Shipping from USA to Vietnam
Airlift USA ships full containers and LCL from the USA to Vietnam, with its own New Jersey and Los Angeles offices handling pickup and US export filing and its own Ho Chi Minh City office coordinating Vietnamese customs clearance and delivery. Plan on 28–48 days port to port: Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai) 28–34 days, to Hai Phong 30–36; Houston to Ho Chi Minh City 32–40; New York to Hai Phong 37–48.
Get a USA–Vietnam ocean freight quote
Lane Overview
Airlift USA ships cargo from the USA to Vietnam as full containers (FCL), with LCL on select port pairs. Containers leave Los Angeles, Houston or New York and take 28–48 days port to port in Airlift’s shipment history: Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai) 28–34 days and to Hai Phong 30–36; Houston to Ho Chi Minh City 32–40 and to Hai Phong 35–42; New York to Ho Chi Minh City 35–45 and to Hai Phong 37–48 (P10–P90 ranges).
Airlift has its own offices at both ends of this lane: New Jersey and Los Angeles in the USA, which arrange pickup and file the US export information, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, which coordinates the import declaration with local customs brokers and arranges delivery at either Vietnamese port. Airlift USA is the trading name of AIRLIFT (U.S.A.), INC., in business since 1999 and an FMC-licensed NVOCC (FMC No. 016162). Typical cargo is industrial machinery and parts, consumer goods, plastics and resins, and agricultural products.
Quick Facts: USA Vietnam
Main Ports (by Service Coverage and Shipment Volume)
Los Angeles gives the shortest transit to Vietnam; Houston and New York suit cargo that starts in the South, the Midwest or the Northeast. In Vietnam, containers arrive at Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai, VNSGN) in the south or Hai Phong (VNHPH) in the north. In the carrier schedules Sealanes tracked in September 2026, Los Angeles sailings to Ho Chi Minh City relayed mostly at Cai Mep (Ba Ria–Vung Tau), Yantian or Singapore, and New York sailings to Hai Phong mostly at Singapore or Port Klang, with some direct calls.
U.S. departure ports
Los Angeles, Houston and New York. The best choice depends on where your cargo starts.
Vietnam arrival ports
Ho Chi Minh (Cat Lai) and Hai Phong. Airlift’s Vietnam office handles the import side at both.
Transit Times by Port Pair (P10–P90 Range)
From Los Angeles
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh | 28–34 days |
| Hai Phong | 30–36 days |
From Houston
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh | 32–40 days |
| Hai Phong | 35–42 days |
From New York
| Destination port | Transit planning range |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh | 35–45 days |
| Hai Phong | 37–48 days |
P10–P90 means 8 in 10 past Airlift shipments on that port pair arrived within the range, port to port. The ranges include any relay at a hub such as Cai Mep, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Singapore or Port Klang. They are planning ranges, not guaranteed schedules: confirm the routing and sailing when you request a quote.
These ranges are port to port only. The glossary explains what a quoted transit time includes and which origin and destination legs it leaves out.
Shipping machinery, plastics or consumer goods to Vietnam?
Send your cargo details and ready date, and we’ll quote your shipment.Questions about your cargo?
Tell us what you ship and how it is packed, and a specialist will contact you.What Ships on This Lane
Top 4 (by Airlift capability and shipment trends)
- Industrial machinery and parts
- Consumer goods
- Plastics and resins
- Agricultural products
We also handle
Non-hazardous chemicals, automotive components and packaging materials.
Customs and Documents
In the USA (export)
- Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed in the Automated Export System (AES) when the goods under any one Schedule B number are worth more than $2,500 or need an export license; AES returns an Internal Transaction Number (ITN) that goes on the bill of lading
- Commercial invoice and packing list, always
- Export paperwork handled directly by Airlift’s US offices
- Most commercial goods are EAR99 and need no export license for Vietnam; items on the Commerce Control List may need one from the Bureau of Industry and Security
In Vietnam (import)
- Import declaration filed through VNACCS, Vietnam’s electronic customs system
- Import duty and import VAT assessed by HS code on the day of import
- Used machinery and equipment must meet Vietnam’s age and technical limits (generally no more than 10 years old under Decision 18/2019/QĐ-TTg); check before you ship
- Airlift’s Ho Chi Minh City office works with local customs brokers on clearance at Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong
Shipping Options
- Full container load (FCL)
- Less than container load (LCL) on select port pairs
- Door-to-port or door-to-door
- Special equipment on request
Why Ship With Airlift
- Airlift’s own offices in both the USA (New Jersey, Los Angeles) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)
- One point of contact at origin and at destination, with documents managed centrally
- Coverage of Los Angeles, Houston and New York and of Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong, 28–48 days port to port
- In business since 1999; FMC-licensed NVOCC (FMC No. 016162) and C-TPAT certified
- Shipment tracking on Airlift’s digital platform
Check our licenses before you ship
Each license and membership below links to the public register or directory that lists it, so you can verify who you are dealing with before you send cargo details.
