Quick Answer: With AB Group Shipping, a 20 ft container from New Jersey to Cartagena costs from $821 port to port (October 2026 quote) and sails in 6 days; a 40 ft HC starts at $972. Port Newark-Elizabeth loads weekly to Latin America. The calculator on this page adds your pickup and prices your exact lane.
- Port Newark-Elizabeth is the export gateway for NY, NJ, PA, New England, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, DC and West Virginia — by truck, or by rail from inland points.
- Transit from New Jersey runs 5 days to Colon, 6 days to Cartagena, 14 days to San Antonio, Santos and Veracruz, 18 days to Callao and 22 days to Santo Tomas de Castilla.
- A 40 ft HC carries roughly twice the volume of a 20 ft for about 18-20% more freight — the cost-per-CBM break point sits near 25 CBM.
- Port-to-port freight is only one line: drayage, terminal handling, AES filing and destination charges are separate. The calculator on this page builds the full number.
Port Newark-Elizabeth is the busiest container complex on the US East Coast, and that scale buys you weekly sailings to almost every Latin American port. The price table under the opening answer refreshes monthly, so the figures you see are the ones our quoting system is using today.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Reference prices: container shipping from New Jersey
| Destination | 20 ft container | 40 ft HC container | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColombiaCartagena | $821 | $972 | 6 days |
| PanamaColon Container Terminal | $821 | $972 | 5 days |
| ChileSan Antonio | $1,080 | $1,296 | 14 days |
| EcuadorGuayaquil | $1,080 | $1,296 | 15 days |
| PeruCallao | $1,080 | $1,296 | 18 days |
| BrazilSantos | $1,566 | $1,922 | 14 days |
| MexicoVeracruz | $1,685 | $1,944 | 14 days |
| GuatemalaSanto Tomas de Castilla | $1,847 | $2,203 | 22 days |
Port-to-port rates in USD from Philadelphia, calculated with our quoting system (current since October 1, 2026). 20 ft container: general cargo. 40 ft HC container: general cargo. They include freight and US export charges; they do not include import taxes or local charges at destination. The calculator on this page gives your exact price, with pickup and delivery.
Which States Ship Their Containers Through Port Newark?
Quick Answer: Port Newark-Elizabeth is the usual export gateway for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington DC. Cargo arrives by truck from the Mid-Atlantic and New England, or by rail from inland and western Pennsylvania.
Your distance to the terminal drives the inland half of your cost. Ocean freight is the same for everyone on the lane. Drayage is what changes by state.
How cargo reaches the terminal from each region
- New Jersey, New York, eastern Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware: single-day truck drayage straight to the pier or our partner warehouse.
- Maryland, Washington DC, northern Virginia: I-95 line-haul, usually a same-day or next-morning delivery.
- Massachusetts and Rhode Island: southern New England moves in one driving day, often on a live-load appointment.
- New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine: overnight LTL or FTL into the North Jersey area, then drayage into the terminal.
- Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, inland Virginia: rail to the North Jersey intermodal yards, then a short-haul drayage of a few miles to the container terminal.
AB Group Shipping works in New Jersey through a partner warehouse that receives, stores and consolidates cargo before stuffing. That matters when your shipment arrives in several deliveries over two weeks. The warehouse holds the pieces, then loads one container once everything lands.
Live load or drop trailer: which one do you need?
A live load sends a driver to your dock with the container on a chassis. You normally get two free hours to load before waiting time starts. It is the cheaper option when you have a forklift crew ready.
A drop-and-pick leaves the trailer at your site for days. You load at your own pace, but you pay chassis per-diem for every day it sits. Household moves and slow-loading warehouses usually come out ahead with a drop.
Port cut-off is not vessel ETD
Two deadlines sit before every sailing. Documentation cut-off typically falls 72 hours before departure, and cargo cut-off 24-48 hours before. Miss either one and your container rolls to the next weekly sailing — a full week lost, with storage accruing at the terminal. Build 3-4 working days of buffer into your loading plan.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →20 ft or 40 ft HC: Which Container Size Fits Your Load?
Quick Answer: Choose a 20 ft container for dense cargo up to about 28 CBM and 25 metric tons; choose a 40 ft high cube for volume up to about 76 CBM. From New Jersey the 40 ft HC costs roughly 18-20% more than the 20 ft while carrying nearly double the volume, so cost per CBM favors the 40 ft past 25 CBM.
Most shippers pick by volume and forget weight. Road rules decide more often than the container does.
