What is the cost to ship to Guam?

The cost of ocean freight to or from Guam can pose some complexity for a variety of reasons. The following are shipping factors to consider in determining ocean carriage costs. They include:

• A concise description of the commodity being shipped
• The weight of the cargo itself
• Its density (weight divided by cubic feet)
• The size of the shipment, in total cubic feet
• Whether or not the goods are considered “hazardous” and require a separate document declaring the hazardous characteristics
• If the shipment is a full container of freight (FCL) or less than a containerload (LCL)

One of the remaining factors that can affect the cost to ship to Guam is the selected ocean carrier. Only Matson Navigation services Guam directly with a USA stop-off from the Port of Long Beach, CA to Hawaii, providing the fastest transit time – 12 days port to port. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express uses Matson for ocean shipping to Guam.

Transit times out of the Port of Oakland add an additional four days. American President Lines (APL) also provides ocean service to Guam, however, only from the Port of Long Beach. Its ocean transit time is longer, no less than 23 days, and perhaps longer depending on the vessel the Guam container gets loaded on and the foreign port where unloaded, before being transferred onto a feeder vessel into Guam. In addition, shipments must be tendered a week in advance, thus extending the transit time to at least 30 days.

The cost to ship to Guam also requires the payment of a Use Tax once the goods arrive on Guam. Guam Customs is not responsible for ensuring a Commercial Invoice, on which to base payment of the use tax. The Commercial Invoice is to be provided by the shipper or consignee. Guam Customs requires that all shipments have a complete Commercial Invoice in US$ to process the shipment in Guam. Guam Customs’ responsibility is to apply a 4% Use Tax on all goods entering into Guam that are not intended for resale by a licensed-on Guam business.

Businesses that operate on Guam with a Guam business license will be taxed 4% on all goods shipped into Guam that are not to be resold (not inventory). The 4% tax is calculated based on the cost of goods, insurance and freight cost together (total landed cost). No shipments arriving via ocean freight can be released until the Use Tax payment has been paid.

There are also eastbound services available from Guam to the USA mainland or Hawaii. We can provide additional information for shipping from non-USA origins into Guam.

Another advantage: DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express also offers container load and less than container load services from the Hawaiian Islands to Guam. Contact us today to discuss shipping your freight to Guam with us!