How much does it really cost to ship a container from the UK to the USA?
Short Answer: The average cost for shipping a 20ft container to the USA is around £8,300 while the average costs to ship a 40ft container to the USA is around £9,600. Shared container costs start from £1,100.
Cost of shipping a container from UK to USA
Container shipping costs by sea freight from the UK to the USA range from £7700 for a 20ft container to £15,500 for a 40ft container if you include UK packing and loading costs.
Container shipping rates from the UK to USA will also vary depending on where you are shipping to in the USA.
Be prepared to spend more on shipping a container to the West Coast or Mid-West states, this will be more expensive due to the added costs for transportation in America.
For a breakdown of the cost of shipping a container from the UK to different US cities, just look below, for reference we have also shown shared container costs so that you can look at some cheaper options to suite your budget.
| Destination Port or Inland Depot |
Small studio move in a Shared Container |
1 bed flat in a Shared Container |
3 bed house / 20ft Container |
4 bed house / 40ft Container |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, South Carolina | From £1,026 | From £1,622 | £7,568 | £9,100 |
| Chicago, Illinois | From £1,104 | From £1,749 | £8,177 | £9,895 |
| Houston, Texas | From £1,016 | From £1,624 | £8,559 | £10,044 |
| Los Angeles, California | From £1,134 | From £1,798 | £9,743 | £11,846 |
| Miami, Florida | From £1,052 | From £1,663 | £8,276 | £9,619 |
| New York, New York | From £1,021 | From £1,584 | £7,757 | £9,195 |
| Norfolk, Virginia | From £1,175 | From £1,873 | £7,568 | £9,097 |
| San Francisco, California | From £1,391 | From £2,234 | £10,553 | £13,196 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | From £1,503 | From £2,421 | £11,376 | £14,252 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | From £1,258 | From £1,998 | £8,973 | £10,601 |
| San Antonio, Texas | From £1,512 | From £2,473 | £11,522 | £13,584 |
| San Diego, California | From £1,454 | From £2,338 | £11,982 | £14,577 |
| Dallas, Texas | From £1,399 | From £2,248 | £10,833 | £12,756 |
| Jacksonville, Florida | From £1,353 | From £2,164 | £9,982 | £11,854 |
| Seattle, Washington | From £1,486 | From £2,397 | £10,973 | £13,766 |
| Denver, Colorado | From £1,453 | From £2,338 | £11,342 | £13,812 |
| Columbus, Ohio | From £1,336 | From £2,143 | £9,504 | £11,532 |
| Louisville, Kentucky | From £1,461 | From £2,352 | £9,954 | £11,913 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | From £1,107 | From £1,749 | £8,348 | £10,857 |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | From £1,615 | From £2,608 | £13,104 | £15,989 |
| Baltimore, Maryland | From £1,225 | From £1,957 | £8,563 | £10,494 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | From £1,163 | From £1,853 | £8,327 | £9,907 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | From £1,412 | From £2,267 | £11,207 | £13,598 |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | From £1,324 | From £2,122 | £9,012 | £11,246 |
Planning a Complete Move to the USA?
The prices above are a guide to container shipping costs from the UK to the USA. If you are moving household goods, furniture or personal effects, your full removals quote will usually include more than the container shipment itself.
Our complete removals to USA service includes UK collection, professional export packing, customs documentation, shipping, destination customs clearance and delivery to your new home in America.
For a full guide to moving from the UK to the United States, including door-to-door removals costs, transit times, packing, customs information and delivery options, please visit our removals to USA page.
Why Ship to USA in a Sole Use Container
Opting to ship your personal possessions to the USA in a sole use container has numerous advantages:
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Space: A sole use container grants you a significant amount of space. These containers can be loaded and sealed right at your doorstep. You'll find that a three-bedroom home typically fits into a 20ft container, while a larger home with four or five bedrooms would require a 40ft container.
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Speed:When you opt for a sole use container, there's no waiting around. As soon as your container is packed and sealed, it's whisked off to the port for the next available departure.
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Security:The moment your goods are packed and the container is sealed, it remains untouched until it arrives at the destination port. The fact that this container is exclusively yours eliminates the worry of sharing space with strangers.
Why Ship to USA in a Shared Container
The "groupage" service is where you share container space with other individuals or exporters and it has its own set of attractive benefits:
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Cost effective: The cost factor is a massive plus in shared shipping. Since you only pay for the space your goods take up in the container, it's a budget-friendly option, especially for smaller shipments or if you are money-conscious.
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Ideal for Smaller Moves: Groupage is perfect when you don't have a lot of personal effects for shipping. There's no need to worry about paying for unused space in a container.
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Secure Professional Packing: With 1st Move's groupage service, your goods are professionally packed, protected, and palletised. This not only ensures the best use of space but also provides your items with the highest level of protection during their journey. Moreover, this approach allows us to provide you with accurate and transparent billing.
So just how long does it take to ship a container from the UK to the USA?
We’ve covered all the main container shipping ports in the USA and given you the answers below.
Below is our shipping times from the UK’s main departure port of London Gateway and the transit times shown are port to port. Please bear in mind these are actual voyage times and do not include the time it takes for collection services, customs clearance, arrival port handling and transport of the container to your final destination.
1st Move International ship out weekly from the UK to all main USA ports, below you’ll find a list of all the main ports we cover with shipping and transit times and container prices to suite your budget.
East Coast USA
- New York/New Jersey: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to New York is around 12 days.
- Savannah: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Savannah is around 19 days.
- Norfolk: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Norfolk is around 19 days.
- Charleston: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Charleston is around 16 days.
- Baltimore: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Baltimore is around 14 to 16 days.
West Coast USA
- Los Angeles: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Los Angeles is around 30 to 32 days
- Long Beach: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Long Beach is around 29 to 32 days.
- Oakland: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Oakland is around 31 to 33 days.
Gulf Coast USA
- Houston: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Houston is around 19 days.
And let’s not forget these 2 other major ports in America.
- Port of Miami: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Miami is around 31 to 33 days.
- Seattle/Tacoma: The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Seattle/Tacoma is around 39 to 40 days.
Trust 1st Move with Your Move to the USA
Whether you need a shared container, 20ft container or 40ft container, 1st Move International can help you move your household goods and personal effects from the UK to the USA with professional care, safety and attention.
Our team will guide you through the moving process, from UK collection and export packing to customs documentation, shipping, tracking and delivery through our trusted partners in the USA. We focus on making your move faster, safer and easier, whether you are sending a smaller shipment of personal belongings or moving the contents of a family home.
For full details of our door-to-door moving service, including packing, customs information, transit times and delivery options, please visit our international removals to USA page.
If you are also planning to take a vehicle with you, we can help with that too, including guidance on the 25-year import rule. Please see our Car shipping from the UK to the USA page for more information.