Container shipping to and from Denmark

When it comes to container freight, Denmark is predominantly an import country – from Asia and China in particular. Whether we speak about patio furniture, toys, or kitchen equipment, many of the products found in retail stores today are imported from Asia in a Maersk container.

There is however also an export market and Twill offers first-class ocean and inland transportation to both import and export markets.

Denmark has a well-established infrastructure for logistics – particularly for inland transportation – with three main container ports – Port of Aarhus and Kalundborg Port and the Port of Fredericia – covering the whole country.

Your cargo will typically be delivered by truck to your premises or the port of your choosing – and due to the relatively short distances in Denmark, delivery is fast and flexible.

The transit time for your cargo will vary based on a few factors – including the vessel schedule, whether containers need to be connected to other vessels on their journey and how many calling ports there are on the route. As an example, the transit time from Shanghai to Aarhus can take up to approximately 39 days.

Twill, supercharged by Maersk, offers market-leading transit times for Denmark from all the key markets in Asia and offers weekly services to the US, India, Middle East and many more destinations.

Our strong transit times ensure you keep your lead times to a minimum while being able to keep cargo moving at a good pace.

Denmark is a country that has a strong trade relationship with Asian markets. This means that holidays like the Golden Week in China and the Chinese New Year can cause peak rushes that you should consider when booking cargo. Golden Week takes place in the first week of October, while Chinese New Year falls between 21st January and 20th February, depending on the lunar calendar.

Outside of this, Christmas is a key period for European nations – again causing a rush of cargo bookings in the months beforehand and potential container delays. Therefore, we recommend booking your containers as soon as possible ahead of such events.

Insurance is not necessarily required to ship to Denmark, but you should review whether this is something you should consider based on the Incoterms you have agreed with your supplier.

Depending on the Incoterms chosen, the risk associated with your purchase moves at a specific point in the shipping process. For example, if you chose to work with DAP (Delivered at Place) terms then the Seller bears all Risk until the Buyer receives the goods at their final destination, while if you chose FOB (Free On Board) terms the Risk moves to the Buyer at the point it loads on the vessel at Origin.

You should always ensure you read the fine print to ensure insurance coverage meets your needs, with policies varying on commodities, routes, and value. Only specific policies cover delays, while most do not. Other policies cover you only for General Average Contribution, which are the costs associated with loss or damage to a ship or its cargo, with costs shared between the owners of the ship and owners of the cargo on board.

As we are supercharged by industry leader Maersk, this means that other liability regulations are involved compared to transportation with a forwarding agency. You can find out more here.

If you’re shipping your cargo across the sea, you want to know that you won’t lose money if your cargo is damaged or lost. This is why Twill offers Value Protect, giving you peace of mind that your cargo is protected during the transportation with us.

Customs clearance procedures are an important step in your cargo’s journey, and you will need to follow them to import your freight into Denmark.

The key step of customs clearance is to have the right paperwork. In Denmark, as in many other countries, you are likely to need these documents:

• Commercial Invoice

• Packing List

• Certificate of Origin       

• Letter of Credit or other payment terms (as agreed by those involved in the shipment)

• Bill of Lading

If you’re unsure of what these documents are, have a read of our guide on all the key documents you need when shipping cargo. The customs authorities may require additional information beyond these, but we will let you about these if needed!

Shippers both new and experienced often rely on experts to handle customs clearance – and at Twill, we have experts around the world ready to take this process off your hands. Find out more about our Customs Clearance services.

The most popular trade lanes for Denmark are to and from Asia – like China, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. These countries represent big market shares and have the biggest vessels carrying the most containers globally.

Trade lanes to and from the United States are also popular for Denmark.

Many of the FMCG products produced in Denmark are sold across the Middle East and Asia, this ranges from machinery, dairy products and frozen meat.

There are three main ports in Denmark:

• The Port of Aarhus is the largest container port in the country, handling more than 50% of the country’s container traffic.

• Kalundborg Port is located close to the Danish capital of Copenhagen and provides a good sea connection to central markets.         

• Finally, the Port of Fredericia is the largest container port in the South of Denmark, with connection to global and European ports.