Italy is a longer ocean than Hamburg: East Coast cargo usually goes through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Ligurian ports, and a “cheap” transhipment in Spain or Malta can add a week. Air into Milan is the way to feed the northern industrial belt when the calendar is short.
Ocean when you have four weeks. Direct Ligurian calls from the East Coast are worth preferring over a transhipment, because an extra lift in Valencia or Gioia Tauro is how Italian machinery shipments get damaged and delayed.
Air into Malpensa for Lombardy and the North; Fiumicino when the delivery is Rome or the South. Fashion drops and line-down parts are the usual air cargo on this lane.
LCL to Genoa exists but the CFS time is longer than North Europe, so the break-even versus a 20-foot box is often lower — sometimes around 12 m³ rather than 15. Fashion cartons that cannot be mixed with general cargo should not go LCL at all. We price both and say when LCL is a false saving.
| Lane | Transit | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast (Newark) → Genoa | 16–22 days | Ocean FCL |
| East Coast (Savannah) → Livorno | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| East Coast → Naples | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| West Coast (LA) → Genoa | 30–38 days | Ocean FCL, via Panama |
| Newark → Genoa | 24–32 days | Ocean LCL |
| JFK → Milan Malpensa | 2–3 days | Air |
Direct versus transhipped Med services move this number by a week. Genoa congestion and the inland destination (Milan versus Naples) decide the rest.
Italy’s main container port for U.S. cargo and the usual discharge for the North. Watch congestion and have La Spezia as the overflow.
Liguria alternative with strong rail towards the Po Valley. Often the cleaner call when Genoa is stacked.
Central Italy and Tuscan destinations without dragging a Genoa box south on the road.
South and transhipment hub respectively. Gioia Tauro is a relay, not a delivery address for Milan.
The cargo airport for northern industry and fashion. Widest U.S. connectivity.
Centre and South; use it when the delivery is not Lombardy.
Italy clears under the Union Customs Code through the Agenzia delle Dogane. The importer needs an EORI and a TARIC code. IVA at 22% makes the cash position of the Incoterm more important here than on a 19% German entry.
| From | To | Transit | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark, NJ | Genoa | 16–22 days | Ocean FCL |
| Savannah, GA | Livorno | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| Newark, NJ | Naples | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| Los Angeles, CA | Genoa | 30–38 days | Ocean FCL |
| JFK, NY | Milan Malpensa | 2–3 days | Air |
| ORD, Chicago | Milan Malpensa | 2–4 days | Air |
Italy is where transhipment savings get spent on claims. Direct space from Newark is the default we quote first.
Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno or Naples is a delivery decision, not a liner habit. Milan cargo does not belong in Campania.
22% VAT on a DDP promise without an Italian fiscal setup is how cargo sits. We ask before the cut-off.
About 16–22 days Newark to Genoa on a direct FCL, 18–24 days as a planning range. Transhipped services and LCL take longer. Air is 2–4 days into Malpensa.
The ship goes further — Gibraltar and the Ligurian Sea rather than the Channel and the Elbe. Direct services still beat a North Europe discharge plus a truck across the Alps.
IVA is 22% on the customs value plus duty and freight, unless a reduced rate applies. Duty is the EU tariff. The Incoterm decides who funds that cash.
Genoa (or La Spezia) for the North, where most industrial and fashion cargo is going. Naples for the South. Mixing them to save a few dollars of ocean is usually more expensive inland.
Yes. We measure, crate and book the equipment that fits — including when Genoa’s terminals have limits that push a piece to another port.
For small, robust cargo, yes. For machinery, fashion that cannot be mixed, or anything near a full 20-foot, FCL is usually kinder. We price both.
Send the Italian delivery city and the cargo type — we quote Genoa, La Spezia or air into Milan on the same request.