China to Brazil freight rates and market updates — dated log 2026
Rate log compiled 23 September 2026. Ocean, rail, air, express and DDP figures are indicative and must be confirmed at the time of booking.
China to Brazil — freight rate and market updates (dated log, 2026)
Compiled 23 September 2026 from our booking-desk logs and from market quotations shared by carrier and consolidator desks. Ocean and rail rates are per container; air, express and DDP rates are per kilogram. Figures are indicative, are in USD unless stated otherwise, and must be re-confirmed when you book.
We logged 150 full-container quotations to Brazil during 2026. The most frequently quoted gateways were Santos, Navegantes, Itapoa. The lowest container level recorded was USD 6,600 (2026-06-12) and the highest USD 8,150 (2026-08-19), which shows how wide the spread was between carriers and sailing windows.
For air cargo we recorded 1 service updates to Brazil in 2026, mostly on China Eastern Airlines (MU).
FCL — full container load (sea freight)
Container rates actually quoted, grouped by month and gateway. Ranges show the lowest and the highest level we saw in that month.
| Month | Port of loading | Destination | Equipment | Ocean freight (USD) | Booking notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Shekou / Yantian | Navegantes | as quoted | USD 7,700 | 2 quotations · 1 with space only |
| June 2026 | Shekou / Nansha / Tianjin / Qingdao | Santos | 40ft | USD 6,600 | 34 quotations · 31 with space only |
| July 2026 | Shekou / Qingdao / Shanghai | Santos | as quoted | USD 5,850 | 4 quotations · 3 with space only · cut-off 00/40 |
| August 2026 | Shekou / Yantian | Itapoa / Santos | as quoted | USD 7,800 | 2 quotations |
| August 2026 | Shanghai / Shekou / Tianjin | Santos | 40ft | USD 7,200 – USD 8,150 | 20 quotations · 18 with space only |
| August 2026 | Shekou / Qingdao / Shanghai | Santos | as quoted | USD 6,400 – USD 8,400 | 5 quotations · 2 with space only |
Plot of the dated quotations in the table above, on a date (x) and rate (y) axis. Where one period carries several quotations the points are averaged. Rates are indicative, exclude destination charges unless the row says otherwise, and are reconfirmed at booking.
Plot data (4 points)
| Date | Route / equipment | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Santos – 40GP | 6,600 |
| 2026-08-01 | Santos – 40GP | 7,675 |
| 2026-07-01 | Santos – as quoted | 5,850 |
| 2026-08-01 | Santos – as quoted | 7,400 |
Space offered without a published rate
The following sailings were offered with equipment or space available while the carrier kept the freight rate on request.
| Month | Port of loading | Destination | Equipment | Ocean freight (USD) | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Shekou / Nansha | Santos | 40ft | — | 16 space-only offers |
| May 2026 | Qingdao | Santos | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer · cut-off 00/6 |
| May 2026 | Nansha | Santos / Navegantes | 40ft | — | 5 space-only offers |
| May 2026 | Shekou | Santos / Navegantes / Rio de Janeiro / Itapoa | 40ft | — | 1 space-only offer |
| June 2026 | Nansha | Itapoa | 40ft | — | 1 space-only offer |
| June 2026 | Shekou | Itapoa | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| June 2026 | Shekou / Nansha | Navegantes | 40ft | — | 11 space-only offers |
| June 2026 | Yantian | Paranagua | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| June 2026 | Shanghai / Shekou | Rio de Janeiro | as quoted | — | 2 space-only offers |
| June 2026 | Nansha | Rio de Janeiro | 40ft | — | 1 space-only offer |
| June 2026 | Shekou | Santos | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| July 2026 | Shekou / Shanghai | Itapoa | as quoted | — | 2 space-only offers |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Navegantes | 40ft | — | 9 space-only offers |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Navegantes | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Rio de Janeiro | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Santos | 40ft | — | 9 space-only offers |
| August 2026 | Shekou | Itapoa | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| August 2026 | Shekou | Navegantes | as quoted | — | 2 space-only offers |
| September 2026 | Shekou / Yantian | Itapoa | 40ft | — | 4 space-only offers |
| September 2026 | Shekou / Yantian | Navegantes | 40ft | — | 4 space-only offers |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Santos | 40ft | — | 7 space-only offers |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Santos | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer · cut-off 9/14 |
| September 2026 | Qingdao | Santos / Navegantes | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
LCL — less than container load (groupage)
| Date | Origin | Destination | Rate | Consolidation notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | Yantian / Shekou / Nansha | Santos | — | Santos is the flagship Brazil string; direct consolidation with own destination office |
| 2026-09-18 | Yantian / Shekou / Nansha | Santos | — | Peak-season LCL space, CFS charge waived |
Air freight
| Date | Airline | Destination airport | Rate | Space status and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | China Eastern Airlines (MU) | Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) | — | space open; direct flight; promotional rate; loose cargo accepted; palletised cargo; priority for heavy cargo; service resumption |
Airline promotions and capacity notices
Chronological record of the airline and consolidator promotion notices for China–Brazil air cargo that our quotation desk logged during 2026. Each line records what was being advertised on the day, not a confirmed rate; space, routings and prices move within hours, so treat every entry as market colour and ask us to re-check the flight before you commit cargo.
