Chile International Shipping

A Brief Description of Chile

Chile is among a growing number of South American nations that have begun to thrive after decades of economic and political turmoil. Situated along a long and seemingly impossibly narrow strip of land along South America’s southwest coast, Chile has the distinction of being one of the most stable and prosperous countries in Latin America these days. The country is a leader in areas such as per capita income, economic freedom, globalization and human development. Chile is a representative democracy with a president as the head of government. Chile's population of roughly 17.5 million people makes it the 62nd largest country in the world by population. From a geographic perspective, Chile is an astonishingly narrow country. It stretches north to south for more than 2,700 miles along South America’s southwest coast, a distance that is roughly equivalent to the distance between San Francisco and New York. Yet, from east to west, the country is no more than 150 miles broad. It is one of the only countries in the world to feature a subtropical climate, a desert and an arctic tundra region within its borders. Chile is literally wedged in between the formidable Andes Mountains along its eastern border and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Most of Chile’s population is centered in a 500-mile corridor in the central region of the country. The city of Santiago anchors the northern section of this central corridor, while the southern end is dominated by primeval rain forests. Economically, Chile is ranked as the 30th most competitive nation in the world, well ahead of much larger Latin American nations, such as Brazil and Argentina. The country’s economy is anchored by the mining, forestry, agriculture and fishing industries.

Shipping a Car to Chile

International shipping to Chile is available from virtually every major port in the United States to major Chilean ports such as Valparaiso, San Antonio, Iquique, Antofagasta and Arica. Chile international shipping companies offer door-to-door delivery and pick up services from any location in the United States to any location in Chile. Most of the shipping companies and brokers that offer these services provide a full suite of services to help shippers fill out import documents and clear their vehicles through all required customs inspection formalities. Shipping a car to Chile from the United States takes roughly 10 to 15 days, depending on the port of origin and destination. Vehicles are typically shipped in 20-foot or 40-foot containers, or on board Roll on Roll off (RoRo) vessels. The cost to ship a car from the U.S. East Coast to Santiago in a 20-foot container is roughly $3,200, while the cost to ship it on a RoRo vessel is about $3,100. Those looking at shipping a car from Chile to the U.S. can expect to pay roughly the same price as well. The fares quoted by transporters for shipping to Chile or from the country typically include customs clearance costs, as well as bill of lading and bunker adjustment factor (BAF) costs. In addition to the actual shipping costs, customers seeking to import or export a car between the two countries can also expect to pay additional costs to clear their vehicles through the safety and emissions controls processes in both countries.