Trade lane
Shipping machinery from the U.S. to the Middle East
U.S. RoRo sailings to the Middle East currently reach the Red Sea, Jeddah, Yanbu and Aqaba, from Baltimore and the Southeast, plus Oman by way of the Cape of Good Hope; cargo for the Arabian Gulf ports is transshipped while carriers reroute services around the conflict in the region.
How U.S. cargo reaches the Middle East
The Red Sea has the direct sailings. Grimaldi’s MED/USA/MEX ships load at Baltimore, call northern Europe and pass the Suez Canal to Jeddah and Aqaba: 21 to 28 days to Jeddah on its published voyages[1]. Höegh Autoliners listed a Red Sea voyage from Brunswick and Charleston to Aqaba, Jeddah and Yanbu, 23 days from Charleston to Jeddah[2].
The Arabian Gulf is harder to reach. Hapag-Lloyd’s September 2026 network notes that some services to and from the Middle East and the Upper Gulf are suspended or rerouted because of the ongoing conflict[3], and none of the RoRo schedules we track had a direct U.S. sailing to Jebel Ali, Hamad, Dammam or Shuwaikh when we checked. The closest was Höegh’s voyage from Freeport round the Cape of Good Hope to Port Sultan Qaboos in Oman, 34 days[2].
Cargo for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and eastern Saudi Arabia therefore goes by transshipment or overland from a Red Sea or Omani port, and the routing is fixed when the booking is made. Allow for the extra handling when you plan the delivery date.
Published sailings from the U.S.
Each column is one carrier service. Days run from the ship’s call at the U.S. port shown to its arrival, across the voyages the schedule listed when we checked it. Ports in white had no direct call from the U.S.
| Destination port | Grimaldi[1]MED/USA/MEXRoRo | Höegh Autoliners[2]North America – Middle East and AsiaRoRo |
|---|---|---|
| Loads at | Baltimore | Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville, Charleston, Freeport |
| Aqaba |
|
|
| Yanbu | No direct call |
|
| Jeddah |
|
|
| Port Sultan Qaboos (Muscat) | No direct call |
|
| Jebel Ali | No direct call | No direct call |
| Hamad | No direct call | No direct call |
| Dammam | No direct call | No direct call |
| Shuwaikh | No direct call | No direct call |
- Grimaldi: The ships call northern Europe first, and Valencia on some voyages, then pass the Suez Canal to Jeddah and Aqaba.
- Höegh Autoliners: One voyage to each area was listed when we checked: a Red Sea sailing from Brunswick and Charleston through Suez, and an Oman sailing from Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville and Freeport round the Cape of Good Hope that went on to Mumbai and Singapore.
Which method for which machine
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| RoRo | The machine drives or tows and is going to Jeddah, Yanbu, Aqaba or Oman, or inland from one of them. | The destination is a Gulf port with no direct sailing and the transshipment adds more handling than a container or flat rack would. |
| Flat rack | The machine is wider or taller than a container door but within a flat rack’s payload, and a container line serves the port. | The load is concentrated on a short footprint: the carrier reduces the rated payload when the weight does not spread over the floor. |
| Container | The machine fits through a 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide door, as most compact equipment does, or can be taken apart to fit. | Taking it apart costs more than the flat rack or RoRo premium, or the buyer cannot reassemble it at destination. |
| Breakbulk | A single piece is beyond flat rack and roll trailer limits, such as a refinery vessel or a transformer. | A RoRo sailing can take the piece on a roll trailer, which avoids lifting at both ends. |
Import rules by country
Duty, VAT and other charges as recorded in our country guides, with the authority that publishes them and the month we checked. The Gulf states apply a common 5% customs duty on most goods; VAT differs by country. Duty on machinery follows its HS code and is confirmed before the machine ships.
