Fixed weekly direct sailings from Taicang and Zhuhai to Bandar Abbas, Iran's largest port. Ocean FCL in 20GP and 40HQ. Carrier-direct rates, reliable space, long lane experience. Truck or domestic-feeder collection can be arranged nationwide, with destination import customs clearance and final delivery to Tehran and other inland cities.
Ocean freight is the highest-volume, lowest unit-cost way to Iran. Most Chinese export containers enter through Bandar Abbas, and Bandar Abbas (port code IRBSR) sits on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz. It is the gateway in and out of the Persian Gulf, and Iran's largest port.
For Xi'an Yundongxi Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. (EW TRANS), the Iran ocean book loads mainly at Taicang and Zhuhai. Both have a fixed weekly deep-sea sailing direct to Bandar Abbas, in 20GP and 40HQ. Long-standing carrier relationships give us carrier-direct rates and space that holds. The domestic leg can be a truck or a domestic feeder into the load port, so we accept cargo nationwide. At destination a local partner files and clears. After release, the container goes to the consignee's factory or warehouse.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Load ports | Taicang (Jiangsu) / Zhuhai (Guangdong), fixed weekly sailings |
| Discharge port | Bandar Abbas, Iran (Shahid Rajaee container terminal, code IRBSR) |
| Equipment | 20GP (about 28 CBM) / 40HQ (about 68 CBM), ocean FCL |
| Ocean transit | About 15–25 days (schedule, routing and any transshipment) |
| Door to door | About 25–35 days (domestic positioning, export declaration, destination clearance and inland delivery) |
| Where we collect | Nationwide, by truck or domestic feeder into Taicang or Zhuhai |
| Scope | Domestic pickup, loading supervision, export customs declaration, document pre-check, destination clearance coordination, inland final delivery |
| Inland cities | Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, Tabriz and others |
Transit is a range. It does not include production lead time or document preparation. Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, congestion at the discharge port and local holidays will move the sailing and the transit. Keep a 7–10 day buffer on the delivery date.
The load port sets the domestic cost. Taicang and Zhuhai sit at the Yangtze estuary and in the Pearl River Delta. Their domestic coverage complements each other, so cargo can leave from the nearer port instead of being trucked an extra thousand kilometres to catch one vessel.
| Load port | Location and reach | Origins that fit | How the domestic leg works |
|---|---|---|---|
| TaicangEast China | Lower Yangtze, next to Shanghai. Factories along the river can truck or barge straight in | East, central and north China, and factories along the Yangtze | Truck or domestic barge along the Yangtze. Northern cargo can connect by domestic feeder |
| ZhuhaiSouth China | Gaolan in western Pearl River Delta, close to the western Guangdong and southwest export channels | South China, the Pearl River Delta, western Guangdong, and southwest cargo via Guangxi and Yunnan | Local trucking in the Pearl River Delta. Southwest cargo can connect by domestic transport |
Both ports sail every week. Against your origin, your date and the space that week, we will say which port is cheaper and which is faster. We do not default to one of them.
Bandar Abbas is administered by Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO). It has several specialised terminals. Shahid Rajaee is Iran's largest container terminal, and it is the discharge port Chinese container cargo should use.
| Item | What is there |
|---|---|
| Berths and capacity | Shahid Rajaee has 14 deep-water berths and can take container ships of 18,000 TEU. Quay cranes, the yard and reefer plugs are in place |
| Throughput | Design capacity above 3 million TEU a year, and the great majority of Iran's container imports |
| Connections | Linked to more than 80 ports worldwide and dozens of container services. China–Persian Gulf is one of the mainline trades |
| Location | Northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, where the Persian Gulf meets the Gulf of Oman. Traffic in and out of the Gulf passes here |
Rail and the national road network connect the port to the main cities north and south. Indicative distances and truck transit:
| Inland point | Distance | Truck transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehran | About 1,200 km | 2–4 days | Iran's largest consumer and industrial market, and the main import distribution point |
| Isfahan | About 900 km | 2–4 days | Central industrial and building-materials demand |
| Shiraz | About 600 km | 1–3 days | A major southern city, the closest of these to the port |
| Mashhad / Tabriz | Over 1,500 km | 3–5 days | Inland freight and transit need to be priced to the actual point |
Bandar Abbas can also move overland toward Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and other neighbours, or by barge to other Iranian ports. If the consignee sells in batches, bonded storage and later release can be arranged. We include that in the quote when it is needed.
