Washington, D.C., United States
Sea freight in Washington, D.C.
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Washington, D.C., via Port of Baltimore. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Washington, D.C.
- AirportWashington Dulles
IAD - SeaportPort of Baltimore
The Washington region has three main airports. Washington Dulles International (IAD) in northern Virginia carries most of the international air cargo, with widebody passenger and freighter flights to Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) offers additional cargo and express capacity, while Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) is a domestic passenger airport. By sea, the Port of Baltimore serves the region; it handles containers at the Seagirt Marine Terminal and is one of the main US ports for ro-ro cargo such as vehicles and machinery.
The I-495 Capital Beltway encircles Washington, with I-95 running north to Baltimore and south to Richmond, I-66 west towards Dulles and I-270 north-west into Maryland. The Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Access Road connect the airport with the technology corridor in Reston and Tysons. CSX and Norfolk Southern serve the Port of Baltimore by rail.
Operational logistics facts for Washington, D.C.
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) | Widebody and freighter flights to Europe, the Middle East and Asia | Main international air cargo gateway for the capital region |
| Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) | Cargo and express capacity | Alternative airport for Maryland and Baltimore |
| Port of Baltimore | Containers, ro-ro and machinery | Sea freight gateway for the Mid-Atlantic |
| Loudoun County data centre corridor | Server, network and power equipment | Close to Dulles for urgent data centre hardware |
Industries in Washington, D.C. and how we support them
The Washington region is home to federal government agencies, many defence and aerospace contractors and one of the largest data centre concentrations in the world in Loudoun County. These organisations ship electronics, server and network equipment, defence and space components and sensitive documents, often subject to US export controls. We support them with air freight under our own air waybills via IAD and BWI, Next Flight Out for urgent equipment, On-Board Courier for sensitive items, and sea freight through the Port of Baltimore. For export-controlled goods we check the documentation and licence references with you before shipping.
From the port to your door in Washington, D.C.
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Port of Baltimore, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Washington, D.C. area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
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 Washington, D.C.?
Usually Port of Baltimore. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.
More services in Washington, D.C.
- Air freight in Washington, D.C.Air freight for time-critical and high-value cargo between Europe, the Americas and Asia.
- Customs clearance in Washington, D.C.Import and export clearance by our in-house customs teams in 8 countries and by partner teams in the Ziem network.
- Washington, D.C.City overview