Choose your industry
Each guide covers routes and ports, FCL/LCL/air choice, Incoterms, export documents, special handling, approximate transit times, a checklist and FAQs.
Garment & RMG factories
Garment & RMG export shipping guide
Read the guide ↗Buying houses
Buying house freight forwarding guide
Read the guide ↗Knitwear & sweaters
Knitwear & sweater export shipping
Read the guide ↗Home textiles & towels
Home textile & towel export shipping
Read the guide ↗Leather & footwear
Leather & footwear export shipping
Read the guide ↗Jute & jute goods
Jute & jute goods export shipping
Read the guide ↗Frozen fish & shrimp
Frozen fish & shrimp cold chain shipping
Read the guide ↗Agro & processed food
Agro & food export shipping guide
Read the guide ↗Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical export shipping guide
Read the guide ↗Plastics & light engineering
Plastics & light engineering shipping
Read the guide ↗Handicrafts
Handicraft export shipping guide
Read the guide ↗E-commerce & SMEs
E-commerce & SME international shipping
Read the guide ↗Main ports and gateways
- Chattogram Port — Bangladesh’s main seaport for FCL and LCL. Export containers are often stuffed at private off-dock ICD/CFS depots near the port.
- Mongla Port (Bagerhat) — The second seaport, often convenient for Khulna and the south-west. Confirm vessel services for your route first.
- Payra Port (Patuakhali) — A newer seaport. Ask your forwarder whether regular services call there for your cargo and destination.
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka (DAC) — The main air cargo gateway for urgent, light and high-value goods.
- Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram (CGP) — An air cargo option for the Chattogram region; check flights and space.
- Benapole Land Port (Jashore) — A major land port for road trade with India, opposite Petrapole.
- Kamalapur ICD, Dhaka — An inland container depot linked to Chattogram Port by rail.
FCL, LCL, air or courier?
| Mode | Best for | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| FCL | Large lots; your own container (20GP/40GP/40HC) | Per container |
| LCL | Small to mid lots sharing a container | W/M: CBM or tonnes (1,000 kg = 1 CBM), whichever is higher |
| Air cargo | Urgent, light, high-value goods | Actual weight or cm³ ÷ 6000, whichever is higher |
| Express courier | Documents, samples, small parcels, door to door | Actual weight or cm³ ÷ 5000, whichever is higher |
As a rule of thumb, at roughly 13–15 CBM or more ask for a 20′ FCL quote alongside LCL. The final choice depends on rates, schedules and cargo-ready dates. Use the CBM calculator ↗
Common export documents
- ERC (Export Registration Certificate from the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports & Exports), trade licence, TIN and BIN
- Commercial invoice — description, HS code, quantity, value, Incoterm and buyer details
- Packing list — carton numbers, pieces per carton, net/gross weight and dimensions (CBM)
- Bill of Lading (sea) or Air Waybill / AWB (air), issued by the carrier or forwarder
- Bill of Export (shipping bill), lodged in Customs’ ASYCUDA World system through a licensed C&F agent
- EXP form through your authorised dealer (AD) bank, for repatriation of export proceeds
- Certificate of Origin — non-preferential CO from a chamber of commerce; preferential origin (e.g. GSP) per the destination scheme via EPB. For the EU, check REX requirements with EPB
- UD/UP — Utilization Declaration / Permission for bonded raw materials from BGMEA (woven) or BKMEA (knit)
- LC documents exactly as the credit requires (beneficiary certificate, inspection certificate, etc.); discrepancies can delay payment
Shipping tools
CBM and volumetric weight calculators, approximate container sizes and the Incoterms® 2020 table.
Open shipping toolsFAQ
Which industries does ISL Freight help?
Garments, buying houses, knitwear, home textiles, leather and footwear, jute, frozen fish, agro and food, pharma, plastics and light engineering, handicrafts and e-commerce/SME — and you can request quotes for any other sector.
Does ISL Freight operate ships or aircraft?
No. ISL Freight is a marketplace where you request quotes and verified logistics vendors respond with prices and terms.
Are the transit times guaranteed?
No, they are approximate and vary by carrier and route. Firm times come with the quote.
For rules and references see: Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Customs, Bangladesh Bank, BGMEA, BKMEA, Chittagong Port Authority and ICC Incoterms® 2020. Rules change — verify with the relevant authority, your bank and your C&F agent before shipping.
Get quotes for your next export shipment
Share route, goods and carton details. After email verification, verified vendors send quotes.