20 ft vs 40 ft HC from New Jersey
| Container | Packed CBM | Max payload | Cartagena · Oct 2026 | Colon · Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | ~28 CBM | ~25,000 kg | $821 | $821 |
| 40 ft high cube | ~60-65 CBM | ~26,000 kg | $972 | $972 |
Source: AB Group Shipping quoting system, port-to-port general cargo · October 2026
Run the math per cubic meter. At 28 CBM a 20 ft to Cartagena works out near $29 per CBM. A 40 ft HC packed to 62 CBM lands close to $16 per CBM. Past about 25 CBM of real cargo, the big box wins.
Pick the 20 ft
Dense freight — tile, stone, canned goods, machine parts, auto parts. You hit the weight ceiling long before the roof. Two 20 ft units also split risk across two sailings and two customs entries if your buyer wants staggered delivery.
Pick the 40 ft HC
Light and bulky — furniture, household goods, textiles, packaging, plastics, appliances. The extra foot of interior height swallows tall crates. One ocean freight, one drayage move, one terminal handling charge instead of two of each.
Road weight beats container capacity
Many New Jersey drayage lanes cap a loaded 20 ft near 38,000-40,000 lbs of cargo without an overweight permit. A steel or tile load that fits legally on the vessel may be illegal on the Turnpike. Heavy commodities usually split across two 20 ft units instead of one 40 ft.
Vehicles never use the general-cargo rate
Container prices for general cargo do not price cars. A vehicle carries its own handling, bracing and rate line. A single car uses the vehicle rate. Two cars sharing a 40 ft use the shared-container approximation per car — see Two Cars in a 40ft Container Calculator: Rates 2026.
Deciding between steel box and roll-on/roll-off? Compare both in RoRo vs Container Car Calculator: 2026 Rates. Classic and collector cars ship enclosed in a container, never on RoRo — pricing sits in Classic Car Shipping Calculator: 2026 Instant Quotes.
RVs, motorhomes, semi-trucks, heavy machinery and aircraft do not fit in a container. They move on a flat rack or a RoRo vessel. Submit the request through the calculator and an operations specialist quotes it.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →How Much Does Container Shipping from New Jersey Cost in 2026?
Quick Answer: In October 2026, a 20 ft container from New Jersey starts at $821 port to port to Cartagena and Colon, with the 40 ft HC from $972. Longer South American lanes price higher. Rates move every month, so read the live price table under the opening answer for today's numbers.
Port-to-port ocean freight for general cargo from Port Newark-Elizabeth. New Jersey pickup, drayage and warehouse handling are added by the calculator on this page. Destination charges are billed in Colombia.
New Jersey FCL rates and transit by destination · October 2026
See the data
| Destination port | 20 ft | 40 ft HC | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colon, Panama | $821 | $972 | 5 days |
| Cartagena, Colombia | $821 | $972 | 6 days |
| San Antonio, Chile | $1,080 | $1,296 | 14 days |
| Guayaquil, Ecuador | $1,080 | $1,296 | 15 days |
| Callao, Peru | $1,080 | $1,296 | 18 days |
| Santos, Brazil | $1,566 | $1,922 | 14 days |
| Veracruz, Mexico | $1,685 | $1,944 | 14 days |
| Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala | $1,847 | $2,203 | 22 days |
Source: AB Group Shipping quoting system, port-to-port general cargo from New Jersey · October 2026
New Jersey(USEWR)
Cartagena(COCTG)
New Jersey(USEWR)
Colon(PACTB)
New Jersey(USEWR)
Callao(PECLL)
What those numbers do and do not include
Every figure above is port-to-port ocean freight only. Your New Jersey pickup, the drayage move and the partner-warehouse handling are added by the calculator. Destination charges, import duties and door delivery are billed in the destination country.
Watch the "all-in" quote trap. An honest New Jersey quote itemizes origin terminal handling (THC), BAF/CAF bunker and currency adjustments, the ISPS security fee and the AES filing fee. A number far below the market usually hides those and reappears as an invoice after the vessel sails.
Shipping to Ecuador? The Guayaquil lane has its own duty structure and clearance rhythm — details sit in Container Calculator Ecuador: FCL Rates 2026. Lanes outside Latin America price differently again; West Africa is covered in Shipping to Nigeria Calculator: Instant 2026 Rates.
Pro Tip
Other US origins price off the nearest listed origin, written "approx." with the port the box actually leaves from. A Philadelphia or Baltimore shipper is quoted on the New Jersey line — approx. $821 for a 20 ft to Cartagena, sailing from Port Newark-Elizabeth. The inland leg is what changes, not the ocean rate.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →How Does the Container Shipping Calculator for New Jersey Work?
Quick Answer: Enter your New Jersey pickup ZIP, destination port, container size and cargo description. The calculator on this page returns ocean freight, drayage and handling in seconds, with transit days for the lane. No email, no signup, no follow-up calls — you book only when the number works for you.
- Enter your pickup ZIP. The tool separates a Newark-area drayage from a Maine or Virginia line-haul. Distance to the terminal moves the price more than most shippers expect — often by several hundred dollars.
