Shipping Time from Japan to New Zealand – How long

How long does it take for an ocean shipment from Japan to New Zealand using the services of an international cargo shipping company? (What is the average shipping time to New Zealand from Japan if something is shipped as sea freight?)

Whether you are in Japan and shipping some goods to New Zealand or you are in New Zealand and expecting some goods shipped from Japan, when shipping something as cargo internationally, one of the things you are concerned most would be the time it takes for shipping.

When we ship to New Zealand from Japan we normally use direct consolidation service to the port of Auckland. Although direct shipping services from Yokohama/Tokyo or Osaka/Kobe area to Auckland port are available, shipments to New Zealand from Japan are sometimes transshipped at Singapore. If shipping from Moji / Fukuoka port, the services will always be via Singapore. (“Transshipping at Singapore” means that the consignments will first arrive in Singapore which is a major hub port and then will be carried on a connecting ship to Auckland, New Zealand.) Shipments to Christchurch and Wellington will arrive in Auckland first, unloaded from the container and then transported to respective destination port.

Below is the average port-to-port shipping time from of Tokyo/Yokohama port to Auckland. Christchurch and Wellington.

Destination Port	Transit Time
Auckland	23 Days	Direct
Christchurch	37 Days
Wellington	30 Days

If, for example, a shipment is on a vessel leaving Yokohama on February 1, it will be scheduled to arrive Auckland port on February 24. Nowadays vessels move fast. The sailing time of 23 days may sound quite short, however, the time required for customs clearance as well as the time required for loading the shipments into consolidation containers on the Japan side prior to shipping must be taken into consideration.

The following points need be taken into consideration when estimating the total transit time.

1) At bonded warehouses they must load the shipments into containers for consolidation at least 5 days before the departure date of a vessel in the case of LCL (Less-than-Container-Load) shipments.

2) A shipment needs to be custom cleared a few good days before it is loaded to the containers.

3) There is normally one vessel for New Zealand every week. (Except around Japanese holiday seasons)

Also, a shipment must be delivered to the warehouse at the port a few days before customs clearance.

If all these points are considered, the actual time it takes from collection to arrival at Auckland port will be very approximately 35 to 42 days.

It is important to keep in mind that it is usually at least a few days after the actual arrival of the vessels at the ports of destinations that shipments are ready for customs clearance as it takes time to deliver containers from container yard to container freight station and then the shipments inside the consolidation containers are unloaded.

The carrier’s NZ agent will send you an arrival notice prior to arrival of the shipment. It is best to prepare for customs clearance so that you can start the process of customs clearance soon.