For European businesses, the Caribbean market presents massive opportunities. From the booming hospitality sector demanding high-end European equipment to construction firms requiring specific materials, the demand is constant. However, executing transport to the Caribbean is fundamentally different from conducting business within Europe or even shipping to the United States. The region is characterized by fragmented geography, widely varying local legislation, and a unique reliance on imports. In this strategic overview, we dive into the complexities of shipping to the Antilles and demonstrate how your enterprise can turn these logistical hurdles into a competitive advantage.
Chantal has been writing about logistics topics for almost two decades and has worked for major international carriers.
In the logistics industry, dealing with this region often involves what we call island hopping logistics. What makes the Caribbean so complex is that not every island possesses a major international cargo hub. Shipments are frequently flown into larger islands like Curaçao or Puerto Rico, only to be distributed across the rest of the archipelago via smaller regional flights or ferry services.
For you as a B2B exporter, this means carrier selection is critical. While one express courier might boast an ironclad local delivery network on Sint Maarten, another might operate much faster and more efficiently on Aruba. Blindly sticking to a single carrier for all your Caribbean transport often leads to unnecessary delays and inflated costs in practice. Flexibility in your supply chain is the key to success here.
The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) share a rich history with the Netherlands, but from a logistical and fiscal standpoint, they are completely different worlds. Treating a package to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao as one homogeneous shipment is a common and costly corporate mistake.
Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands (just like Saba and Sint Eustatius, forming the BES islands). Specific tax rules apply here, such as the General Expenditure Tax (ABB) instead of standard VAT.
Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They possess their own independent customs authorities and import tariff schedules.
According to official trade guidelines provided by the European Commission for Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), it is essential to prepare the correct certificates of origin and commercial invoices for these autonomous islands. Prepare your business for local levies by thoroughly understanding the specific customs requirements before you ship. For a broader understanding of how duties work globally, consult our import duties guide.
As a B2B supplier, you want to focus on your core business, not on the whims of island-specific import regulations. The most efficient strategy for serving the Caribbean market is utilizing a multi-carrier platform.
For instance, when you need to handle shipping to Curaçao, the ParcelParcel platform instantly compares transit times and rates from the largest global networks (such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, and TNT). Because we automatically generate your customs documents (like the commercial invoice) and our in-house customs specialists proactively monitor every shipment, you prevent your crucial business cargo from getting stranded in a customs warehouse between two islands.
With the right logistics partner, shipping to the Caribbean stops being an obstacle and becomes a smooth, integrated part of your international growth strategy.
This refers to the complex transport network in archipelagos like the Caribbean, where large cargo planes land at a central hub island, and the freight is then forwarded to smaller, surrounding islands via regional aircraft or boats. This requires highly specific local expertise from the carrier.
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No, absolutely not. Although they are geographically close, Bonaire is a special Dutch municipality with its own tax rules (ABB), while Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous countries with completely independent customs authorities and import duties.
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The fastest method is using an international express courier (such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS). Depending on the specific island and the accessibility of its local airport, a shipment from Europe can reach its destination within 2 to 5 business days.
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For all shipments to the Caribbean outside the EU, you need a comprehensive commercial invoice in English. Ensure you provide a precise description of the goods, the correct HS codes, and a realistic commercial value to prevent customs delays.
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Yes, our platform is designed for both small parcels and large freight. You can book large shipments and pallets seamlessly. We instantly find the most suitable transport network for your specific cargo and destination, ensuring you always get the best B2B deal.
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You can instantly check the shipping costs through our rate calculator. Enter the weight, dimensions, and destination country of your shipment, and you will see all available shipping options along with their respective delivery times. The calculator can be used to compare shipping rates for both export and import shipments.
If you need help calculating a shipping rate, watch the video below. Click on the 
button to play the video and the 
icon to view the video in fullscreen.
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Shipping costs are calculated based on dimensions (LxWxH in cm), weight (in kg), and the destination country. Both the actual weight (as shown on the scale) and the volumetric weight are considered.
The volumetric weight is the weight calculated based on the space your shipment occupies in the plane. The higher of the two weights (volumetric or actual weight) is used to calculate the shipping rate. You don't need to calculate this yourself; our calculator does it for you.
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You can use the discount code PP10 for 10% discount on the transportation costs of your first shipment. You can apply the discount code during the checkout process (instructions).
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Whether additional costs apply depends on whether your shipment stays within the European Union or is sent to/from a country outside the European Union. Below, you can see the additional costs for each situation.
Within the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to Italy (within the EU), there will be an additional 21% VAT on the shipping costs.
Furthermore, if your shipment stays within the European Union, you won't have to deal with any import duties or customs clearance fees because your shipment doesn't go through customs. Please note that the European Union is not the same as Europe.
View here all the countries that are part of the European Union. For example, Switzerland is part of Europe but not part of the European Union.
Outside the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to the United States, there will be no VAT (0%) applied to the displayed shipping rates.
However, there might be import duties levied by customs in the destination country if you send a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union. Typically, customs costs are charged to the recipient. This is known as Delivered At Place (DAP) in logistics terminology.
Customs is a government agency that levies import duties in certain cases to protect the local market. As a company, you can also ship using Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), which means any customs costs will be charged to you as the sender.
If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact us. Additionally, you can read everything about import duties, VAT, and the customs clearance process in this blog.
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A customs invoice is a form where all the goods you want to ship are specified. This invoice includes an English description of the goods, along with their corresponding value and weight.
The contents of your shipment must be specified per type of product you're sending to avoid delays at customs. A customs invoice is always prepared in quadruplicate in accordance with customs guidelines.
When is a customs invoice required?
A customs invoice is only required for shipments to/from countries outside the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - United States). If your shipment stays within the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - Italy), your shipment will not go through customs, and therefore, a customs invoice is not required.
Additionally, document shipments are not subject to customs, so if you're sending a document to a country within/outside the European Union, no customs invoice is needed.
Please note that not all goods can be shipped to every country. You can find a list of goods that cannot be sent via ParcelParcel on this page.
Do I need to create a customs invoice myself?
If you're sending a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union, it's mandatory to include a customs invoice with the shipment. We provide free support in creating a customs invoice.
You can easily generate a customs invoice through our shipping platform. The customs invoice will be automatically generated based on the content you specified during your booking.
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You can import just as easily as export via ParcelParcel.
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You can find a list of goods that cannot be shipped via ParcelParcel on this page.
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