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

Unicore's indicative 2026 port-to-port rates to Riga: China €1,900–2,700 (20') and €3,200–4,200 (40'HC); Japan €2,300–4,500; South Korea €2,200–4,300; Vietnam €2,000–4,200; Indonesia €2,200–4,400. LCL groupage from any Asian origin runs €100–180 per CBM with a 1 CBM minimum. Add Riga customs clearance (€120–250), duty per HS code and 21% Latvian import VAT.

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 €0.15–0.21 per kg on a loaded 40'HC. Below about 12 CBM, LCL groupage at €100–180 per CBM is cheaper because you pay only for the volume used. Clearing customs in Riga rather than a Western European hub avoids €1,600–2,400 of inland trucking per container, which is why Unicore routes Baltic-bound Asian cargo direct to the Port of Riga.

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: 5 October 2026

Short answer: a container from Asia to Riga costs an indicative €1,900–4,500 in 2026 depending on origin port and box size, and spends 33–52 days in transit port to port. For smaller loads, LCL groupage runs €100–180 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	€1,900–2,700	€3,200–4,200	38–48 days
Japan — Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe	€2,300–3,100	€3,600–4,500	42–52 days
South Korea — Busan, Incheon	€2,200–2,900	€3,500–4,300	40–50 days
Vietnam — Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong	€2,000–2,800	€3,300–4,200	35–45 days
Indonesia — Jakarta, Surabaya	€2,200–3,000	€3,500–4,400	38–48 days
Malaysia / Singapore — Port Klang, Singapore	€2,000–2,700	€3,300–4,100	33–43 days
Thailand — Bangkok, Laem Chabang	€2,100–2,900	€3,400–4,300	36–46 days

Indicative prices last checked: 24 September 2026

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	€100–180 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 €1,600–2,400. 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.

Sea freight from Japan to Riga

Unicore arranges sea freight from Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kobe to Riga through its agent network in Japan. Containers sail on the Asia–North Europe services, transship at Rotterdam, Hamburg or Gdańsk onto a Baltic feeder, and take 42–52 days port to port. We book full containers (FCL) and LCL consolidation, clear the cargo in Riga and deliver it to your warehouse.

Where you can, buy FOB a named Japanese port (for example FOB Yokohama): the supplier handles export clearance in Japan, and you choose the carrier and see the full freight cost.
Ask the supplier for an origin statement under the EU–Japan EPA on the invoice. Without it, full duty applies at clearance.
For a quote, send the supplier address or loading port, the Incoterm, volume in CBM and weight, a description or HS code, and the date the cargo is ready.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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 38–48 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 ship from Japan to Riga?

Unicore finds the cheapest option by comparing LCL, FCL and air for your actual volume. For a few pallets, up to about 12 CBM, LCL consolidation is usually cheapest: your goods share a container with other shippers' cargo and you pay only for the space you use. Above that, a full 20' or 40'HC container (FCL) costs less per cubic metre and is handled faster at both ports. If you buy from several Japanese suppliers, have them deliver to one consolidation warehouse at the loading port, so everything travels as one shipment on one bill of lading. Air freight is much faster but costs far more per kilo, so it only pays for small, urgent or high-value goods. Two more savings: ship the container straight into Riga and clear it there, rather than clearing in Rotterdam or Hamburg and trucking it on, and get an EU–Japan EPA origin statement on the invoice, which removes duty on many goods.

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.

Need a rate for a specific lane?

Request a quote with your origin port, volume and commodity — we'll reply within one working day with an FCL and LCL comparison.

Related resources

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Sea Freight Service

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