How Much Does It Cost to Ship from Bangladesh to the USA? What Sets the Price
Summary: Shipping from Bangladesh to the USA costs about US$2,200–3,800 for a 20ft container and US$3,300–6,000 for a 40ft, including the feeder to a hub port. LCL runs about US$90–170 per CBM, and air freight about US$3.50–5.50 per kg. At arrival, Clearit lists USD 149.95 per ocean entry, USD 129.95 per air entry and USD 25 handling.
Price references: September 2026
How Much Does It Cost to Ship from Bangladesh to the USA?
The total cost has three parts. First comes the freight, by ocean, LCL or air. Then come the charges at each end, such as port handling, brokerage and delivery. Last come US duties and fees, which depend on the product.
For the freight, a 20ft container from Bangladesh to the USA runs about US$2,200–3,800, and a 40ft about US$3,300–6,000. LCL runs about US$90–170 per CBM, and air freight about US$3.50–5.50 per kg. Charges at each end and US duties come on top, as the table below shows.
| Cost line | Who publishes it | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean or air freight | The carrier or forwarder, in the quote | Rate, currency, unit, validity and the surcharges included |
| Feeder leg and hub transfer | The carrier, in the quote | The hub port, and whether one bill of lading covers the whole trip |
| Charges in Bangladesh | The origin agent or terminal, in the quote | Pickup, export clearance, port handling and documents |
| US customs brokerage | The customs broker’s price list | Fee per entry, handling fee and the HTS lines included |
| US duties and fees | The US tariff schedule and CBP rules | HTS code, origin, customs value and entry date |
| Handling and delivery in the USA | The carrier, terminal or trucker | Free time, delivery address and waiting time |
Ocean Freight: Price per Container
A full container load (FCL) gives you a whole box. You pay per container, not per CBM. The usual choices are a 20ft box, a 40ft box and a 40ft High Cube. The High Cube adds height for light, bulky cartons such as clothing.
The table shows typical prices per container, including the feeder to the hub. The FCL container price guide explains container sizes and what a container price includes.
| Origin | Destination | 20ft container | 40ft container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittagong, BangladeshQuote this route | New York, USA | US$2,200–3,800 | US$3,300–6,000 |
| Chittagong, BangladeshQuote this route | Los Angeles, USA | US$2,200–3,800 | US$3,300–6,000 |
Chittagong is also spelled Chattogram. Some clothing moves as garments on hangers inside the box. If you need that, say so in the request, because it changes the equipment and the handling.
LCL: Price per CBM and the W/M Rule
LCL means your goods share a box with other cargo. The rate is per W/M unit. One unit is 1 CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is larger. A minimum charge often applies, and the carrier may round up.
Clothing cartons are light for their size, so volume usually sets the units. Take a load of 2.5 CBM that weighs 450 kg. By weight, that is 0.45 units. By volume, it is 2.5 units. So the freight is 2.5 times the quoted rate, plus the CFS fees at each end.
LCL from Bangladesh to the USA runs about US$90–170 per CBM, so the 2.5 CBM example comes to about US$225–425 of ocean freight. The cargo is packed with other loads at Chattogram and moves through the hub like a full box. The LCL cost guide explains minimums and CFS fees.
Air Freight: Price per Chargeable Kg
Air freight is billed per chargeable kg. The carrier compares gross weight with volume weight and bills the larger. A common IATA rule divides the volume in cm³ by 6,000. Some express services use 5,000, so check the rule in your quote.
Clothing often pays by volume in the air. Take 1 CBM of cartons that weigh 120 kg. That is 1,000,000 cm³. Divided by 6,000, it gives about 167 kg of volume weight. That is more than 120 kg, so about 167 kg is billed before rounding.
Air freight from Bangladesh to the USA runs about US$3.50–5.50 per kg, usually from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. For the 167 kg example, that is about US$585–920 before fuel and security charges. The air freight cost guide explains the rules.
