Quick Answer: Shipping a box to Haiti from the USA costs $89-$240 by ocean LCL and $2.85-$4.60 per pound by air. A standard 18x18x16 box (50 lb) to Port-au-Prince runs about $110-$145 door-to-door, with 8-14 day ocean transit from Miami or 3-5 days by air.
- Ocean box service to Port-au-Prince costs $89-$240 per box depending on size and weight; air freight runs $2.85-$4.60 per pound with 3-5 day transit.
- A 55-gallon barrel holds about 7.5 cubic feet and costs $155-$230, beating boxes on cost per cubic foot once you fill it past 60%.
- Haitian customs charges duty on CIF value; diaspora personal-effects shipments still face AGD verification and wharfage fees of roughly $35-$90 per piece.
- The calculator on this page prices your exact box dimensions, weight, US origin and Haitian destination city in seconds — no email required.
Rates in this guide reflect 2026 consolidator pricing from US gateways to Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, Saint-Marc, Gonaïves, Les Cayes and Jacmel. Your final number depends on cubic feet first, weight second, and how far your box travels before it reaches the port.
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Use the calculator above →How much does it cost to ship a box to Haiti from the USA?
Quick Answer: Shipping a box to Haiti costs $89-$240 by ocean and $2.85-$4.60 per pound by air. A 18x18x16 box weighing 50 lb runs about $110-$145 to Port-au-Prince door-to-door. Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, Les Cayes and Jacmel add $15-$45 for inland delivery beyond the port.
Box pricing to Haiti follows volume, not weight. Consolidators price ocean cargo by cubic feet, then apply a weight cap per piece. That is why a light but bulky box of comforters can cost more than a dense box of canned goods.
Here are the 2026 price bands our operations team sees most often on the Miami–Haiti lane.
| Piece | Cubic feet | Typical weight | Ocean to Port-au-Prince | Air (per lb) | Ocean transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12x12x12 box | 1.0 cu ft | 20-30 lb | $89–$110 | $3.40–$4.60 | 8–12 days |
| 18x18x16 box | 3.0 cu ft | 45–55 lb | $110–$145 | $3.10–$4.20 | 8–14 days |
| 24x24x24 box | 8.0 cu ft | 60–80 lb | $165–$215 | $2.85–$3.90 | 8–14 days |
| 55-gallon barrel | 7.5 cu ft | 200–300 lb | $155–$230 | Not practical | 8–14 days |
Four things move the number. Cubic feet set the base rate. Actual weight adds a surcharge past roughly 100 lb per piece. Destination city adds last-mile cost beyond the port. Origin gateway adds the inland leg to the consolidation warehouse.
Which US origins give the lowest box rates?
Miami and Port Everglades give the lowest rates to Haiti, full stop. Weekly sailings, short ocean leg, and dense consolidation volume keep the per-box cost down. New York, Boston, Atlanta and Orlando add $12-$35 per box for the inland feeder to the Florida gateway.
Shippers in Texas and the central states usually route through Port Houston. California and the Southwest feed through Los Angeles/Long Beach, then transship. The Midwest moves by rail via Chicago to a coastal gateway. Every extra mile before the vessel adds cost and days.
That is the all-in 2026 ocean range from Miami to Port-au-Prince for a standard 50 lb box. Duty, AGD verification and wharfage are assessed separately in Haiti and are not included in the freight quote.
One clarification that saves arguments later: an ocean door-to-port quote covers pickup, consolidation, ocean freight and port arrival. It does not cover Haitian duty, the AGD verification fee, or wharfage. Those are paid at destination.
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Use the calculator above →How does the boxes to Haiti shipping calculator work?
Quick Answer: The calculator on this page prices your shipment from four inputs: box dimensions in inches, actual weight in pounds, your US origin ZIP code, and the Haitian destination city. It returns ocean and air rates side by side in under 30 seconds, with no signup and no sales call.
The boxes to Haiti shipping calculator mirrors how our rating desk builds a quote manually. Four inputs, four price drivers. Nothing hidden behind an email gate.
- Enter dimensions — length x width x height in inches. This converts to cubic feet and sets the ocean base rate.
- Enter actual weight — in pounds. This triggers the dimensional-weight comparison on any air quote.
- Enter your origin ZIP — the calculator routes you to Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Savannah or rail via Chicago, and prices the inland leg.
- Pick the destination city — Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, Saint-Marc, Les Cayes, Gonaïves or Jacmel. Each carries its own last-mile cost.
For multiple pieces, enter each box separately. Consolidating four or more boxes usually drops the per-box rate by 10-18% because the handling and documentation cost spreads across the consignment.