- Choose container size and commodity. General cargo, household goods and vehicles run on different rate lines. Pick honestly, or the quote will not hold at booking.
- Select the destination port. Cartagena, Colon, San Antonio, Guayaquil, Callao, Santos, Veracruz, Santo Tomas de Castilla and worldwide, each with its own transit days.
- Compare sailings. A departure three days later often prices lower, especially outside peak season surcharge windows. The tool shows both so you choose speed or savings.
Breakbulk, flat rack, oversized RoRo and dangerous goods cannot be auto-priced. For those, the embedded element switches to a custom-quote form and an operations specialist answers with a firm figure.
What Documents and Export Rules Apply to a New Jersey Container?
Quick Answer: Every container leaving Port Newark above $2,500 per Schedule B line needs an Electronic Export Information filing in AES, plus a commercial invoice, packing list and Bill of Lading. Household goods also need a valued inventory. Destination customs — DIAN, SUNAT, SAT, Receita Federal — sets the duties, not US Customs.
According to CBP regulations under the Foreign Trade Regulations, the EEI goes through AESDirect before cargo cut-off. You need your EIN, the Schedule B code and the ultimate consignee's details. CBP issues penalties for late or missing filings, and the carrier will not release the Bill of Lading without the ITN.
The core document set
- Commercial Invoice (Factura Comercial) — values, Incoterm, buyer and seller details.
- Packing List — pieces, weights, dimensions, marks and numbers.
- Bill of Lading (B/L) — the contract of carriage and title document.
- Certificate of Origin (Certificado de Origen) — needed where a trade agreement cuts the duty rate to zero.
- CBP Form 3299 — for household goods and personal effects entering the US.
A missing tax ID holds the container
Latin American consignees need their tax ID printed on the Bill of Lading: NIT or RUT in Colombia, RUC in Peru and Ecuador, RFC in Mexico, CNPJ in Brazil. Leave it off and the box sits at destination while a B/L amendment is processed — usually a fee plus demurrage after free time expires.
Outbound household moves need a detailed valued inventory in the destination country's language. Spanish for Colombia, Peru and Mexico. Portuguese for Brazil. Vague entries like "box of misc" invite inspection.
Duties at destination: a worked example
Import duties and VAT are published government percentages, not AB Group charges. Say you ship goods with a CIF value of $20,000 to Colombia. At a 10% duty rate, duty is $2,000. Colombian IVA at 19% applies to CIF plus duty: 19% of $22,000 = $4,180. Total destination tax: $6,180.
That math is an illustration only. Rates change by HS code and by trade agreement. Confirm your classification with a licensed customs broker in the destination country before you commit to a landed-cost price.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Book Your New Jersey Container Today
Quick Answer: Pick your container size, confirm your pickup ZIP and compare sailings from Port Newark-Elizabeth. With thousands of shipments handled across the USA–Latin America corridor, AB Group Shipping prices your exact lane in seconds. Rates refresh monthly, so the number you see is the current one.
Shipping from Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Richmond or anywhere in between? The ocean rate is the same; your inland leg is what changes. Enter your ZIP in the calculator on this page and get ocean freight, drayage and handling in one number — no email required, no follow-up calls, no salesperson chasing you. Oversized, breakbulk or hazardous cargo switches the form to a custom request, and a specialist replies with a firm figure.
Transit from Port Newark runs 5 days to Colon, Panama and 6 days to Cartagena, Colombia on direct services. Longer lanes take 14 days to San Antonio, Santos and Veracruz, 15 days to Guayaquil, 18 days to Callao and 22 days to Santo Tomas de Castilla. Those figures are port to port and exclude inland pickup and destination customs clearance.
Yes. Cars, motorcycles and light trucks load into a 20 ft or 40 ft container from the New Jersey partner warehouse, and two cars usually share one 40 ft. Vehicles are priced on the vehicle rate line, never the general-cargo container rate, so select the vehicle option in the calculator on this page for an accurate number.
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington DC normally export through Port Newark-Elizabeth. Mid-Atlantic and New England cargo arrives by truck, while inland and western Pennsylvania freight often moves by rail to the North Jersey intermodal yards first.
Yes, almost always. One 40 ft high cube carries roughly double the volume of a 20 ft for a modest freight premium, while two 20 ft units mean two sets of ocean freight, two drayage moves and two terminal handling charges. The break point sits near 25 CBM — compare both sizes in the price table and the calculator on this page.
The calculator builds ocean freight, New Jersey pickup drayage, warehouse handling and documentation into one number, with the transit days for your lane. Destination charges, import duties and door delivery abroad are billed in the destination country and are shown separately. Rates refresh monthly, so the figure you see is the current one.