Logistics services in Chile.

Chile logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Chile moves international freight by sea, air, rail and road. Containerized cargo runs through about 39 ports along a coastline of about 6,435 km, with key ports including Antofagasta, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones, Puerto San Antonio and Talcahuano. About 4.5 million TEU moved through Chilean ports in 2024, and shipping lines such as MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and others have offices in Santiago and several coastal cities.

Air freight services connect through 17 airports with scheduled traffic, including Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) and regional gateways such as ANF, CCP, IQQ and PMC. Rail freight operates over about 7,282 km of track and moved about 3.6 billion tonne-km in 2020, supporting port and industrial flows. Overland, Chile trades with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, and shippers can route truck traffic on corridors such as Santiago to Buenos Aires at about 2,402 km.

Freight forwarders in Chile should be evaluated on their experience with the main ports, especially Antofagasta, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones and Puerto San Antonio. Container throughput is about 4.5 million TEU, and Chile ranks 34 of 168 countries by TEU volume, so forwarders handling sea freight should be familiar with medium and smaller port operations. The overall logistics performance index score is 3, with weaker scores in infrastructure and international shipments.

Chile trades heavily with China, the USA, Japan, South Korea and Brazil on the export side and with China, the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Germany on the import side. Check that freight forwarders in Chile have routings and carrier contracts aligned to these lanes, including with shipping lines that have offices in cities such as Santiago, San Antonio, Arica and Iquique. Membership in Mercosur, the OECD, APEC and the WTO also shapes procedures, so customs brokers should be comfortable with bloc-related rules for regional traffic.

Chile is a maritime exporter and importer, with containerized trade of about 4.5 million TEU in 2024 and around 39 ports. Important seaports for FCL and LCL shipping include Antofagasta, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones, Puerto San Antonio, Talcahuano, Puerto Montt and Rada de Arica. Medium-size container ports such as Antofagasta and Bahia de Valparaiso have cargo pier depths of about 11 m, while Iquique and Mejillones reach around 12.5 to 15.5 m.

Chile’s liner shipping connectivity index stood at 36.29 in 2021. Global lines including MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, APL, PIL, OOCL, HMM and X-Press Feeders maintain offices in Santiago and in ports such as Arica, Iquique, San Antonio and Lirquen, giving shippers a range of carrier options for full containers and consolidated LCL cargo. No all-in FCL or LCL rate examples are listed by date.

Air freight in Chile moves through 17 airports with scheduled services, anchored by Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) and supported by Andrés Sabella Gálvez (ANF), Carriel Sur (CCP), Diego Aracena (IQQ) and El Tepual (PMC). In 2023, air cargo traffic reached about 1.5 billion tonne-km, which complements Chile’s strong maritime trade.

Air freight is typically used for higher-value or time-sensitive portions of Chile’s export basket such as refined copper or perishables, and for imports like higher-value machinery or consumer goods that cannot wait for ocean transit. Shippers weighing air vs ocean should consider that the overall logistics performance index score was 3.0 in 2022, with a tracking and tracing score of 3.0 and timeliness of 3.2.

Chile’s rail network extends about 7,282 km and carried around 3.6 billion tonne-km in 2020, linking mining areas and industrial zones with ports like Antofagasta, Iquique and others, some of which have rail access to the quays. This supports bulk movements of copper ore, refined copper and other commodities to export terminals along the 6,435 km coastline.

By road, Chile connects with Argentina over about 6,691 km of border, Bolivia over 942 km and Peru over 168 km. A key long-haul corridor is the Santiago to Buenos Aires road route at about 2,402 km, used for bilateral trade and as a trucking option to and from Atlantic and Pacific ports. Road freight also underpins inland distribution from ports and airports to the population of about 19.9 million.

Chile is a member of the World Customs Organization since 1966 and belongs to the World Trade Organization. It participates in regional and international blocs including Mercosur, the OECD and APEC, which shape many of its trade relationships. The average applied tariff was about 0.46 percent in 2022, which is low compared with many markets.

On the Logistics Performance Index in 2022, Chile’s customs score was 3.0 versus a world median of 2.6, while overall LPI stood at 3.0. Typical document sets for clearance include the commercial invoice, packing list and transport document. Recorded border lead times were about 3 days for both exports and imports in 2018, so shippers should coordinate closely with their brokers to meet these timelines for goods moving to partners such as China, the USA, Brazil and others.