Logistics services in Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Goods move in and out of Saint Lucia mainly by sea and air. The island has about 158 km of coastline and 3 seaports, including Castries, Grand Cul De Sac Bay and Vieux Fort, with 2 oil terminals supporting petroleum trades. Containerized cargo uses these ports, which handled about 37,000 TEU in 2023. Air freight uses Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) and George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU), which both have scheduled services.

Shippers can arrange export and import of refined petroleum, gravel and crushed stone, beer, liquor and paper containers, as well as refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, poultry and plastic products on the import side. Sea freight is backed by regular liner connectivity, and there is scheduled air service for higher value or time-sensitive cargo.

When choosing freight forwarders in Saint Lucia, check their experience with the main ports of Castries, Grand Cul De Sac Bay and Vieux Fort, and with carriers such as CMA CGM, which has an office in Castries. Forwarders should understand Saint Lucia’s main export flows to Guyana, Suriname, the USA, Barbados and Dominica, and import flows from the USA, Guyana, Brazil, China and the UK.

Saint Lucia’s liner shipping connectivity index was 5.61 in 2021, so the ability of a forwarder to secure sailings and coordinate transhipment is important. Compare how different providers handle customs and documentation, keeping in mind the country’s logistics performance relative to the world median in customs, infrastructure and tracking.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Saint Lucia moves mainly through the seaports of Castries, Grand Cul De Sac Bay and Vieux Fort. These ports have cargo pier depths of about 9 to 11 meters and serve container and general cargo vessels. Saint Lucia handled about 37,000 TEU in 2023, ranking between 148th and 168th worldwide, with a liner shipping connectivity index of 5.61 in 2021. CMA CGM has an office in Castries, providing direct support for container bookings and documentation for shippers.

Air freight in Saint Lucia uses two airports with scheduled services: Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) and George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU). These airports handle international passenger traffic and can be used for cargo requiring faster transit than sea.

Air makes sense for high-value or time-sensitive shipments complementing the country’s sea-based trade in refined petroleum, manufactured goods, cars and consumer products. With exports of about 85 million USD and imports of about 1,009 million USD in 2025, air cargo typically covers smaller volumes where speed or reliability justifies higher cost.

There is no rail network referenced for Saint Lucia, so freight movements on land rely on the island’s road system connecting ports, airports and industrial areas. Cargo arriving by sea at Castries, Grand Cul De Sac Bay and Vieux Fort or by air at Hewanorra International Airport and George F. L. Charles Airport is moved by truck to warehouses and consignees.

As an island without land borders, Saint Lucia does not use cross-border road or rail corridors. Road freight operations focus on short domestic hauls between the three ports, the two airports and inland destinations, feeding and distributing international sea and air shipments.

Saint Lucia is a member of the WTO and has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 2005-05-12. The average applied tariff was about 9 in 2020. For customs clearance, shippers should prepare at minimum the commercial invoice, packing list and transport document, and coordinate with their broker on any additional requirements for specific commodities.

On the World Bank logistics performance index, world median scores are 2.6 for customs and infrastructure, 2.7 for logistics competence and 3.1 for timeliness. These medians provide a rough benchmark when planning lead times for imports and exports through Saint Lucia’s ports and airports.