How much does it really cost to ship a container from the UK to the USA?
Planning a move from the UK to the USA and looking to ship your furniture and household goods? You’ve come to the right place. Let us guide you through the process of shipping a container from the UK to the USA including costs, shipping times, customs information and you can get a free removals quote for your planned move across the pond!
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 |
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: This is certainly the largest port on the USA's East Coast and the country's second busiest. Its strategic location makes it a significant player in transatlantic trade, with the port handling over 7.5 million TEUs in 2022.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to New York is around 12 days.
Average container shipping costs from the UK to New York range from £7700 for a 20ft container to £9100 for a 40ft container which will include UK transport costs. - Savannah: The Port of Savannah is one of the fastest-expanding ports in North America. It handled more than 4.5 million TEUs in 2022, thanks to its strategic positioning. The port offers immediate access to I-16 (East/West) and I-95 (North/South), and this means that key cities throughout the U.S. Southeast and Midwest are easily accessible.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Savannah is around 19 days.
Average container shipping costs from the UK Savannah range from £7800 for a 20ft container to £9300 for a 40ft container including UK transportation costs. - Norfolk: A major hub for both containerized and breakbulk cargo, with excellent rail and highway connections to the rest of the country. A great location for containers heading for the Mid West.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Norfolk is around 19 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Norfolk are £7500 for a 20ft container up to £9050 for a 40ft container and this will normally include collection and transport costs in the UK - Charleston: A growing port with modern facilities and a focus on customer service, handling a diverse range of cargo. The port is one of the busiest ports on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and is the major hub connecting the U.S. southeast region with global markets.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Charleston is around 16 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Charleston are £7500 for a 20ft container up to £9100 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation costs. - Baltimore: The hidden gem on the East Coast with awesome connections to major railroads and highways. Boston is strategically positioned on the Chesapeake Bay with access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Port of Baltimore offers excellent transportation options for 20ft and 40ft containers. Its facilities are well served by two Class I railroads (CSX and Norfolk Southern) and are within close proximity to major interstate highways (I-95 and I-83).
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Baltimore is around 14 to 16 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Baltimore are £8300 for a 20ft container up to £9950 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation costs and UK port handling.
West Coast USA
- Los Angeles: The busiest container port in the US, handling a huge volume of imports from Asia and the UK and serving the massive Southern California market.
In 2022, it managed a staggering volume of about 10.3 million TEUs.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Los Angeles is around 30 to 32 days
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Los Angeles are £9700 for a 20ft container up to £11,100 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation costs. - Long Beach: Located adjacent to Los Angeles, it's the second-busiest container port and a key gateway for transpacific trade. This bustling port efficiently handles a high volume of container traffic, managing approximately 8.1 million TEUs in 2022, solidifying its position as a vital node in the global shipping network.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Long Beach is around 29 to 32 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Long Beach are £9800 for a 20ft container up to £11,200 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation and UK port handling charges - Oakland: The port of Oakland is one of the top 10 busiest spots in the US for container ships, and a major player on the West Coast. Think of it as the main gateway for all those container ships bringing in goodies (and sending stuff out) from Northern California, the Central Valley where all the farms are, and even Nevada. Oh, and positioned so close to San Francisco it's a key link for those "inland" states like Colorado and Utah too.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Oakland is around 31 to 33 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Oakland are £9750 for a 20ft container up to £11,300 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation and UK port handling charges
Gulf Coast USA
- Houston: • Houston: The Port of Houston is a vital deepwater port situated in Houston, Texas. It holds the distinction of being the largest port in the United States based on tonnage and is among the busiest worldwide. This extensive port complex stretches across 50 miles, encompassing a wide variety of public and private facilities along the Houston Ship Channel. The Seaport is also a key gateway for the “Intermountain States” including western Colorado and Utah.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Houston is around 19 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Houston are £8500 for a 20ft
And let’s not forget these 2 other major ports in America.
- Port of Miami: Known as the "Cargo Gateway of the Americas," the Port of Miami is a leading hub for freight transportation between the USA and Latin America. It also serves as a major transshipment hub for global shipping lines, making it an essential player in international trade. With its modern and efficient infrastructure, the port can handle a considerable volume of cargo, and in 2022, it managed close to 1.1 million TEUs.
It is the largest container port in Florida and a major player in the Southeastern US, handling significant volumes of containerized cargo moving between North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Miami is around 31 to 33 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Miami are £8200 for a 20ft container up to £9400 for a 40ft container and this will normally include UK transportation and UK port handling charges at London Gateway. - Seattle/Tacoma: The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma, often referred to collectively as the Puget Sound Ports, form a major gateway for international trade on the West Coast of the United States. Situated on Puget Sound, this port complex handles a diverse range of cargo, including Containerized Cargo, bulk cargo and is a popular destination for cruise ships.
The port serves Washington State, The Pacific Northwest and The Intermountain West with efficient rail and highway connections, the ports serve the inland states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
The Port to Port Shipping time from the UK to Seattle/Tacoma is around 39 to 40 days.
The average container shipping costs from the UK to Seattle/Tacoma are £10,900 for a 20ft container up to £13,400 for a 40ft container and this will normally include loading, UK transportation and UK port handling charges at London Gateway.
Trust Us with Your Move to USA
Whether you decide on a dedicated or a shared container for the international shipping of your possessions, 1st Move International promises a professional, friendly, and stress-free experience.
Our seasoned team is ready to guide you through each stage of the process, ensuring a smooth transition. We stand committed to offering you the best possible service and value for your money, promising faster shipping and safer packing, no matter the size or complexity of your move.
To start your shipping journey from the UK to the USA, all you need to do is request a free, no-obligation quote. One of our move managers will promptly provide a detailed estimate and explain the range of services we can offer you. So let's embark on this journey together.
For more information on the costs to move from the UK to the USA check out our other information pages
- How much does it cost to move from the UK to the USA
- Information on our International Removals Service from the UK to the USA
Got a car coming with you? We can help with that too, including how to conform with the 25-year rule.