As of 2021, United Arab Emirates lists as the 23rd top trading partner of the European Union, with €39.254 billion in total trade value. Companies within the EU mainly import Emirati goods, such as fuels and mining products, semi-manufactures, machinery, transport equipment, or lubricants. This article will cover the available ways of delivering goods from the UAE to the European Union.
Shipping from the United Arab Emirates to the European Union – means of transport
Sea freight
Sea freight is generally the cheapest way to transport goods in international trade. The price and carrying capacity make it the most frequently used transport method. Choosing sea transit as our option to transport cargo requires us to choose between FCL and LCL. Those abbreviations respectively stand for Full Container Load and Less Container Load. Full Container Load implies that only one recipient uses the container. Meanwhile, Less Container Load means that a few or more importers/exporters share one container.
Main cargo seaports in UAE:
- Port of Jebel Ali
- Port of Mina Zayed
- Mina Rashid Port
- Mina Khalid Port
- Khor Fakkhan Port
Airfreight
You can also transport your goods via air. Although it’s generally way more pricey than sea freight, it has two noticeable advantages: speed and safety. As a result, airfreight should be considered while transporting fragile, precious goods or those that must arrive at their destination as quickly as possible. Good examples of products that could require airfreight are jewelry or other luxury items, food, pharmaceutics, or flowers.
Main cargo airports in UAE:
- Dubai International Airport (DXB)
- Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH)
- Sharjah International Airport (SHJ)
Multimodal transport
Since the European Union offers plenty of possible routes for our cargo, multimodal transport can be the best choice. Combining more than one transport branch could make transporting cheaper, faster, and improve the overall services’ quality. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that it enables Door-to-door delivery. Those factors make it worth thinking through numerous ways and methods.
Shipping cost from the United Arab Emirates to the European Union
The final cost will depend on many factors, such as cargo type, size, distance, the method of transport, the chosen forwarder, taxes and duties, and a few minor things. Before deciding, it is highly advisable to check out various offers from different freight operators. You will find them on the platform ShipHub.co. After filling in the form on the home page, you will receive quotes from multiple forwarders.
Shipping from the United Arab Emirates to the European Union – brief summary
- The United Arab Emirates is the 23rd top trading partner of the European Union.
- European companies mainly import fuels, mining products, semi-manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, or lubricants.
- There are two primary forms of transporting goods from the UAE to the EU: sea freight and airfreight.
- Sea freight is the cheapest option of transport. However, it’s also the slowest. It is a good option to transport goods with long expiration dates or when we try to optimize costs.
- Airfreight, on the other hand, is recommendable while transporting fragile goods or some load that must be delivered as soon as possible.
- Sometimes, it’s worth organizing multimodal transport to get a better outcome.
- Feel free to compare various freight forwarders on ShipHub.co.