| Date | Airline | Departure airport in China | Promotion and capacity notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | China Eastern Airlines (MU) | Wuxi (WUX) | Operates a direct service to Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU). |
| 2026-08-05 | China Eastern Airlines (MU) | Wuxi (WUX) | Operates an air-to-air transfer service to Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU). |
| 2026-09-23 | Ethiopian Airlines (ET) | Ezhou (EHU) | Operates a newly added service to Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU). |
Earlier quotations held in our log (2023–2025)
2024 FCL (6 entries). Ask our desk for the dated archive if you need to benchmark an earlier period.
Frequently asked questions — shipping from China
The answers below are drawn from the same quotation log as the tables above. Figures are indicative and are reconfirmed at booking.
How much does a 20GP container from Qingdao or Shanghai in China to Santos cost?
In our quotation log for May to September 2026 the 20GP rate to Santos ran from USD 5,100 – USD 7,300 per container across 4 quotations, loaded mainly at Qingdao / Shanghai. Ocean freight is quoted port-to-port and the figure moves with the weekly GRI, peak-season surcharges and equipment availability, so treat it as a benchmark rather than a fixed tariff and confirm it against your cargo ready date.
What is the 40ft / 40HQ rate from China to Santos?
The 40ft and 40HQ quotations we logged to Santos in May to September 2026 ranged from USD 5,850 – USD 8,400 per container across 9 quotations. A 40ft high cube carries roughly twice the volume of a 20GP for well under twice the freight, so once your cargo passes about 28 CBM the 40HQ is normally the cheaper unit per cubic metre.
Is container space available from China to Brazil right now?
Yes. During 2026 we logged 138 offers to Brazil where equipment or space was available to the desk while the carrier kept the freight rate on request (mostly to Santos, Navegantes, Itapoa). That pattern usually means space is open but the tariff is being quoted case by case. Send your cargo ready date and we will come back with the vessel, the sailing and a named price.
How long does shipping from China to Brazil take?
Typical port-to-port sailing time from South China is 35 to 50 days; add three to seven days if the cargo loads in North China. Direct services beat transhipment routings by one to two weeks, and schedule reliability, blank sailings and port congestion all move the date. We confirm the actual ETD and ETA against your booking rather than quoting a standard transit time.
What is included in the freight rates shown on this page?
Ocean and rail figures are the port-to-port (or terminal-to-terminal) freight only. They exclude origin handling, export customs, THC and CFS, documentation, destination THC, import duty and final delivery, unless the row names a door-to-door or DDP service. Air figures are airport-to-airport per chargeable kilo and exclude pick-up and delivery. Every figure is indicative until it is confirmed against a specific vessel, flight or train and a cargo ready date.
Can I ship less than a container load (LCL) from China to Brazil?
Yes. LCL groupage is charged per revenue tonne (1 CBM or 1,000 kg, with volume weight taken if it is greater) plus fixed documentation and CFS charges, so it is usually the better option below roughly 15 CBM. Above that a 20GP starts to win on cost per cubic metre. Give us the volume, weight and cargo readiness and we will price both side by side for Brazil.
How do I get an exact quote for shipping to Brazil?
Send the commodity, gross weight, volume, the pick-up city in China and the delivery address in Brazil to sales007@goodhopefreight.com. We reply with the applicable service, the named vessel, flight or train, the cut-off and an all-in cost, usually the same working day. If you are weighing up routes, tell us the ready date and we will price sea, rail and air side by side.
Rates, surcharges, cut-offs and equipment availability change daily. Send your commodity, gross weight, volume, the pickup city in China and the delivery address in Brazil and we will confirm the applicable service, sailing or flight and the all-in cost: sales007@goodhopefreight.com.
