A standard 40ft container from Alexandria to Jebel Ali costs approximately US$1,400 (range $1,232–$1,610) with a total sea transit of 6 days and typical door-to-door lead time of 13–17 days including port handling and customs clearance. United Arab Emirates applies 5% customs duty and 5% VAT on imported goods. GAFTA (Greater Arab Free Trade Area) removes duty on qualifying Arab-origin goods.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 40ft container (low–high) | $1,232 – $1,610 |
| 20ft container (low–high) | $801 – $1,047 |
| Origin ports | Alexandria, Port Said, Sokhna |
| Destination ports | Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port, Port Rashid |
| Major carriers | MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk |
| Customs duty | 5% |
| VAT | 5% |
| FTA benefit | GAFTA (Greater Arab Free Trade Area) removes duty on qualifying Arab-origin goods. |
Indicative General Cargo rates; refreshed monthly by Tradloc's trade desk.
| Departure port | 40ft (USD) | 20ft (USD) | Sea transit (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | $1,400 | $910 | 6 |
| Port Said | $1,344 | $874 | 6 |
| Sokhna | $1,372 | $892 | 6 |
Rates differ by loading port because of terminal handling and inland positioning costs in Egypt.
Indicative 40ft container freight into United Arab Emirates across the lanes importers request most often. The Egypt lane is highlighted, so you can see instantly whether switching origin would materially change your ocean freight line item. Figures are the mid-point of each lane's assessed range and exclude duty, VAT and destination clearance.
Egypt is a Red Sea neighbour origin for construction materials, fertilizers, food products and textiles, with Sokhna sitting directly on the Suez approach.
The shortest transit of any origin here, with Red Sea feeder and direct services into the lower Gulf.
The UAE is the Gulf's re-export hub: cargo landing at Jebel Ali is frequently cleared into a free zone and moved on to Saudi Arabia, East Africa or the wider GCC rather than consumed locally.
Run the freight estimator for Egypt → United Arab Emirates.