Costs at Destination
These US examples come from price lists that suppliers publish. They were checked on September 12, 2026. They are published supplier examples, not a Suaid Global tariff.
| Charge | Published amount or rule | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean customs brokerage, per entry (3 HTS codes and 1 invoice) | USD 149.95 | Clearit, checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Air customs brokerage, per entry | USD 129.95 | Clearit, checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Mandatory handling, per transaction | USD 25 | Clearit, checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| ISF filed on time, per filing | USD 50 | Clearit, checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Continuous customs bond, per year | USD 500 | Clearit, checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Import demurrage in Charleston, per container and calendar day: first 3 charged days / next 3 / after | USD 260 / 335 / 440 | Hapag-Lloyd, in effect from Jan 1, 2026; checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Import detention, US without California, per container and calendar day: first 3 charged days / next 3 / after | USD 200 / 250 / 300 | Hapag-Lloyd, in effect from Oct 1, 2025; checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Duties, MPF and HMF | Set by the product, its value and CBP rules | Confirm on the entry |
Clearit excludes duties, MPF/HMF, disbursements, agency and extra services from base brokerage. The Hapag-Lloyd demurrage and detention examples apply to import merchant haulage, after free time, with the box types each schedule names. Other ports, carriers and terms differ. The ocean freight cost guide lists the same figures.
Duties and Tariffs
US duty depends on the product’s HTS code, its origin, its customs value and the entry date. There is no single rate for goods from Bangladesh. Check the official US tariff schedule with a licensed customs broker.
For clothing, the HTS line depends on details. Chapter 61 covers knitted or crocheted apparel. Chapter 62 covers apparel that is not knitted. The fibre and the wearer also change the line. See the Bangladesh to USA page for the documents a clothing entry needs.
The US tariff guide on this site was reviewed on September 12, 2026. On the Section 122 surcharge, it states: “The 10% Section 122 surcharge expired on July 24, 2026.”
On Section 301, the same guide states: “Since July 24, 2026, a separate Section 301 action covers 60 economies at 10% or 12.5%, with product exemptions.”
Check the annexes and the full HTS line for your product. This page gives no product duty rate. The broker confirms it on the entry.
Transit Time: What the Schedule Covers
Sailing time is only one part of the trip. Cargo also needs time for pickup, export clearance, the feeder leg, the wait at the hub, US customs and delivery. So a schedule is not a door-to-door promise.
Chattogram takes smaller ships. Maritime Gateway reported on February 4, 2023 that it can take ships with a draught of 10 metres. The Business Standard reported on May 15, 2022 that export boxes go by feeder to hubs, then change to larger ships. It named Colombo, Singapore, Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas.
One published example of the long leg is CMA CGM’s INDAMEX service, checked on September 23, 2026. Its schedule lists Colombo on day 9 and New York on day 38. That is 29 days from Colombo to New York, port to port. The feeder leg from Chattogram and the wait at the hub come on top.
This is one service on one date. Other services and hubs use other times. The quote confirms the feeder, the hub and the sailing.
| Stage | Included in the sailing time? |
|---|---|
| Pickup from the factory and transport to Chattogram | No |
| Export customs clearance in Bangladesh | No |
| LCL loading at the origin CFS | No |
| Feeder leg from Chattogram to the hub | Only if the schedule starts at Chattogram |
| Wait at the hub for the connecting ship | Only if the schedule starts at Chattogram |
| Sailing from the hub to the US port | Yes |
| Unloading, US customs entry and any agency hold | No |
| Trucking to the delivery address | No |
What Changes the Price
- Season and carrier notices — Carriers change rates and add surcharges by notice. Ask for the validity date of each quote.
- The hub and the connection — A missed connection at the hub can add days and storage fees. Ask which hub the quote uses, and who pays if the cargo waits.
- Route — The path the ship takes, and any canal on it, affects the sailing time and some surcharges. The Red Sea shipping guide explains the Suez routing issue.
