Shipping from Taiwan to the US: A Complete Guide

Taiwan and the US are long-time global trade partners in industries such as electronics, semiconductors, and machinery. If your business relies on shipping from Taiwan to the U.S., understanding your logistics options can help you reduce costs, improve efficiency, and ensure regulatory compliance.

This guide covers air and ocean freight options, bonded warehouses, Taiwan FTZ warehousing, and U.S. customs requirements to help you optimize your supply chain.

Trade Between Taiwan and the US: Key Facts

• Taiwan ranks 21st in global economic rankings, with a nominal GDP of $759.1 billion and a population of 23.4 million.
• Major industries include electronics, ICT, semiconductors, petrochemicals, steel, and machinery.
• In 2021, Taiwan was the U.S.’s 8th largest trading partner, with $114.1 billion in total goods traded.

With such a strong trade connection, businesses need efficient freight forwarding solutions to navigate cross-border logistics.

Air Freight Shipping from Taiwan to the US Major Airlines and Destinations

China Airlines and EVA Airlines are the two major Taiwan-based airlines that have regular flights to and from the United States. Here are some of the major US destination services offered by the two airlines.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Cargo Terminal

The Taoyuan International Cargo Terminal was established in 1979. There are currently three cargo terminals. Together, they have the capacity to handle more than 2.68 million tons of import, export and transshipments every year. The three cargo terminals are Taiwan Air Cargo Terminal Limited (TACT), Evergreen Air Cargo Service Corp. (EGAC), and Farglory Free Trade Zone.

Taiwan to US shipments are usually handled through the Farglory cargo terminal for palletizing, checking and loading. Time is crucial when it comes to making it to your flight on time. Sometimes, the peak season may cause uncertainty and traffic jams entering the terminal, especially when your cargo drop-off point is at a public dock. That won’t be an issue when you partner with a freight forwarder that has itstheir own loading dock in the cargo terminal. This will allow you to have access to the exclusive lane so you do not have to queue just to unload your cargo and risk paying overtime to your truck drivers.

Peak Season & Weather Considerations

Taiwan’s typhoon season typically occurs from July to September. This means that cargo being shipped during this period may require extra layers of packaging to prevent damage from heavy rainfall, especially for high-value cargo. Below are some of the packaging enhancement services that you may request from your freight forwarder when exporting from Taiwan:

Ocean Freight Shipping from Taiwan to the US

Taiwan to US Carrier Routes & Ports

There are several ocean liners that ship from Taiwan to the US, including Taiwan’s Evergreen and Yang Ming. Here are some of the ocean carriers and their major US destination ports.

Buyer’s Consolidation & Ocean LCL

	You may have a large volume of outbound shipments from Taiwan to the US. Your large volume shipment costs can be reduced by grouping your outbound shipments with other customers and drop shipping to the final destination. Plan an arrangement of a buyer’s consolidation for you and your business partners.
	For smaller but frequent shipments, Ocean LCL is a cost-efficient sea transportation option. Because the overall freight cost is shared among other shippers, you only pay for what you ship out. Ocean LCL can also help you save on warehousing by reducing inventory.

Bonded Warehouses & FTZ Warehousing in Taiwan

Complex global supply chains often have inefficient product flows that are poorly integrated and lack visibility. This is true especially if the supply chain involves countries from opposite sides of the world, such as Taiwan and the US. Taiwan is a hub for advanced tech products, and it is critical to design efficient supply chain solutions that can not only deliver on time but also leverage on-duty exemptions.

An emerging supply chain solution to this challenge is to utilize Bonded Warehouses within free trade zones (FTZ).

This provides a key to managing tax and duty expenses for both import and export freight. When shipments come from overseas into a Taiwan FTZ, you do not need to pay import duty, VAT and other tax expenses, improving cash flow. While goods remain in the FTZ, you can perform a host of activities, including assembly work and manufacturing.

Here are some of the key features of the FTZ of Taiwan:

US Import Regulations & Compliance for Taiwan Shipments

For shipments entering the US, your freight forwarder must help you prepare two important filings:

Your freight forwarder will request some shipment information in order to prepare these two filings. Work with an experienced freight forwarder, like Dimerco, to ensure fully compliant shipments.

Choosing the Right Freight Forwarder for Taiwan to US Shipping

Security and efficiency are definitely on top of the list when it comes to global supply chains. That is why there are supply chain security certifications to regulate safe and secure global trade. In Taiwan, the certification for supply chain security is the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO). An AEO-certified business signifies that the business’s international supply chain practices and customs control procedures are secure and meet the standard and criteria of the AEO body.

For the US on the other hand, the certification for global supply chain security is the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). The C-TPAT was designed by U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with the goal of strengthening security border control and the overall supply chain flow in global trade. Businesses that are C-TPAT certified have a cooperative relationship with Customs which ensures smooth Customs procedures as compared to non-certified businesses. In order to have successful shipments from Taiwan to the US, partner with a freight forwarder that is both AEO certified in Taiwan and C-TPAT certified in the US.

Dimerco’s Network in Taiwan and the USA

Finding the right freight forwarder with a global network and expertise is important to ensure smooth and successful shipping from Taiwan to the US. A freight forwarder like Dimerco, founded in 1971, can ensure reliable shipping in this lane based on our strong freight capacity, extensive office network in both countries and our knowledge of this trade lane.

Dimerco USA Network	Dimerco Taiwan Network

Optimize your Taiwan to US shipping with expert freight solutions. Contact Dimerco today for a customized quote and seamless logistics support.