Americas

Shipping from China to Luque

China → Luque · via ASU air / Montevideo transit · clearance by Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay

Cargo handling on the China–Luque lane.

Freight from China into Luque clears through ASU air / Montevideo transit. Luque is the municipality around the international airport, and allow +2 days for the inland leg on top of clearance.

The clearing authority is Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 5–12 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.

Duty, tax and clearance into Luque

Imports into Paraguay are cleared by Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay. The headline position is: IVA 10%; Mercosur common external tariff 0–35%, with a reduced regime for goods re-exported through Ciudad del Este. The de-minimis threshold is 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.

How this lane actually runs

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.

Air gateways used	ASU (Asunción)
Air transit, China to gateway	5–8 business days
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 Luque	ASU air / Montevideo transit
Inland leg to Luque	+2 days from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	5–12 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

What to sort out before the cargo leaves China

Get the conformity paperwork moving early: INTN conformity for regulated goods; import registration required.
Put the Luque delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Paraguay duty rate against it yourself.
Confirm the consignee in Luque can act as importer of record — Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.

Air, sea or overland into Luque?

Mode	Transit to gateway	Best suited to
✈️ Air Freight	5–8 business days	time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight	35–48 calendar days including the river leg	volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Paraguay gateway and excludes the +2 days inland leg to Luque and 5–12 days of clearance.

Mode guides for Luque

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Luque take?

China to the Paraguay gateway is 5–8 business days by air, 35–48 calendar days including the river leg by sea. On top of that, allow 5–12 days of clearance with Dirección Nacional de Aduanas de Paraguay and a +2 days inland leg to Luque.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Luque?

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 Luque.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Luque?

Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via ASU (Asunción). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.

When is the busiest time on the China–Paraguay lane?

Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.

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 Luque?

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.

Other delivery cities in Paraguay

All Paraguay freight information →

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.

Page data last reviewed: 8 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.

All 139 industry guides →

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.

Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.

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.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Luque. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

How to Calculate CBM in Shipping | Volume vs Weight Explained | CBM Formula & Freight Cost Guide — 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.

Get a rate for Luque

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.

Request a quote →

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 →