New York, United States
Sea freight in New York
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in New York, via Port of New York and New Jersey. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in New York
- AirportJohn F. Kennedy
JFK - AirportNewark
EWR - SeaportPort of New York and New Jersey
New York's air cargo moves mainly through John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Queens and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, which together form the largest air cargo gateway on the US East Coast. JFK has extensive freighter and widebody belly capacity to Europe, Asia and Latin America; Newark is a major express and integrator location. LaGuardia plays almost no role for freight. By sea, the Port of New York and New Jersey, with its main container terminals at Port Newark and Elizabeth, is the largest container port on the East Coast and handles a large share of transatlantic trade.
From JFK, the Van Wyck Expressway and Belt Parkway connect to the regional highway network. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), I-78 and I-80 link Newark airport and the port terminals with the large warehouse belt in central New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The port's ExpressRail facilities transfer containers to rail for the Midwest. Bridge and tunnel crossings into Manhattan restrict truck sizes and timing, so delivery planning matters.
Operational logistics facts for New York
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | Freighter and widebody capacity to Europe, Asia and Latin America | Wide choice of direct flights for import and export |
| Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | Express and general air cargo | Close to the New Jersey warehouse and pharma corridor |
| Port Newark and Elizabeth terminals | FCL/LCL containers, especially transatlantic | Largest container port on the US East Coast |
| New Jersey warehouse belt (I-95 / I-78) | Distribution for the Northeast | Short trucking distances from airport and port to distribution centres |
Industries in New York and how we support them
The New York metro region imports and exports pharmaceuticals and medical products from the New Jersey pharma corridor, fashion and textiles for the Garment District, jewellery, watches, art and other high-value goods, plus consumer products for the dense regional market. Financial and media companies regularly need IT equipment and documents moved urgently. We support these flows with air freight under our own air waybills via JFK and EWR, sea freight FCL and LCL through Port Newark and Elizabeth, Next Flight Out for urgent replacements and On-Board Courier for valuables and samples. Customs clearance is prepared with the shipment data before arrival.
FCL and LCL via Port of New York and New Jersey
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from New York to Port of New York and New Jersey, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in the United States
Ziem network
Customs clearance in the United States 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 the United States we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in the United States need an importer of record number and, for most formal entries, a customs bond.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from New York?
Usually Port of New York and New Jersey. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.