The wrong equipment wastes freight. Two tests decide it: volume and weight. Whichever limit is reached first is the one you plan to.
| Equipment | Internal volume (indicative) | Volume that fits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20GP | About 28 CBM | 15–28 CBM | Better unit cost on a small box, and the first choice for heavy cargo. The door is smaller, so over-length pieces need a check |
| 40HQ | About 68 CBM | Above 28 CBM | The workhorse for light cargo, with the lowest cost per cubic metre. Extra height gives more stack room |
Heavy cargo has to respect the weight cap. The Iran trade is strict on gross container weight, including the tare. A common limit is 22 tonnes. Above that the box can be refused or extra process applies. State the gross weight per container and how the piece weight is spread before you book. We confirm the equipment and the stow against the carrier's current rule.
Internal volume and weight limits differ slightly by carrier and equipment. The figures confirmed at booking are the ones that count.
Iran quotations are hard to compare because each one includes a different set of items. Laid out, there are six blocks:
Our quotation lists each of these and states how long the rate is valid. Dollar figures circulating online are mostly normal-market references. With capacity tight and surcharges moving often, they are a weak guide. Send the volume and the destination and you get a rate that can be booked, not an industry average.
Settlement currency, document format and compliance follow the carrier, the bank and the Iranian rules in force. Where that changes the cost, we say so in the quote.
When cargo to Iran fails, it is rarely at sea. It is in the documents and in the consignee's import status. Both can be dealt with before the vessel sails.
| Document | What has to be right |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | The description has to be specific. "Goods", "products" or "hardware" is not enough. Show shipper, consignee, quantity, unit price, total and currency. Some consignees need a Persian translation |
| Packing list | Pieces, gross weight, net weight and volume must match what was actually loaded. A full container needs the container number and the seal. Mixed cargo is listed line by line, not rolled into one description |
| Bill of lading | Shipper, consignee and notify party must match the invoice and the packing list exactly, and the importer's tax number and HS code must be shown as Iran requires. An original bill of lading is the safer format for control of the cargo and for clearance |
| Certificate of origin | A standard certificate of origin is the usual document, and customs does check it. Some commodities need the certification Iran specifies. Confirm that before you ship |
| Conformity | Some commodities (electrical goods, machinery, building materials and others) need conformity certification of the VOC / ISIRI type. Confirm it can be obtained before departure |
| Import permit | A commercial import into Iran usually needs an import permit and order registration, filed locally by the consignee |
| Wood packaging | Solid-wood packing needs an IPPC treatment mark. Without it the cargo can be held |
Iranian import entries are filed through IRICA's electronic system, and they have to be filed by a licensed local agent. Customs routes them green, yellow or red by risk. Green is essentially no exam. Red is an unpack. With a complete file and no exam, clearance is about 7–12 working days. An exam can stretch it to 15–20 days.
