# How long does an import take? Real timelines by stage

> Transit times by lane and mode, how long customs clearance takes, and what makes an operation run late.

Source: https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/cuanto-tarda-una-importacion · Updated: 2026-07-26 · Category: Your first import · Publisher: FreightSpot

Planning an import with the timeline wrong costs you lost sales or idle inventory. These are the timelines we see in live operations — not the brochure version.

## Ocean transit to Mexican ports

| Origin | Port of arrival | Typical transit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| China (Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen) | Manzanillo / Lázaro Cárdenas | 18 to 30 days |
| Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand) | Manzanillo | 25 to 35 days |
| Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Valencia) | Veracruz / Altamira | 18 to 28 days |
| South America (Brazil, Chile) | Veracruz / Manzanillo | 12 to 22 days |
| U.S. East Coast | Veracruz / Altamira | 5 to 12 days |

Those are **port-to-port** times on direct services. If your shipment transships, add 5 to 10 days. And they’re estimates: weather, port congestion and schedule changes move these numbers.

## Air and overland transit

- **Air from Asia**: 3 to 7 days to Mexico City (AICM) or Guadalajara, including consolidation and connections.
- **Air from the U.S. or Europe**: 2 to 5 days.
- **Cross-border trucking from the U.S.**: 2 to 6 days depending on origin and the border crossing.

## Customs clearance: 1 to 3 business days

With a complete file and the customs entry (pedimento) transmitted, clearance is fast. What stretches it out:

| Situation | Typical extra days |
| --- | --- |
| Everything in order, green light | 0 — clears the same day |
| Customs inspection (red light) | 1 to 3 days |
| Missing permit or NOM certificate | 3 to 15 days (or more) |
| Registry suspended or broker authorization not accepted | Until the paperwork is resolved |
| Document mismatch (BL vs. invoice) | 1 to 5 days |

## The full math, end to end

For an ocean import from China, realistic planning looks like: **production (15-45 days) + transit (18-30) + clearance (1-3) + inland delivery (1-4)**. That is, **5 to 12 weeks** from placing the order to goods in your warehouse.

> **Inventory rule of thumb:** if you sell a product that ships by ocean from Asia, your reorder point should assume at least 10 weeks. Plan on 6 and you’ll stock out twice a year.

## What you can actually control

- Have your **registries and broker authorization (encargo conferido)** ready before the goods ship (it costs no time when it runs in parallel).
- Review the **draft BL** before it’s issued — fixing it afterward costs days.
- Send your broker the documents **when the vessel sails**, not when it arrives: classification and filing can be pre-worked in transit.
- Confirm **NOMs and permits** at the quoting stage, not at the port.

Need the transit time for your specific lane? [Write to us](https://www.freightspot.com/en/contact) with origin, destination and cargo type and we’ll give you the real schedule with confirmed sailings. And if a term doesn’t ring a bell, [our glossary](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/glossary) explains it in plain language.

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Need to move cargo or sort out a filing? [Contact FreightSpot](https://www.freightspot.com/en/contact) · Tel. +52 55 5351-8362 · hello@freightspot.com