Pro Tip
Measure the box after you pack and tape it, not before. A carton bulges. A 18x18x16 box packed with clothing often measures 19x19x17 at the warehouse, which pushes it into the next rate band. Consolidators re-measure every piece at the CFS.
If you also send documents or small parcels on other lanes, the same logic applies. Our Free Courier Documents Calculator: USA to Peru 2026 shows how a courier-specific calculator handles paperwork shipments where weight is trivial and speed is everything.
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Use the calculator above →What is dimensional weight and how does it change your Haiti rate?
Quick Answer: Dimensional weight is the space your box occupies converted into a billable weight figure. Carriers bill the greater of actual or dimensional weight. For air freight to Haiti, divide length x width x height in inches by 139 (domestic-style) or 166 (international). Ocean box service bills by cubic feet instead.
Air carriers sell space, not tonnage. A plane fills up by volume long before it hits its weight limit. So carriers invented the DIM divisor to charge light, bulky cargo fairly.
Worked example 1: the standard 18x18x16 box
18 x 18 x 16 = 5,184 cubic inches. Divide by 139 and you get 37.3 lb dimensional weight. Divide by 166 and you get 31.2 lb.
If that box actually weighs 50 lb, it bills at 50 lb actual weight. Dense cargo wins. Rice, canned goods, cooking oil and shoes all fall on the right side of this math.
Worked example 2: the bulky 24x24x24 box
24 x 24 x 24 = 13,824 cubic inches. At divisor 166, that is 83 lb DIM. Now fill it with pillows and blankets weighing 40 lb.
The carrier bills 83 lb, not 40. You pay for 43 pounds of air. At $3.20 per pound that is $138 of pure volume charge. This is exactly why bedding, plush toys and foam never fly to Haiti.
Ocean math: cubic feet and cubic meters
Ocean LCL ignores DIM divisors entirely. It bills volume.
- Cubic feet: 18 x 18 x 16 ÷ 1,728 = 3.0 cubic feet
- 55-gallon barrel: about 7.5 cubic feet
- Cubic meters: divide cubic feet by 35.315
- Ten boxes of 3 cu ft: 30 cu ft = 0.85 CBM
The 8 lb per cubic foot rule
Calculate your box density: actual weight divided by cubic feet. If the result is under 8 lb per cubic foot, ship ocean, not air. A 40 lb box at 8 cu ft is 5 lb/cu ft — air freight will bill it at double its real weight. Families regularly overpay $80-$150 per box by missing this check.
Barrels vs boxes vs pallets vs 20ft container: which is cheapest?
Quick Answer: Barrels beat boxes on cost per cubic foot once filled past roughly 60 percent. A 55-gallon barrel holds about 7.5 cubic feet at $155-$230, or $21-$31 per cubic foot. A 20ft FCL container holds 1,170 cubic feet and becomes cheaper once you exceed about 10 CBM.
Shipping barrels and boxes to Haiti is the backbone of diaspora freight. The barrel is the default unit for a reason: it is rigid, stackable, water-resistant, and it prices well per cubic foot.
| Unit | Usable volume | Max weight | 2026 price to PAP | Price per cu ft | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18x18x16 box | 3.0 cu ft | 60 lb | $110–$145 | $37–$48 | Single-family gift shipments |
| 24x24x24 box | 8.0 cu ft | 80 lb | $165–$215 | $21–$27 | Bulk clothing, light goods |
| 55-gallon barrel | 7.5 cu ft | 250–300 lb | $155–$230 | $21–$31 | Rice, oil, canned goods, clothing |
| Standard pallet (48x40x60) | 66 cu ft | 1,500 lb | $780–$1,150 | $12–$17 | Small business restock |
| 20ft FCL container | 1,170 cu ft (33 CBM) | 28,200 kg | $2,350–$3,100 | $2–$2.65 | Relocation, commercial import |
When the barrel wins
A 55-gallon drum filled past 60 percent delivers the best cost per cubic foot below pallet size. It also survives Port-au-Prince handling better than cardboard. Most consolidators cap the barrel at 250-300 lb, which is plenty for rice, cooking oil, canned goods and folded clothing. Shrink-wrap it and label two sides.
When the container wins
Once your total volume crosses 10 CBM — about 353 cubic feet, or 47 barrels — a 20ft FCL becomes cheaper per unit. You also control loading, avoid CFS deconsolidation delays, and clear as a single entry. Below 10 CBM, LCL consolidation almost always wins on total landed cost.
