Transports between Germany and the USA are non-EU (third-country) traffic: besides the actual freight leg, it is the customs and documentation handling that decides whether your shipment arrives on time at the consignee. Speed Logistics organises USA transports door-to-door – by sea freight from Hamburg or Bremerhaven to New York and Los Angeles, or by air freight from Frankfurt (FRA–JFK), including complete export and import handling from EXW to DDP.
Depending on deadline pressure and budget, we choose the right mode of transport with you: air freight usually reaches US consignees door-to-door in 5–8 days, sea freight in around 15–30 days depending on the coast and lead time. We organise the pre- and on-carriage by road on both sides – in Germany from a van to a 40-tonne truck, in the USA via vetted trucking partners to Chicago, Houston or the West Coast.
Scope of services for USA transports
- Sea freight FCL and LCL from the German North Sea ports to the US East and West Coast
- Air freight from Frankfurt for urgent, high-value or temperature-critical shipments
- Door-to-door service including pick-up, export packaging as needed and delivery to the US consignee
- Exhibition and project logistics with an ATA carnet for temporary exports, e.g. to US trade fairs
- Premium handling for sensitive goods such as machinery, electronics and medical technology
Customs clearance Germany–USA
We handle the complete clearance on both sides: electronic export declaration in Germany, commercial invoice and packing list as base documents, correct tariff classification, and the import handling with the US customs authority CBP via our local partners. For the import, the Importer of Record needs a customs bond; whether your US customer takes on this role or you deliver DDP, we clarify before the transport begins. For temporary exports – trade-fair samples, demonstration machines – the ATA carnet avoids the payment of import duties.
Process and transit times
After your enquiry with the key data you receive a fixed-price quote within a few hours, including all customs services. We collect the goods, prepare the export documents, book ship or air capacity and steer the import clearance in the USA. Delivery is made with advance notice against proof of receipt; your dedicated contact in the 24/7 dispatch team informs you of every milestone – from positioning at the port to release by US customs.
Packaging, insurance and Incoterms
Transatlantic transports place higher demands on packaging than European overland traffic: sea freight needs sea-worthy, moisture-protected packaging, and wooden packaging must comply with the ISPM-15 standard – a common reason for complaints from US customs. We advise you before shipping on packaging and marking, arrange transport insurance to the full value of the goods on request, and clarify the Incoterms question cleanly: who bears which costs and risks from which point? Precisely for DDP deliveries to the USA this coordination is worthwhile, as import duties and fees can otherwise quickly lead to surprises.
Why Speed Logistics for USA traffic?
You receive freight forwarding and customs clearance from one hand, a calculable fixed price instead of open incidental costs, and a dispatch team that factors the time difference and US public holidays into the planning. Whether a single machine delivery to Houston or regular containers to the East Coast – enquire about your USA lane without obligation – your fixed-price quote including all customs and incidental costs is available within a few hours.