Sea Freight from China to Asuncion
China → Asuncion · via ASU air / Montevideo transit · clearance by Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay
For buyers shipping into Asuncion, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Asuncion is capital and the main clearance point; cargo enters through ASU air / Montevideo transit, and allow +2 days for the inland leg on top of clearance.
On the destination side, Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay handles clearance; budget 5–12 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
Import duty and tax position for Asuncion
Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Asuncion consignees. Current regime: IVA 10%; Mercosur common external tariff 0–35%, with a reduced regime for goods re-exported through Ciudad del Este, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: INTN conformity for regulated goods; import registration required. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Paraguay: River barge schedules are seasonal and low water can suspend service. The Ciudad del Este re-export regime has its own tax treatment — confirm which regime applies before quoting.
Routing and transit on this lane
Paraguay is served by the Paraná–Paraguay river barge system from Montevideo or Buenos Aires, one of the longest inland waterway movements used in regular commerce. Ciudad del Este on the Brazilian border operates a re-export regime that has made Paraguay a redistribution point for Chinese consumer electronics into Brazil and Argentina — a genuinely distinctive feature of this lane.
| Sea gateways used | Landlocked — via Montevideo or Buenos Aires, then Paraná river barge to Asunción |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 35–48 calendar days including the river leg |
| Gateway serving Asuncion | ASU air / Montevideo transit |
| Inland leg to Asuncion | +2 days from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 5–12 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Asuncion checklist
- Confirm the consignee in Asuncion can act as importer of record — Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Paraguay duty rate against it yourself.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Budget for the inland leg: +2 days beyond gateway clearance to reach Asuncion.
- Put the Asuncion delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Asuncion take?
China to the Paraguay gateway is 35–48 calendar days including the river leg. On top of that, allow 5–12 days of clearance with Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay and a +2 days inland leg to Asuncion.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Asuncion?
Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay applies: IVA 10%; Mercosur common external tariff 0–35%, with a reduced regime for goods re-exported through Ciudad del Este. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Asuncion.
Which port or airport does cargo for Asuncion clear through?
Cargo for Asuncion is routed via ASU air / Montevideo transit. Sea gateways for Paraguay are Landlocked — via Montevideo or Buenos Aires, then Paraná river barge to Asunción; air gateways are ASU (Asunción). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
What documents does Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (INTN conformity for regulated goods; import registration required). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Asuncion?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Asuncion?
Yes. Battery cargo by sea moves under UN3480/UN3481 with an MSDS, and the dangerous-goods documentation is prepared as part of the booking into Landlocked — via Montevideo or Buenos Aires, then Paraná river barge to Asunción. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.
Other delivery cities in Paraguay
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Paraguay change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay or your broker before you ship.
- Dirección Nacional de Aduanas
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
Page data last reviewed: 10 月 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Cartons Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Flexible Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Decor Furniture & Home Products
- Technical Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Outdoor Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
Checking the Paraguay duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Asuncion. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
LCL vs FCL | Difference Between Full Container Load & Less than Container Load | Which is better ? — 10 Min For Supply Chain. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Paraguay
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Paraguay clearance requirements →