That 10 CBM crossover is the same threshold used on every LCL-to-FCL decision in the trade. We break down the underlying math on a longer lane in the FCL Calculator USA to Peru: Rates from $2,150 (2026) guide, and the logic transfers directly to Haiti.
Miami(USMIA)
Port-au-Prince(HTPAP)
Port Everglades(USPEF)
Cap-Haïtien(HTCAP)
Miami(USMIA)
Port-au-Prince(HTPAP)
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Use the calculator above →Air freight vs ocean freight to Haiti: speed, price per pound, transit
Quick Answer: Air freight to Port-au-Prince costs $2.85-$4.60 per pound with 3-5 day transit. Ocean LCL box service costs the equivalent of $0.85-$1.90 per pound with 8-14 day transit from Miami. Air wins for documents, medicine and urgent parts; ocean wins for anything over 30 pounds.
The courier Haiti price per pound gap between air and ocean is wide. On a 50 lb box, air costs $145-$230 in freight alone. Ocean delivers the same box for $110-$145 all-in.
| Method | Typical cost | Transit | Weight limit | Tracking in Haiti | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Priority International | $95–$180 per box | 10–21 days | 70 lb | Weak after arrival | Small, low-value parcels |
| DHL / FedEx express | $4.20–$7.50 per lb | 2–4 days | ~150 lb per piece | Excellent | Documents, medicine, urgent parts |
| Air freight consolidated | $2.85–$4.60 per lb | 3–5 days | No practical cap | Good (AWB) | Time-sensitive dense cargo |
| Consolidator box/barrel service | $89–$240 per piece | 8–14 days | 60 lb box / 300 lb barrel | Good (B/L + local pickup) | Diaspora family shipments |
| 20ft FCL container | $2,350–$3,100 | 7–12 days | 28,200 kg | Container tracking | Relocation, commercial volume |
Air freight: MIA to Toussaint Louverture
Miami International (MIA) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) runs 3-5 days door-to-door. Minimum charges usually apply at 45-65 lb equivalent, so a 20 lb box still bills like 45 lb. That makes small air shipments expensive per unit. Use air for pharmaceuticals, spare parts, legal documents and anything the family needs this week.
Ocean LCL: Miami and Port Everglades
Weekly sailings move consolidated boxes and barrels to Port-au-Prince in 8-14 days door-to-door. Cargo must reach the CFS 48-72 hours before the vessel cut-off. This is the diaspora sweet spot: flat, predictable rates, no weight anxiety, and local pickup or delivery in Haiti. Independent shipping guides such as Shipping to Haiti: Time, Cost & Customs Charges report similar ranges for the lane.
USPS looks cheap on the label but caps at 70 lb and offers weak visibility once the parcel enters Haiti. Express couriers publish full rate cards — FedEx Haiti shipping rates and tariffs is a useful benchmark — but express pricing punishes anything heavy or bulky.
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Use the calculator above →How long does it take for a box to arrive in Haiti?
Quick Answer: A box shipped by ocean from Miami reaches Port-au-Prince in 8-14 days door-to-door. Air freight takes 3-5 days. Origins outside Florida add 2-5 days of inland transit: New York and Boston add 3-4 days, Atlanta and Orlando add 1-2, Chicago and the Midwest add 4-5 by rail or truck.
Transit time to Haiti is ocean leg plus inland leg plus last mile. The ocean leg from Florida is short. Most of the variation comes from how far your box travels before it reaches the gateway.
| US origin | Gateway | Ocean door-to-door | Air door-to-door |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami / Fort Lauderdale | Miami / Port Everglades | 8–12 days | 3–4 days |
| Orlando / Tampa | Miami / Port Everglades | 9–14 days | 3–5 days |
| Atlanta | Savannah or Miami feeder | 10–15 days | 3–5 days |
| New York / New Jersey | Port of New York & New Jersey | 12–18 days | 4–6 days |
| Boston | NY/NJ then feeder | 12–18 days | 4–6 days |
| Chicago / Midwest | Rail via Chicago to coast | 13–19 days | 4–6 days |
| Houston / central states | Port Houston | 12–17 days | 4–6 days |
| Los Angeles / Southwest | Los Angeles / Long Beach | 15–22 days | 4–7 days |
How much longer to Cap-Haïtien and the secondary cities?
Cap-Haïtien receives direct sailings less frequently than Port-au-Prince. Add 3-6 days versus Port-au-Prince for the reduced sailing frequency and the smaller feeder vessels.
Saint-Marc and Gonaïves are served either by feeder or by inland truck from Port-au-Prince. Add 1-3 days. Les Cayes and Jacmel run overland from the capital and add 1-2 days plus $15-$45 in last-mile cost.
