Shipping from China to Point Lisas
China โ Point Lisas ยท via POS air / Point Lisas sea ยท clearance by Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago
We move freight cargo from South China into Point Lisas through POS air / Point Lisas sea. Point Lisas is the industrial estate and second container port, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 4โ10 days.
Routing and transit on this lane
Trinidad is the industrial anchor of the southern Caribbean and a distribution point for the eastern islands. Asian cargo generally transships at Kingston, Caucedo or Cartagena. Foreign-exchange availability has been a recurring constraint for importers, which affects how quickly duty and supplier payments settle.
| Air gateways used | POS (Port of Spain) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 5โ8 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Port of Spain, Point Lisas |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 28โ36 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Point Lisas | POS air / Point Lisas sea |
| Inland leg to Point Lisas | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 4โ10 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Import duty and tax position for Point Lisas
Imports into Trinidad and Tobago are cleared by Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago. The headline position is: VAT 12.5%; CARICOM common external tariff 0โ20%. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: TTBS conformity for regulated goods; import license for controlled categories. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Trinidad and Tobago: Foreign-exchange access can delay settlement. CARICOM tariff treatment differs from the rates applied in Latin American neighbors. Import licenses apply to controlled goods.
Air, sea or overland into Point Lisas?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 5โ8 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 28โ36 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Trinidad and Tobago gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Point Lisas and 4โ10 days of clearance.
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Trinidad and Tobago duty rate against it yourself.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Trinidad and Tobago lane.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Confirm the consignee in Point Lisas can act as importer of record โ Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Point Lisas.
Mode guides for Point Lisas
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Point Lisas take?
China to the Trinidad and Tobago gateway is 5โ8 business days by air, 28โ36 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 4โ10 days of clearance with Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago and a same-day inland leg to Point Lisas.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Point Lisas?
Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago applies: VAT 12.5%; CARICOM common external tariff 0โ20%. 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 Point Lisas.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Point Lisas?
Yes. Delivery to a Point Lisas address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
When is the busiest time on the ChinaโTrinidad and Tobago lane?
Space and rates tighten around SepโNov, 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.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Point Lisas?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight โ length ร width ร height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air โ and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
What certification do I need for Trinidad and Tobago?
For regulated goods, plan for: TTBS conformity for regulated goods; import license for controlled categories. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
Other delivery cities in Trinidad and Tobago
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Trinidad and Tobago change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago or your broker before you ship.
- Customs and Excise Division
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA โ Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965โ970)
- World Bank โ Logistics Performance Index
Page data last reviewed: 10 ๆ 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 โ these guides cover that by commodity.
- Electrical Cabinets New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Flooring Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- Tableware Furniture & Home Products
- Display Stands Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Umbrellas Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Bearings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Solar Panel New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Prefabricated Building Building Materials & Construction Products
- Pallet Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Conveyor Belts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
Checking the Trinidad and Tobago duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago 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 โ 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.
If this is your first shipment into Trinidad and Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Point Lisas. 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 Trinidad and Tobago
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Trinidad and Tobago clearance requirements →