- FMC OTI license 016162 — Licensed and bonded NVOCC and ocean freight forwarder, d/b/a Airlift Container Line. Look it up on the FMC OTI list →
- FMCSA property broker, USDOT 2355713 / MC-798584 — US drayage and trucking arranged as a non-asset broker through contracted motor carriers. FMCSA SAFER company snapshot →
- WCA World member since 2019 — Los Angeles head office and New Jersey branch, both with Gold Medallion financial protection. WCA member profile →
- C-TPAT certified — Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. About C-TPAT →
- NCBFAA regular member — National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America. NCBFAA →
- IATA CargoLink listed — IATA-accredited air cargo agent, listed in the CargoLink directory. CargoLink listing →
What to include in your quote request
The more of this you send, the more complete the quote, and the easier it is to compare with others.
- Pickup and delivery locations, preferred ports and inland transport requirements.
- Cargo description, package count, gross weight and packed dimensions, or container size and quantity.
- Cargo-ready date, delivery deadline and handling or storage requirements.
- Which services and charges you want quoted, so every quote you compare covers the same scope.
Get a USA–Vietnam ocean freight quote
Your route is already in the notes; edit it if you need to. Then add what you are shipping, when it is ready, pickup and delivery locations, and the services you want quoted.
Tools and guides for this lane
Shipping from a country without a lane guide? See every origin, by region, on shipping to the USA by country of origin.
Frequently asked questions
Shipping from the USA to Vietnam takes about 28–48 days port to port by ocean. Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai) is the fastest at 28–34 days, and Los Angeles to Hai Phong takes 30–36; Houston to Ho Chi Minh City takes 32–40 days and to Hai Phong 35–42; New York to Ho Chi Minh City takes 35–45 days and to Hai Phong 37–48. These are P10–P90 ranges from Airlift USA’s shipment history (8 in 10 shipments arrived inside them), not guarantees.
On the USA to Vietnam lane, cargo leaves Los Angeles, Houston or New York and arrives at Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai) or Hai Phong. Most sailings relay at a hub: in the carrier schedules Sealanes tracked in September 2026, Los Angeles sailings to Ho Chi Minh City relayed mostly at Cai Mep, Yantian or Singapore, and New York sailings to Hai Phong at Singapore or Port Klang, with some direct calls. At either Vietnamese port, Airlift’s own Ho Chi Minh City office coordinates the import declaration and delivery.
Both. From the USA to Vietnam, Airlift ships full containers (20′, 40′ and 40′ high cube, with special equipment on request for machinery and out-of-gauge cargo) and offers LCL on select port pairs. As a rule of thumb, below roughly 13 cubic meters LCL usually costs less, and above about 20 a container of your own usually wins. Door-to-port and door-to-door service is available for both.
To ship from the USA to Vietnam you need, in the USA, a commercial invoice, a packing list and, when required, Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed in the Automated Export System (AES) when the goods under any one Schedule B number are worth more than $2,500 or need an export license; Airlift’s US office files it for you. In Vietnam, the importer needs the bill of lading, invoice and packing list for the import declaration filed through VNACCS, plus any permit the product requires. Airlift’s own Ho Chi Minh City office coordinates the Vietnamese side.
Duty on goods shipped from the USA to Vietnam depends on the goods, not the freight. Vietnam sets import duty by HS code and charges import VAT alongside it, at the rates in force on the day of import. Airlift’s Ho Chi Minh City office coordinates the declaration and the duty payment with local customs brokers so the container can be released on arrival. The tariff simulator on airliftusa.com covers US imports only, so confirm the Vietnamese rate with the consignee’s broker before the order ships.
Usually, if it meets Vietnam’s limits. Under Decision 18/2019/QĐ-TTg, used machinery and equipment imported into Vietnam must generally be no more than 10 years old and meet Vietnamese technical and safety standards, with documents from the manufacturer or an inspection body proving it; some sectors have different limits. Confirm the rules for your machine with the consignee’s customs broker before booking. Airlift ships machinery from the USA to Vietnam in standard, open-top or flat-rack containers.
Yes. On the USA to Vietnam lane, Airlift’s own offices in New Jersey and Los Angeles arrange pickup and file the US export information, and Airlift’s own office in Ho Chi Minh City coordinates the Vietnamese import declaration, customs clearance and delivery at Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong. Airlift USA is the trading name of AIRLIFT (U.S.A.), INC., in business since 1999 and an FMC-licensed NVOCC (FMC No. 016162).
Airlift USA doesn’t publish a fixed price for shipping from the USA to Vietnam, because ocean rates change and every shipment differs. The main cost drivers are the US origin (Los Angeles, Houston or New York) and inland pickup, Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong, FCL or LCL, the container and any special equipment, the season and the relay routing. Vietnamese destination charges and import duty and VAT come on top. Send your cargo details through the quote form and the team prices the lane directly.
For a USA to Vietnam ocean rate, search Airlift USA’s published rates by port pair and container type in the rate search tool; no signup is needed, but coverage varies. For LCL, special equipment, door delivery in Vietnam or a recurring export program, use the quote form on the USA to Vietnam lane page and Airlift’s team prices the lane directly.