How much does sea freight from Asia to Latvia cost in 2026?

Unicore's indicative 2026 port-to-port rates to Riga: China €2,200–3,500 (20') and €3,000–4,800 (40'HC); Japan €2,600–4,900; South Korea €2,500–4,600; Vietnam €2,400–4,500; Indonesia €2,500–4,700. LCL groupage from any Asian origin runs €80–160 per CBM with a 1 CBM minimum. Add Riga customs clearance (€120–250), duty per HS code and 21% Latvian import VAT.

How long does a container take from Japan to Riga?

Tokyo or Yokohama to Riga takes 42–52 days port-to-port, with transhipment at Rotterdam, Hamburg or Gdańsk onto a Baltic feeder. Busan (Korea) runs 40–50 days, Shanghai 32–40 days and Ho Chi Minh City 35–45 days. Door-to-door adds roughly one week for pickup, customs and Latvian delivery.

What is the cheapest way to bring cargo from Asia to Latvia?

For a full container, FCL sea freight to Riga is the lowest cost per unit — roughly €0.15–0.25 per kg on a loaded 40'HC. Below about 12 CBM, LCL groupage at €80–160 per CBM is cheaper because you pay only for the volume used. Clearing customs in Riga rather than a Western European hub avoids €700–1,200 of inland trucking per container, which is why Unicore routes Baltic-bound Asian cargo direct to the Port of Riga.

Which Asian ports does Unicore ship from to Riga?

Unicore's agent network covers Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen/Yantian, Qingdao and Tianjin in China; Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kobe in Japan; Busan and Incheon in South Korea; Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong in Vietnam; Jakarta and Surabaya in Indonesia; plus Port Klang, Singapore, Bangkok and Laem Chabang. All of them route to Riga with weekly or fortnightly sailings.

Do I pay customs duty on goods imported from Asia to Latvia?

Yes for non-EU origins. Latvia applies the EU Common Customs Tariff for the HS code (0–12% on most industrial goods) plus 21% import VAT on the customs value, which is goods + freight + insurance + duty. Vietnam benefits from the EU–Vietnam FTA and Japan from the EU–Japan EPA, both of which cut duty to zero on many lines when a valid origin statement accompanies the invoice. An EU EORI number is mandatory for the importer.

Sea Freight from Asia to Latvia: 2026 Prices

Container rates and transit times from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Southeast Asia to the Port of Riga.

By Unicore Overseas SIA teamLast updated: 2 September 2026

Short answer: a container from Asia to Riga costs an indicative €2,200–4,900 in 2026 depending on origin port and box size, and spends 32–52 days in transit. For smaller loads, LCL groupage runs €80–160 per CBM. Unicore Overseas, an IATA-certified forwarder in Riga with agents in every major Asian port, arranges the sailing, Riga customs clearance and door delivery.

Asia → Riga: Unicore indicative 2026 rates

Origin country and ports	20' container	40'HC container	Transit to Riga
China — Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Qingdao	€2,200–3,500	€3,000–4,800	32–40 days
Japan — Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe	€2,600–3,900	€3,400–4,900	42–52 days
South Korea — Busan, Incheon	€2,500–3,700	€3,300–4,600	40–50 days
Vietnam — Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong	€2,400–3,600	€3,200–4,500	35–45 days
Indonesia — Jakarta, Surabaya	€2,500–3,800	€3,300–4,700	38–48 days
Malaysia / Singapore — Port Klang, Singapore	€2,300–3,500	€3,100–4,400	33–43 days
Thailand — Bangkok, Laem Chabang	€2,400–3,700	€3,200–4,600	36–46 days

Rates are port-to-port and move with season, fuel surcharges and space availability. Peak periods are before Chinese New Year (January–February) and before Christmas (September–October), when rates sit at the top of the range and space needs booking 3–4 weeks ahead.

What comes on top of the freight

Additional cost	Indicative price	Note
LCL groupage	€80–160 per CBM	1 CBM minimum; cheaper below ~12 CBM
Customs clearance in Riga	€120–250 per declaration	EU EORI number required
Terminal handling (THC) in Riga	€150–280 per container	Depends on container size
Delivery from Riga port	€150–350 per container	Within Latvia
Cargo insurance	0.3–0.6% of cargo value	All-Risks cover
Import VAT	21% of customs value	Reclaimable or deferrable for VAT-registered firms

Why clear customs in Riga, not Rotterdam

Ocean rates from Asia into Rotterdam, Hamburg or Antwerp are often €100–300 lower, because those hubs have the most competition. But the box then needs trucking to Latvia at €700–1,200. A direct sailing into the Port of Riga with clearance in Riga almost always produces a lower landed cost for Baltic-bound cargo, and one import declaration in Riga serves all 27 EU member states.

Trade agreements: when duty is 0%

Japan — the EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (in force since 2019) covers ~97% of tariff lines
South Korea — the EU–Korea FTA (since 2011) removes duty on most industrial goods
Vietnam — the EU–Vietnam FTA (since 2020) phases duty to zero on 99% of lines
Singapore — the EU–Singapore FTA (since 2019)
China, Indonesia and Thailand have no preference — the standard EU Common Customs Tariff applies

A preferential rate only applies if the supplier attaches a valid origin statement to the invoice. Unicore checks the document before departure — a missing or incorrect statement means full duty, which is difficult to recover after clearance.

Specialised cargo from Asia

Beyond standard boxes, Unicore arranges reefer containers for food cargo, out-of-gauge and heavy lifts on flat racks and open tops, and breakbulk or RoRo shipments for machinery, pipes and vehicles that will not fit a container.

Lane guides with full document requirements: China → Latvia, India → Riga, LCL consolidation. For the opposite direction see container export from Riga to Asia.

Need a rate for a specific lane?

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FCL and LCL container shipping via Riga port and EU hubs.