Before the vessel sails we do one thing: we check your full document set against the Iran-lane checklist, line by line. There is no charge for that check. Most of the loss it prevents happens exactly there.
| The mistake | What it costs | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing ocean freight only | A low number often excludes origin locals or destination charges, and the total is higher | Ask for an all-in view, with included and excluded items listed |
| Booking against the last possible date | In peak season or before a holiday the next sailing is gone, and the whole shipment slips | Keep a 7–10 day buffer and book 1–2 weeks ahead |
| A heavy container with no weight declared | Refused at loading or on arrival, then a box change and an extra cost | Give the gross weight per container before booking. Confirm heavy-cargo equipment early |
| Free time ignored | Clearance slips, and detention costs more than the freight you saved | Confirm free days up front and book the pickup against the clearance pace |
| A vague invoice description | The entry is routed to exam, or papers are requested, and clearance takes far longer | Describe to model and use. Align the HS code before departure |
| Consignee status never checked | The cargo arrives and the import registration is not done. It stores, and you wait | Before shipment, confirm the import permit, order registration and quota |
From Taicang or Zhuhai to Bandar Abbas, the ocean leg is about 15–25 days. Add domestic collection, export declaration, the wait for the closing, destination clearance and inland delivery, and door to door is generally 25–35 days. Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, congestion at the discharge port and local holidays all move it. Keep a 7–10 day buffer. Do not book against the last possible delivery date.
Both have a fixed weekly sailing (typically one or two deep-sea departures a week). 20GP and 40HQ can both be booked. Space tightens in peak season and before local holidays. Book 1–2 weeks ahead and give an accurate equipment type and volume so the slot can be held.
Judge it on volume and weight. A 20GP is about 28 CBM inside and a 40HQ about 68 CBM. Figures differ slightly by carrier and equipment. Under 15 CBM, look at LCL or combining with other cargo. From 15 to 28 CBM, a 20GP is usually the better buy. At or above 28 CBM, take a 40HQ. Heavy cargo is decided by the weight cap. The Iran trade is strict on gross weight including tare, commonly 22 tonnes. State the weight per container before booking and we will confirm it against the current rule.
Iran rates move with bunker, war risk, space and the local situation, faster than the mainline trades. The same equipment can differ a lot from one month to the next. That is why a dollar figure passed around online is a weak guide. When we quote a price we list what is included and what is not, and we state how long the rate is valid, so the contracted number and the number that can be booked are the same number.
Yes. We accept cargo nationwide. Trucking is arranged from the nearer origin, or the cargo moves by domestic barge or domestic feeder into Taicang or Zhuhai and then loads. Both options show the domestic cost and transit in the quote. South China fits Zhuhai. East, central and north China, and the Yangtze, fit Taicang.
The base set is a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin. Some commodities also need conformity certification (VOC / ISIRI) and an import permit. The invoice description has to be specific. "Goods" or "products" is not enough. The packing list must match what was loaded and show the container number and seal. Shipper and consignee on the bill of lading must match the invoice and packing list, and the importer's tax number has to be shown. We pre-check the set for consistency before the vessel sails. It is the step that fails most often, and the one that is easiest to fix in advance.
With a complete file and no exam, clearance is about 7–12 working days. If the entry is routed to an unpack, it can run to 15–20 days. Three stops are the common ones. The consignee's order registration and foreign-exchange quota are not ready, so the cargo cannot leave the port. The description or HS code is wrong, and the container is held. A certificate of origin, conformity paper or similar document is missing. Confirm the consignee's import status and quota before the cargo leaves, not after it arrives.
Yes. Bandar Abbas is connected to inland Iran by rail and road. The port to Tehran is about 1,200 km, generally 2–4 days by truck. Shiraz is about 600 km. After clearance we can deliver inland to the warehouse or factory the consignee names. If the consignee sells in batches, bonded storage and later release can also be arranged.
Acceptance on the Iran trade is low. Most carriers decline dangerous goods and battery cargo, or they need a separate application and an extra charge, and the container documents are stricter. State the description, whether batteries are included, the UN number and the watt-hours when you enquire, and we will confirm whether it can move that week. Do not omit it. A finding after arrival means a held container, a fine and port storage, and that cost sits with the shipper.
Settlement currency, document format and compliance on the Iran trade follow the carrier, the bank and the Iranian rules in force, and they change. Before booking we pre-check the Incoterm, shipper and consignee details, the description and the document format, and we stop an obvious compliance problem before the cargo leaves rather than after it has arrived.