Italy to USA Shipping
Expert Export Freight Forwarding from Italy to America
Italy exports over $65 billion in goods to the United States every year — from Milanese fashion and Tuscan wine to precision machinery, marble, and pharmaceutical products. Italy Freight specialises in the full logistics chain for this trade corridor: ocean FCL and LCL from all five major Italian ports, express air freight from Malpensa and Fiumicino, Italian export customs (EX-A declarations), ISF 10+2 filing for US Customs, CBP entry clearance, and final-mile delivery to any US address.
Italy to USA Shipping Services
Ocean Freight
FCL and LCL from Genoa, Livorno, Naples, Trieste and Venice to all US ports. 16–35 days transit.
Air Freight
Express and economy air cargo from Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino to JFK, LAX, MIA, ORD, ATL. 1–5 days.
Export Customs
Italian EX-A export declarations, EUR.1 certificates of origin, product compliance — all filed on your behalf.
US Door-to-Door
ISF 10+2 filing, CBP formal entry, inland trucking from any US port to your warehouse or customer.
Italy–USA: A Major Global Trade Corridor
The Italy–United States trade lane is one of the world’s most active freight corridors. Italy is consistently among the top five EU exporters to the US, driven by centuries of manufacturing expertise and world-class design. The primary export categories on this lane include:
Top Italian Exports to the USA
- Machinery & Mechanical Appliances — Industrial machines, CNC equipment, food processing machinery, packaging lines
- Fashion & Luxury Goods — Designer apparel, leather goods, footwear, eyewear from Milan, Florence, Veneto
- Food, Wine & Olive Oil — Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, extra-virgin olive oil, Barolo, Brunello, Chianti
- Furniture & Marble — Carrara marble, luxury furniture, tiles, ceramics from Sassuolo
- Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices — Active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical equipment, diagnostics
- Automotive Parts — Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati components; aftermarket parts; racing equipment
- Steel & Metal Products — Specialty steel, aluminium profiles, precision metal components
Why Ship Italy to USA with Italy Freight?
- Italy-based expertise: Our team is in Italy — not just a US forwarder with an Italian agent. We coordinate pickups directly from your Italian factory or supplier.
- Direct carrier contracts: We hold space and rate agreements with MSC, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Grimaldi, and CMA CGM — the main carriers on this trade lane.
- US customs specialists: Our licensed US Customs Broker partners handle ISF 10+2 filing, formal entry, FDA Prior Notice, and USDA APHIS compliance for Italian goods.
- End-to-end visibility: One point of contact from Italian factory to US delivery — no handoffs, no finger-pointing between agents.
- Italian-speaking team: Bilingual staff fluent in English and Italian at both ends of the supply chain.
Italian Departure Ports for USA Cargo
Italy has five major container ports — each serving different manufacturing regions and offering different service strengths for US-bound cargo.
Port of Genoa
Italy's primary container hub and the busiest port for trans-Atlantic services. Direct weekly services to New York/Newark, Baltimore, and Savannah. MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen all operate direct Italy–USA strings from Genoa. Transit to US East Coast: 16–18 days. Ideal for exporters in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Liguria.
Port of Livorno
Central Italy's main freight gateway — serving Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio exporters. Strong ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) capability makes Livorno the leading Italian port for vehicle exports, construction machinery, and oversized industrial equipment. Weekly container services to US East and Gulf Coasts. Transit: 18–22 days.
Port of Naples
Gateway for Southern Italy — Campania, Calabria, Sicily exporters. Strong Grimaldi Lines presence with direct ro-ro and container services to US East Coast ports. Naples is particularly strong for food exports (mozzarella, seafood, tomato products) requiring reefer containers, and for ceramics from the Campania region.
Port of Trieste
Northeast Italy's strategic port — serves Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and also acts as a transit hub for Austrian and Bavarian cargo flowing through Italy. Trieste is Italy's deepest port and particularly strong for bulk cargo, liquid chemicals, and containerised manufactured goods. Weekly connections to US East Coast via transshipment.
Port of Venice (Marghera)
The historic lagoon city's industrial port handles specialty cargo from the Veneto region — one of Italy's richest manufacturing areas producing furniture, footwear, eyewear, and light manufacturing. Venice Marghera is also ADR-certified for the transport of dangerous goods and handles project cargo requiring special handling. Best for Veneto and Trentino exporters.
Ocean Freight Options: Italy to USA
FCL — Full Container Load
Best for: Shipments over 12–15 CBM, or any shipment where cargo security and speed matter.
With FCL, you take exclusive use of a container — packed at your Italian facility, sealed, and loaded directly onto the vessel. No co-loading, no delays from other shippers.
Container options:
- 20ft Standard: 25 CBM / 21,700 kg max payload
- 40ft Standard: 67 CBM / 26,500 kg max payload
- 40ft High Cube: 76 CBM / 26,500 kg — ideal for fashion, furniture
- Reefer (refrigerated): food, wine, pharmaceuticals
- Open Top / Flat Rack: marble slabs, machinery, sculpture
LCL — Less Than Container Load
Best for: Shipments under 12 CBM, or regular smaller consignments where you only pay for the space used.
LCL (also called groupage or consolidation) combines your cargo with compatible freight from other Italian exporters into a shared container. You pay per CBM or per tonne — whichever is greater.
LCL departure schedule:
- Weekly LCL sailings from Genoa, Livorno, Naples
- Consolidation centres at all major Italian ports
- Minimum 0.5 CBM accepted
- Transit to US East Coast: 18–24 days (inc. deconsolidation)
- Transit to US West Coast: 30–38 days
Transit times — ocean: US East Coast (New York, Baltimore, Savannah): 16–22 days. US West Coast (Los Angeles, Long Beach): 28–35 days. US Gulf (Houston, New Orleans): 22–28 days. Add 2–4 days for inland delivery after port arrival.
