Logistics services in Sint Maarten.

Sint Maarten logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Sint Maarten center on sea and air connections. Philipsburg serves as the main seaport, handling containerized and general cargo, including refined petroleum, ships, jewelry, and bulk items like scrap iron. A small oil terminal at Coles Bay supports liquid bulk movements.

Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) provides air freight access for higher-value goods such as jewelry, pearl products, diamonds, liquor, and flavored water. With imports of about 1.3 billion USD and exports of about 221 million USD in 2025, shippers move relatively small but high-value volumes in and out of the island by sea and air.

Freight forwarders in Sint Maarten need to coordinate closely with Philipsburg port and Princess Juliana International Airport. Container throughput of about 105,200 TEU and a liner shipping connectivity index of 9.09 indicate moderate direct shipping options, so experience with regional transshipment is useful.

When choosing freight forwarders in Sint Maarten, check their track record with main trade partners such as the USA, Antigua & Barbuda, France, the Netherlands, Morocco, Brazil, and Switzerland. Experience handling jewelry, refined petroleum, ships, and diamond cargoes matters, as does the ability to work with carriers like CMA CGM that have offices in Philipsburg.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Sint Maarten runs primarily through the port of Philipsburg. The port is classed as small, with a cargo pier depth of 9.4 m and container throughput of about 105,200 TEU in 2019. This supports both FCL and LCL movements for the island’s trade.

Sint Maarten’s liner shipping connectivity index was 9.09 in 2021, placing it 102nd of 169 globally and 18th of 40 in Latin America & Caribbean. CMA CGM maintains an office in Philipsburg, giving shippers direct access to its global network for containerized freight.

Air freight in Sint Maarten uses Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), the island’s only airport with scheduled services. This airport handles higher-value and time-sensitive cargo that aligns with Sint Maarten’s main imports and exports.

Jewelry, pearl products, diamonds, liquor, and other compact, high-value goods are well suited to air cargo through SXM. With a 2025 population of about 44,000 and GDP of about 1.9 billion USD, much of the value moves in small volumes where air transport can be competitive despite higher rates per kilogram.

Rail and road freight in Sint Maarten is shaped by its island geography. There is no rail connection from the seaport at Philipsburg, so all inland moves use road vehicles.

The island has a 16 km land border with Saint Martin (France), which provides a direct road link between the Dutch and French sides. Trucks handle distribution from Philipsburg port and Princess Juliana International Airport across Sint Maarten and over the border into Saint Martin.

Customs clearance in Sint Maarten operates outside the World Trade Organization framework, as the country is not a WTO member. No separate customs authority name, WCO membership date, or tariff averages are listed.

For planning, compare Sint Maarten processes with a Logistics Performance Index customs score around the world median of 2.6. Shippers should prepare standard documents such as the commercial invoice, packing list, and transport document, and ensure data accuracy for goods like jewelry, refined petroleum, ships, and diamonds traded with partners including the USA, the Netherlands, France, Antigua & Barbuda, and others.