Home Shipping from China to Nicaragua LCL sea freight from China to Nicaragua (Managua & Corinto) — 2026 reference rates

LCL sea freight from China to Nicaragua (Managua & Corinto) — 2026 reference rates

Nicaragua is served through Corinto on the Pacific coast, with Managua the inland commercial centre. Jiangmen offers the best combination: a direct sailing to Managua at USD 79 per CBM in 38 days, with no transhipment.

The spread between origins is unusually wide. Shanghai quotes USD 33 per CBM to Managua but takes 60 days, while Ningbo quotes USD 65 per CBM for the same destination in 46 days. Read the two bases carefully — Ningbo and Shanghai both publish volume and weight rates.

How to read these rates: figures are indicative reference levels for port-to-port LCL ocean freight, updated for October 2026. They exclude origin haulage, warehouse and customs charges, destination port charges and any surcharges. Space, cut-off times and rates must be re-confirmed at booking.

LCL rates from China to Nicaragua

Jiangmen to Managua — USD 79 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier Hapag-Lloyd; cut-off/ETD Closed Wed / ETD Fri; transit time about 38 days.
Tianjin to Corinto — USD 83 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via San José; carrier Hapag-Lloyd; cut-off/ETD Closed Wed / ETD Fri; transit time about 45 days.
Shanghai to Managua — USD 33 volume / 43 per tonne per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier Hapag-Lloyd; cut-off/ETD Closed Wed / ETD Fri; transit time about 60 days.
Ningbo to Corinto — USD 110 volume / 120 per tonne per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier Hapag-Lloyd; cut-off/ETD Closed Wed / ETD Sun; transit time about 46 days.
Ningbo to Managua — USD 65 volume / 75 per tonne per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Corinto; carrier Hapag-Lloyd; cut-off/ETD Closed Wed / ETD Sun; transit time about 46 days.

Jiangmen is the balanced choice. Direct to Managua, 38 days and USD 79 per CBM — faster than Shanghai by three weeks and, on any realistic weight, cheaper than Ningbo once the tonne rate is applied.

Shanghai is cheap but slow. USD 33 per CBM to Managua, but 60 days. It is the lowest headline figure here and also the longest transit.

Ningbo to Corinto is expensive. USD 110 per CBM or USD 120 per tonne to the port itself, while Ningbo to inland Managua is USD 65 per CBM. That inversion suggests the Corinto service is priced on a different tariff; ask us to check it against a live quotation.

Corinto and the Pacific corridor

Corinto is Nicaragua's only significant Pacific port and handles nearly all of the country's container traffic. It also serves as a relay for cargo moving into Honduras and El Salvador. Managua is about 140 km inland by road and typically adds a day or two to delivery.

Volume versus weight

Shanghai and Ningbo both quote two bases. At 1 CBM = 1,000 kg, a shipment of 2 CBM weighing 2,500 kg converts to 2.5 CBM and would be billed on 2.5 CBM — so the effective cost of a dense shipment is 25 per cent above the headline figure. Ask for the tonne rate explicitly if your goods are heavy.

FAQ — LCL shipping from China to Nicaragua