Kolkata, India
Sea freight in Kolkata
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Kolkata, via Kolkata and Haldia. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Kolkata
- AirportKolkata
CCU - SeaportKolkata and Haldia
Kolkata's air cargo is handled at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) in Dum Dum, the main air gateway for eastern and northeastern India, with connections to Southeast Asia and the Gulf. Sea freight runs through Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, formerly Kolkata Port Trust, which operates two systems on the Hooghly River: the Kolkata Dock System in the city and the Haldia Dock Complex further downstream, which can take larger vessels. The port also serves landlocked Nepal and Bhutan as a transit gateway.
NH19 runs from Kolkata towards Varanasi and Delhi, while NH16 follows the east coast south towards Bhubaneswar and Chennai. The Petrapole land border crossing with Bangladesh lies north-east of the city and handles a large share of India-Bangladesh road trade. Rail and road corridors link Kolkata and Haldia with Nepal via Raxaul and Birgunj and with Bhutan via Jaigaon and Phuentsholing.
Operational logistics facts for Kolkata
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) | Leather goods, tea samples, general cargo | Main air gateway for eastern and northeastern India |
| Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex | FCL/LCL, steel, bulk and project cargo | Two port systems for different vessel sizes on the Hooghly |
| Petrapole-Benapole border crossing | Road freight to and from Bangladesh | Overland option for cross-border shipments |
| Kolkata Leather Complex, Bantala | Leather processing and products | Pick-up arranged for export air and sea freight |
Industries in Kolkata and how we support them
Kolkata and its hinterland combine leather processing at the Kolkata Leather Complex in Bantala, the tea trade for Darjeeling and Assam teas, jute products and engineering, while the steel belts of Durgapur in West Bengal and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand ship and import via Kolkata and Haldia. Ziem Logistics supports these supply chains with air freight from CCU under our own air waybills, FCL/LCL via Kolkata and Haldia, transit shipments towards Nepal and Bhutan coordinated with our road partners, Next Flight Out for urgent machine parts and customs clearance by our partner team in the Ziem network.
FCL and LCL via Kolkata and Haldia
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from Kolkata to Kolkata and Haldia, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in India
Ziem network
Customs clearance in India is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from India we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in India need an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC).
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Kolkata?
Usually Kolkata and Haldia. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.