St. Gallen, Switzerland
Sea freight in St. Gallen
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in St. Gallen, via Sea freight via Rotterdam or Basel. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in St. Gallen
- AirportZurich
ZRH - SeaportSea freight via Rotterdam or Basel
Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the main air gateway for St. Gallen and eastern Switzerland, reached via the A1, with long-haul belly capacity on passenger flights. For freighter capacity, shipments can be routed via a European freighter hub such as Frankfurt. Sea freight arrives via Rotterdam and the Swiss Rhine ports in Basel, or via Hamburg, with onward rail or road transport. The proximity to Germany and Austria around Lake Constance also allows cross-border routings.
The A1 links St. Gallen with Zurich and continues to the border with Austria near St. Margrethen. The region around Lake Constance borders Germany and Austria, with road crossings used for freight, and rail links connect St. Gallen with Zurich and the Rhine valley.
Operational logistics facts for St. Gallen
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich Airport (ZRH) | Long-haul belly cargo | Main air gateway for eastern Switzerland |
| Border crossings to Austria and Germany | Cross-border road freight | Short routes to EU customers and suppliers |
| Textiles and machinery cluster | Technical textiles, embroidery and machine parts | NFO for urgent machinery parts |
Industries in St. Gallen and how we support them
Eastern Switzerland around St. Gallen is known for textiles, especially technical textiles and embroidery, machinery and medtech. Bühler, a maker of food processing and industrial machinery, is headquartered in nearby Uzwil, and many mid-sized precision engineering and medtech firms are active in the region. Ziem Logistics supports these supply chains with air freight through our airline network via ZRH, Next Flight Out for machinery spare parts, sea freight via the Rhine and North Sea ports, and customs clearance by our own customs team in Switzerland, including cross-border shipments with Germany and Austria.
From the port to your door in St. Gallen
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Sea freight via Rotterdam or Basel, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the St. Gallen area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in Switzerland
In-house customs team
Customs clearance in Switzerland is handled by our own in-house customs team.
Air freight to and from Switzerland is booked through our carrier network.
Importers in Switzerland need a Swiss business identification number (UID) and, for VAT, registration with the Federal Tax Administration where applicable.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from St. Gallen?
Usually Sea freight via Rotterdam or Basel. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.