The Santo Domingo overland option
When Port-au-Prince faces congestion or security disruptions, we route cargo by ocean to Caucedo in the Dominican Republic, then truck it across the border. It adds 4-7 days but keeps freight moving when the capital's port slows down. Ask for this routing by name if your delivery window is firm.
Vessel ETD is not the port cut-off
These are two different dates. The vessel ETD is when the ship sails. The cut-off is when your cargo must be inside the CFS — typically 48-72 hours earlier, with documentation due 24 hours before ETD. Miss the cut-off and your box rolls to next week's sailing, adding 7 days at no fault of the carrier.
Do I have to pay customs duty on a box sent to Haiti?
Quick Answer: Yes. Haitian customs (AGD) assesses duty on the CIF value of the goods, not the freight alone. Typical duty on household consumables and clothing runs 5-20 percent, plus TCA at 10 percent and verification and wharfage fees of roughly $35-$90 per piece. Personal-effects relief is limited and applied case by case.
CIF value means cost of goods + insurance + freight. That combined figure is the base the Administration Générale des Douanes uses to assess duty. Many senders assume duty applies only to the goods. It does not.
What duty rates apply by product category?
| Category | Typical duty band | TCA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used clothing / shoes | 5–10% | 10% | Lowest-risk category for diaspora boxes |
| Foodstuffs (rice, oil, canned) | 5–15% | 10% | Some staples carry reduced rates |
| Household consumables | 10–20% | 10% | Soap, detergent, paper goods |
| Electronics | 15–30% | 10% | Serial numbers often verified |
| Large appliances | 20–40% | 10% | Highest assessment risk |
| Medicine / pharmaceuticals | Varies | 10% | May require import authorization |
Duty is only part of the destination bill. AGD verification, wharfage and port handling are separate charges. Budget $35-$90 per barrel or large box for these fees, independent of what duty is assessed.
Sample total landed cost for one box
Here is a realistic breakdown for a 50 lb box of clothing and food moving Miami → Port-au-Prince with inland delivery.
- Ocean freight (door-to-port): $145
- Fuel surcharge: $18
- Wharfage and port handling: $28
- AGD verification fee: $25
- Duty and TCA on CIF value: $62
- Inland delivery in Haiti: $30
- Total landed cost: $308
Personal-effects relief is not automatic
Documented used household goods sent by the diaspora may receive reduced assessment. AGD applies it case by case, and officers decide at the counter. Declare honestly, itemize every box, and keep purchase receipts. Under-declaring to dodge $40 of duty triggers re-valuation penalties that cost far more. For commercial consignments, hire a licensed Haitian customs broker — AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder, not legal counsel.
Independent references such as the US to Haiti shipping guidelines and international freight shipping to Haiti describe the same CIF-based assessment structure.
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Use the calculator above →What documents and items do Haiti customs require or prohibit?
Quick Answer: Haiti requires a commercial or pro-forma invoice, a detailed packing list, the consignee's full name, address and phone, and a government ID or NIF number. For household goods moving from the US, CBP Form 3299 also applies. Firearms, ammunition, narcotics, used mattresses and certain agricultural items are prohibited.
Paperwork failures cause more delays than freight problems. A missing consignee ID stops a box at the port faster than any duty dispute.
Document checklist for every Haiti shipment
- Commercial or pro-forma invoice with itemized values per line
- Packing list showing contents of each box or barrel
- Bill of Lading (ocean) or Air Waybill (air)
- Consignee full name, Haitian address and working phone number
- Consignee government ID or NIF number
- CBP Form 3299 for personal effects leaving the US
What is prohibited or restricted?
Prohibited outright: firearms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, counterfeit goods, hazardous chemicals, live plants and soil. Most consolidators also refuse used mattresses on hygiene grounds.
Restricted and duty-heavy: pharmaceuticals, generators, large appliances, alcohol, tobacco, drones, and vehicle parts above certain values. These clear, but they draw scrutiny and higher assessment.
Label every box on two sides
Write the consignee name and Haitian phone number on two sides of every box, then number them sequentially: 1 of 6, 2 of 6. Deconsolidation at the CFS separates pieces from the same consignment. Unnumbered boxes get reunited slowly, if at all. Under-declaring value remains the single most common cause of AGD holds and re-valuation penalties.
How do you pack, book and track boxes to Haiti step by step?
Quick Answer: Book in five steps: price your box in the calculator on this page, confirm dimensions and weight, choose door-to-door or port-to-port, schedule pickup or drop off at the consolidation warehouse, then track by Bill of Lading number. Ocean cargo must reach the CFS 48-72 hours before the vessel cut-off.
