San Diego, United States
Sea freight in San Diego
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in San Diego, via Port of San Diego, road to Mexico. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in San Diego
- AirportSan Diego
SAN - AirportLos Angeles
LAX - SeaportPort of San Diego, road to MexicoTijuana
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is a single-runway airport close to downtown, with belly cargo on passenger flights and express operations but limited freighter capacity. Most international air freight for San Diego is therefore routed via Los Angeles International (LAX) and trucked south. By sea, the Port of San Diego handles refrigerated cargo, vehicles and breakbulk at the Tenth Avenue and National City marine terminals. Tijuana and the Mexican manufacturing belt lie directly across the border, with commercial truck traffic crossing at Otay Mesa.
I-5 runs along the coast north to Los Angeles and south to the San Ysidro border crossing, while I-805 and I-15 serve the inland areas. SR 905 connects to the Otay Mesa commercial port of entry. Trucking between San Diego and LAX is the standard link for international air freight, and the BNSF line connects San Diego with the national rail network.
Operational logistics facts for San Diego
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego International Airport (SAN) | Belly cargo and express operations | Air freight close to downtown and the biotech cluster |
| Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | Long-haul freighter and widebody capacity | Trucking south to San Diego for international cargo |
| Otay Mesa port of entry | Cross-border trucking to Tijuana | Direct link to maquiladora production in Mexico |
| Port of San Diego (Tenth Avenue and National City terminals) | Refrigerated cargo, vehicles and breakbulk | Specialised sea freight in Southern California |
Industries in San Diego and how we support them
San Diego has a large biotech and life sciences cluster around Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley, a strong defence sector with naval bases, shipbuilding and defence technology companies, and medical device manufacturers. Many companies run production in Tijuana under Mexico's maquiladora system. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via LAX or SAN, temperature-controlled transport for biotech samples, On-Board Courier for clinical materials, Next Flight Out for urgent defence and device parts, and cross-border road freight to and from Tijuana. Customs data is prepared before arrival.
FCL and LCL via Port of San Diego, road to Mexico
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from San Diego to Port of San Diego, road to Mexico, 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 San Diego?
Usually Port of San Diego, road to Mexico. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.