spain to USA courier services attract rules and regulations.

Not much work encompasses the courier services.

Only that the mails and parcels are picked up from the destination you dropped and taken to the depot.

Afterwards, they are sorted together with other mails and parcels according to designated addresses.

The Parcels to USA are then sent to the depots in USA where they are again sorted and delivered to the given address routes.

There are many companies that offer this service including:

• Cango box
• Packlink
• FedEx International
• EcoParcel
• Eurosender
• Voovit
• ParcelsPlease
• Parcel hero
• DHL
• Parcel2go
• Pharos Parcel Delivery
• Sendmybag
• UPS
• Citibox España
• Transglobalexpress

Factors Affecting Cost of Shipping from Spain to USA

Several factors account for the total costs a shipper has to incur to ensure the goods arrive at the destination.

Moreover, sometimes the given destination is not the final destination.

That is why there are different packages made available for your choosing to ensure your goods arrive on time.

So here are the main factors that will affect your cost of shipment from Spain to the USA;

· Time

This majorly revolves around the type of shipping you will opt for.

Air freights are considered to be much more expensive compared to Ocean freights.

This is because air freights, as much as they have a higher guarantee of security, they are much faster compared to Ocean freights.

Size and Weight of your Shipment

This majorly determined by your container size.

Large and heavy containers tend to be pricy compared to the small and less weighty ones.

Goods weighing in the range of 35kg-100kg are pricy on Ocean freights.

However, for Ocean freights, the charges are less costly.

Shipping Distance

As earlier outlined, Spain hosts various ports connected to U.S. ports.

Some are further from each other hence accounting for the time difference in freights shipping from different ports.

The longer the distance the higher the price charged.

Type of Shipping

When it comes to choosing between FCL and LCL shipping types, FCL might be a little costly.

This is majorly accounted for by the amount of space occupied by the merchandise.

Nonetheless, FCL is more efficient for the heavy and large cargo shipments.

For the Door to door shipping, its costs might be a little higher compared to the port to Door and port to port shipping.

This is majorly because of the amount of service offered to door to door shipping.

It is a fully hands-on type of shipping that keeps track of your cargo until it arrives at its final destination.

Quality Standard Requirements for Products You’reShipping from Spain to USA

Spanish products are under the mandatory process of quality assurance involving testing, inspection and later granting a certification.

All these procedures are regulated by the Spanish standards association.

Once the products arrive in the USA ports, a retest, a re-inspection, and certification is counterchecked for eligibility and to ascertain the quality standards are met.

This is because the USA quality standard requirement for goods is not the same as that of the Spanish hence the need for further standards check.

Generally, for quality standards of products, both countries require that your goods be tested and checked against the rules and regulations of the country.

This is to ensure that both imports and exports have the necessary certifications, licenses, and permits of your cargo.

How Dangerous Goods Shipping from Spain to USA Works

Dangerous goods are divided into several classes as outlined below:

Class 1 includes Explosives

Class 2 describes Toxic Gas

Class 4 encompasses all Substances which in Contact with Water Emit Flammable Gases (Dangerous When Wet)

Class 6  Explains on Infectious Substances, Category A

Class 7 outlines on Radioactive Materials

Spain has put a number of regulations that guide the transportation of dangerous goods.

This is in collaboration with the ADR agreement for ground transport and the IATA which regulates air transportation.

All paperwork defining the type of dangerous goods you are shipping should be presented to the relevant authorities.

The shipment as well should be in line with the Dangerous goods shipping guidelines.

Shortest Shipping Route from Spain to USA

For the sake of saving time and money, you might want to be in the know on the shortest route available for your cargo to arrive in USA from Spain.

For Ocean freights, the Barcelona to Miami route takes the shortest time compared to the others.

In a span of 15 days, your cargo will enter the borders of the U.S. through the Miami port.

Other routes that you might want to take into consideration are the Barcelona to New York and Valencia to Chicago routes.

Both of these routes take an average of 18 days to get to the USA.

These days are estimated with The FCL shipping method.

As for the FCL, the difference is no longer than 15 days from Spain to the U.S.

When to Use New or Used Container when Shipping from Spain to USA

New containers guarantee safety for your cargo in terms of quality, durability and aesthetics.

If you wish to achieve those factors on your shipment, purchasing a new shipping container will be highly recommended for you.

Moreover, new containers do not bare logo marks or wear and tear marks.

Therefore, once you have made your shipping to the USA, the container can be further converted into a business office or even a residential place.

It all depends on your preference on how well to put your container into more use.

Used containers, although they serve the transport purpose as efficiently as one would expect, they come as rusty containers due to their long exposure to oxidation processes over the years.

Used containers are usually between 8-12 years of age.

However, if aesthetics is not a problem to worry about with your cargo, then getting used containers, would be a cost-effective venture to ship your merchandise.

Moreover, the containers can be refurbished.

Hence you can as well convert the container into a storage unit, or serve other non-residential purposes.

Documents you need when Shipping from Spain to USA

As earlier mentioned, there are five main document you need to ensure are in your possession when shipping from Spain to USA

• U.S. Customs Invoice.
• Inward Cargo Manifest.
• Commercial invoice.
• Bill of Lading.
• Packing list

Best Incoterms to use to Ship from Spain to USA

Incoterms are very key, especially if you are a business person involved in cross-border trade.

Incoterms provide a complete guide on how to handle merchandise between buyers and sellers as they outline the responsibilities of the key players in the shipment process.

Due to the complexity involved when dealing with incoterms, groupings have been put in place to help shippers settle on a choice quickly.

As a result, there are four groupings, C, D, E, and F.

These groupings major around two core factors, that is, the point of delivery for the goods, and payment responsibility between the parties involved.

For group C, the seller is accountable for all transportation means until the goods arrive at their destination.

Thereafter, all risk is transferable once it’s loaded on the transport means, thus to the buyer.

For group D, the seller bears all transport costs and risks until the arrival of the goods to its preferable destination.

For group E, the buyer takes up the mandate of being accountable for his goods by claiming the goods from the seller and taking up all transport and risk costs