The process is short once you know the sequence. Most families who send a box to Haiti from the USA complete booking in under 15 minutes.
- Price your exact dimensions, weight, origin ZIP and Haitian city in the calculator on this page.
- Confirm the measurements after packing and taping — the warehouse re-measures every piece.
- Choose door-to-door or port-to-port service before you book.
- Schedule pickup at your address or drop off at the consolidation warehouse.
- Track by Bill of Lading number from CFS receipt through Haitian delivery.
Packing rules that prevent damage claims
- Use double-wall cartons — single-wall boxes crush under stacked barrels
- Keep boxes to a 50-60 lb practical limit, even when the cap allows more
- Shrink-wrap barrels and secure the locking ring
- No loose liquids — seal, bag and pad anything that can leak
- Pad electronics separately and keep the original packaging where possible
Door-to-door or port-to-port?
Port-to-port saves $25-$55 per piece. The trade-off is that your consignee must clear customs and collect at Port-au-Prince or Cap-Haïtien in person. That means travel, waiting time and dealing with AGD directly.
Door-to-door costs more and removes all of that. For elderly consignees or families outside the port cities, door-to-door is usually worth the premium.
Photograph everything before you seal the box
All-risk insurance runs about 1.5-3 percent of declared CIF value. A claim without photos and receipts rarely pays in full. Shoot each box's contents laid out, then the sealed box with its label visible. Keep receipts in a folder. This five-minute habit is what separates a paid claim from a denied one.
What causes customs holds and how long do they last?
Three holds account for most delays: value queries, missing consignee ID, and undeclared electronics. Resolution typically takes 2-5 business days once the consignee responds with documentation.
Booking cut-offs matter too. Miami sailings run weekly, and documentation is due 24 hours before the vessel ETD. Late paperwork rolls the box to the next sailing.
Families often ship a vehicle alongside household boxes. If that applies to you, review the International Car Shipping Calculator: 2026 Rates for single-vehicle pricing, the Cars Per Container Calculator: 1-4 Cars, 2026 Rates when moving several vehicles together, and the Classic Car Shipping Calculator: 2026 Rates from $1,850 for collector or antique vehicles that need enclosed container loading.
Price your boxes to Haiti now
Quick Answer: Use the boxes to Haiti shipping calculator on this page to price your exact shipment. Enter box dimensions, weight, US origin ZIP and Haitian destination city. You get ocean and air rates side by side in under 30 seconds, with no email address and no follow-up sales call.
With thousands of shipments processed annually across the USA–Latin America and Caribbean corridor, our rating desk knows that every Haiti quote comes down to four numbers: cubic feet, pounds, origin and destination city. The calculator asks for exactly those four.
Enter your box or barrel dimensions above and compare ocean LCL against air freight for your real shipment. It prices Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Savannah and rail via Chicago, and it quotes Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, Saint-Marc, Gonaïves, Les Cayes and Jacmel. No email required, no follow-up calls — just the number you came for.
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Use the calculator above →A standard 18x18x16 box weighing 50 pounds costs about $110-$145 door-to-door to Port-au-Prince by ocean, or $2.85-$4.60 per pound by air. Smaller 12x12x12 boxes start near $89, and 24x24x24 boxes run $165-$215. Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Jacmel add $15-$45 for inland delivery.
Ocean LCL consolidator service is the cheapest way, at roughly $21-$31 per cubic foot for a 55-gallon barrel and $89-$240 per box. Barrels beat boxes on cost per cubic foot once filled past about 60 percent. If you exceed 10 CBM, a 20ft container at $2,350-$3,100 becomes cheaper still.
Ocean shipments from Miami reach Port-au-Prince in 8-14 days door-to-door, and air freight takes 3-5 days. Origins outside Florida add inland time: New York and Boston add 3-4 days, Atlanta and Orlando add 1-2, and Chicago adds 4-5 days. Cap-Haïtien typically adds another 3-6 days.
Yes. Haitian customs (AGD) charges duty on the CIF value, which is goods plus insurance plus freight, not on the freight alone. Typical duty runs 5-20 percent plus TCA, with verification and wharfage fees of about $35-$90 per piece. Personal-effects relief exists but is applied case by case.
Firearms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, counterfeit goods, hazardous chemicals, live plants and soil are prohibited. Pharmaceuticals, generators, alcohol, tobacco, drones and large appliances are restricted and draw high duty. Used mattresses are refused by most consolidators. Declare everything accurately to avoid AGD holds and re-valuation penalties.