- Volume and density — Clothing is light for its size, so volume often sets the bill. Tight, even packing lowers the CBM.
- Hanging garments — Garments on hangers need fitted boxes and more handling. Ask for this option by name.
- Minimum charges — A small LCL or air load may pay the minimum, not the rate times the units.
- Incoterm — Under FOB, the buyer pays from the port in Bangladesh. Under EXW, the buyer also pays pickup and export steps. Agree the term before you compare quotes.
- Free time — Demurrage and detention start when free time ends. See the demurrage and detention guide.
Worked Budget Example
Here is how 2.5 CBM of clothing cartons at 450 kg adds up, by LCL and by air.
- Measure the cargo: Record the packed size and the gross weight, with pallets. Here the load is 2.5 CBM and 450 kg. The CBM calculator helps with volume.
- Work out the LCL units: 2.5 CBM is more than 0.45 tonnes, so the load counts as 2.5 W/M units. At US$90–170 per CBM, LCL freight is about US$225–425, or the minimum if that is higher.
- Work out the air weight: 2,500,000 cm³ divided by 6,000 is about 417 kg. That is less than the gross weight of 450 kg. At US$3.50–5.50 per kg, air freight is about US$1,575–2,475.
- Add the US brokerage example: Clearit lists USD 149.95 per ocean entry, or USD 129.95 per air entry, plus USD 25 handling. These were checked on September 12, 2026.
- Add duties and fees: Ask the broker to estimate duty, MPF and HMF from the HTS code and the customs value.
- Compare complete quotes: Put each quote on the same basis. Count each charge once, and note what each quote leaves out.
What to Send for a Quote
A complete request avoids extra rounds of questions. Send the details below. The Bangladesh to USA shipping page covers the lane and the papers. The fashion and textiles page covers clothing cargo.
- Factory city in Bangladesh, or the loading port
- US delivery address, or the US port
- Number of cartons and the packed size of each
- Gross weight, with packing and pallets
- What the goods are, with fibre and fabric type for clothing
- The HTS code, if you know it
- The date the cargo will be ready
- The Incoterm agreed with the supplier
- Door to door or port to port, and whether garments travel on hangers
Questions About Shipping Costs from Bangladesh to the USA
Sources and References
- Clearit — US customs brokerage and related service prices, checked September 12, 2026 — Public provider fees. Handling is additional; duties, MPF/HMF and other services are separate. Not Suaid Global prices.
- Hapag-Lloyd — US import port demurrage, in effect from January 1, 2026 — Charleston example. Merchant haulage and specified equipment only. Checked September 12, 2026.
- Hapag-Lloyd — US detention schedule, in effect from October 1, 2025 — US excluding California example. Import merchant haulage and specified equipment only. Checked September 12, 2026.
- CMA CGM — INDAMEX line service schedule, consulted September 23, 2026 — Port rotation with day counts, including Colombo. One service on one date; port to port only. Not a door-to-door time.
- The Business Standard — Colombo port crisis and Bangladesh transshipment routes, May 15, 2022 — Feeder transfers from Chattogram to hub ports. Hub use changes over time.
- Maritime Gateway — Chittagong port draught limit, February 4, 2023 — Ships with a draught of 10 metres can berth. Confirm current port limits with the carrier.
- USTR — Section 301 actions, published July 28, 2026 (91 FR 47318) — Official notice behind the Section 301 text quoted from the US tariff guide. Check the annexes for the product and origin.
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule — Official US tariff schedule, including Chapters 61 and 62 for apparel. Use the version that applies on the entry date.
- IATA — Air cargo tariffs and rules: weight and charge concepts — Chargeable weight and the common 6,000 cm³/kg divisor. Not a current Suaid Global tariff.
- Drewry — World Container Index route assessments — Checked September 23, 2026: none of the eight assessed routes covers Bangladesh to the USA.