Air Freight from Italy to USA
When speed matters more than cost — urgent spare parts, fashion season launches, pharmaceutical products, or high-value goods — Italy Freight provides reliable air freight services from both major Italian cargo airports.
Milan Malpensa (MXP)
Italy's primary international cargo hub, Malpensa handles over 600,000 tonnes of freight annually. Direct cargo services to New York JFK, Los Angeles LAX, Miami MIA, Chicago O'Hare, and Atlanta ATL — plus connections to all US cities. Best for: fashion, luxury goods, electronics, spare parts, pharmaceuticals. Express transit: 1–2 days. Economy: 3–5 days.
Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
Rome's international airport handles significant cargo volumes and is the best option for exporters in Central and Southern Italy — Lazio, Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. FCO has direct connections to New York and Miami with onward delivery to all US destinations. Particularly suited for Italian food products with FDA Prior Notice requirements, and for cultural goods (art, antiques) requiring special handling.
Express Air Freight
Door-to-door in 1–3 business days. Pickup from Italian address, airport-to-airport overnight, CBP clearance on arrival, US delivery next day.
Economy Air Freight
3–7 business days. Consolidated air cargo on regular scheduled services. Significant cost savings vs. express for non-urgent air freight.
Pharma & Cold Chain
Temperature-controlled air freight for pharmaceutical APIs, biologics, food products, and wine samples. GDP-compliant cold chain from Italian manufacturer to US destination.
Italian Export Documentation
Exporting from Italy requires a specific set of documents — both for Italian/EU customs and for US import clearance. Italy Freight prepares and manages all documentation on your behalf.
Italian & EU Export Documents
- Commercial Invoice — Must state seller/buyer details, HS code, country of origin, value in USD or EUR, Incoterms
- Packing List — Detailed carton-by-carton breakdown of weight, dimensions, contents
- Bill of Lading / Airway Bill — Transport contract issued by carrier or our freight team
- EX-A Export Declaration — Filed with Italian Customs (ADM) via the AIDA IT system before goods leave Italy. Legally required for all exports outside the EU over €1,000
- EUR.1 Movement Certificate — Certifies EU origin for preferential tariff treatment where applicable
- CE Certificates — Required for machinery, electronics, medical devices entering the US
- Health/Phytosanitary Certs — Required for food products, wine, olive oil, wood packaging
US Import Documents (We File These)
- ISF 10+2 Filing — Importer Security Filing must be transmitted to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) no later than 24 hours before the vessel departs Italy. Failure to file on time carries a $5,000 CBP penalty per late filing. Italy Freight monitors your booking confirmation and files ISF immediately upon vessel departure confirmation.
- Formal Entry (Type 01) — Required for all goods valued over $2,500. Our licensed US Customs Broker classifies your goods under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS) and files formal entry via ACE.
- FDA Prior Notice — Mandatory for food products, beverages, wine, dietary supplements. Filed electronically via OASIS/PNSI system.
- USDA APHIS — Required for wood packaging material (ISPM 15 compliance), certain agricultural products, and plant material.
Incoterms for Italy to USA Shipments
The Incoterm you choose defines where your responsibility ends and the buyer’s begins — and determines who pays for freight, insurance, and customs clearance. The most common Incoterms on the Italy–USA trade lane are:
EXW — Ex Works
Seller’s responsibility ends at the factory gate. The buyer (or buyer’s freight forwarder — Italy Freight) takes over from that moment. Best for experienced importers who want full control and visibility from the Italian production point. We specialise in EXW pickups from Italian factories.
FOB — Free On Board
Seller loads goods onto the vessel at the Italian port. Most common Incoterm for Italy–USA ocean freight. The Italian exporter covers all costs to the ship’s rail; the US importer pays ocean freight, insurance, and US clearance. Italy Freight can act on behalf of either party.
CIF — Cost, Insurance & Freight
Italian seller covers cost, insurance, and freight to the US destination port. Simplifies the process for US buyers who prefer a single landed cost from the seller. Italy Freight manages the ocean booking and cargo insurance on the seller’s behalf.
DAP — Delivered at Place
Full door-to-door. The Italian seller is responsible for everything up to the named US delivery point — the buyer only handles US import duties and taxes. Italy Freight manages the complete supply chain end to end under DAP terms.
Full-Service Italy to USA Logistics
FCL & LCL Ocean Export
20ft/40ft/40HC containers + LCL groupage. Weekly sailings from Genoa, Livorno, Naples, Trieste, Venice to all US ports.
Air Freight Italy–USA
Express and economy air cargo from MXP and FCO to all US airports. 1–5 days transit. Cold chain available.
ISF & Export Docs
ISF 10+2 filing, Italian EX-A export declaration, EUR.1 COO, packing list and invoice preparation. All managed by Italy Freight.
US Door-to-Door Delivery
CBP formal entry + inland trucking or LTL delivery from any US port to your warehouse, store, or customer address.
Machinery & Project Cargo
Oversized cargo, ro-ro vehicles, industrial equipment, marble slabs. Livorno and Naples specialised handling.
Food, Wine & Perishables
FDA Prior Notice filing, reefer containers, cold chain air freight. Full compliance for Italian food and wine exports to USA.
Get a Quote — Italy to USA Shipping
Ready to ship from Italy to the USA? Our freight specialists provide competitive rates on ocean FCL, LCL, and air freight — and handle all export documentation, ISF filing, and US customs clearance from a single point of contact.
Ocean freight · Air freight · ISF 10+2 · CBP clearance · Door-to-door delivery