| Country | Import duty | VAT | Other charges | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 5% of CIF | 15% | Non-compliant/over-age light vehicles (where allowed for citizens/premium residents) carry a fee of 20–50% of value, minimum SAR 20,000 | ZATCA (Saudi customs) / SASOchecked June 2026 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% of CIF | 5% (on the duty-inclusive value; effective ~10.25% combined) | Re-export of foreign goods can reclaim a refundable 5% customs deposit on proof of export within 6 months | UAE Federal Customs Authority / Dubai Customschecked June 2026 |
| Qatar | 5% of CIF | None (not implemented as of 2026) | Personal-use vehicles over 3 years old may qualify for a duty exemption at customs discretion | Qatar General Authority of Customschecked June 2026 |
| Kuwait | 5% of CIF | None (proposed, not implemented) | Port handling, inspection, and brokerage fees | Kuwait General Administration of Customschecked June 2026 |
| Oman | 5% of CIF | 5% (on CIF + duty) | Port, documentation, and conformity-inspection fees apply | Directorate General of Customs (Oman)checked June 2026 |
| Jordan | 0% customs duty on passenger cars | General Sales Tax 16% (plus 2% income tax) | Special Tax ≈51% gasoline / ≈39% hybrid / ≈27% EV (Nov 2025 reform) | Jordan Customs / Income and Sales Tax Department (ISTD)checked June 2026 |
| Iraq | Customs duty / reconstruction levy (confirm by HS code) | Sales tax on vehicles (confirm current rate) | Documentation and inspection charges; security/escort costs inland | General Commission for Customs (Iraq)checked June 2026 |
| Israel | Customs duty by type (confirm by HS code) | 18% | Purchase tax (emissions-based "green" taxation) is the dominant component — confirm current band | Israel Tax Authoritychecked June 2026 |
U.S. export rules that apply on this lane
- Used self-propelled vehicles: 72-hour ruleU.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. regulations count self-propelled construction and agricultural machinery as vehicles. A used one must be filed in AES at least 72 hours before export, whatever its value or destination, and the ITN, the VIN or serial number and the ownership documents go to CBP at the port of export. Filing after departure is not allowed.[5][4][6]
Applies to: Used machines that drive: excavators, loaders, dozers, tractors, trucks
- Electronic Export Information (15 CFR 30)U.S. Census Bureau
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for each Schedule B number worth more than $2,500 going to one consignee on one conveyance, and for every vehicle whatever its value. For vessel cargo it is due at least 24 hours before loading; the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) goes to the carrier with the booking.[7][6]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- SOLAS verified gross mass (VGM)IMO
Since 1 July 2016 the shipper must give a signed verified gross mass for each packed container, found by weighing the packed unit or by adding the weighed cargo, lashing and dunnage to the container tare. The carrier needs it before the stowage plan is drawn up; without it the container is not loaded.[8]
Applies to: Every packed container, flat rack and open top
- ISPM 15 wood packagingIPPC, administered in the U.S. by USDA APHIS
Wood packaging and dunnage must be heat-treated to a core temperature of 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, or fumigated, and carry the IPPC mark with the US country code, the facility number and HT or MB. Marked wood can be reused; repaired or remanufactured wood must be treated and marked again.[9]
Applies to: Crates, skids, blocking and dunnage
Planning a sailing
Grimaldi loads at Baltimore only for this lane, and on its schedule the voyage to Jeddah took between 21 and 28 days depending on the European calls in between[1]. A machine in the Southeast can go on Höegh from Brunswick or Charleston when a Red Sea voyage is listed[2]; there were fewer of those than Grimaldi sailings when we checked.
A used machine needs its AES filing 72 hours before export[4], with its title or bill of sale presented to CBP at the port. Destination rules come on top, and for the Gulf states the duty follows the HS code of the machine.
Questions about shipping to the Middle East
How long does shipping take from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia?
To Jeddah, Grimaldi’s published sailings from Baltimore took 21 to 28 days, and Höegh’s listed voyage from Charleston 23. Dammam on the Gulf coast had no direct sailing in these schedules, so cargo for the Eastern Province goes by transshipment or overland from Jeddah.
Is there a direct ship from the U.S. to Jebel Ali in Dubai?
Not on the RoRo schedules we checked in October 2026, and Hapag-Lloyd reports that some services to the Upper Gulf are suspended or rerouted because of the conflict in the region. Machines for the UAE are transshipped, and the routing is confirmed when the booking is made.
What does a used excavator need before it can leave the U.S.?
An AES filing at least 72 hours before export, with the ITN, the serial number and the ownership documents presented to CBP at the port. Destination rules come on top: duty, VAT and, in some countries, conformity certificates.
Countries We Serve in Middle East
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Grimaldi Lines, MED/USA/MEX Service schedule (published 16 Oct 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Höegh Autoliners, Sailing schedule by vessel (as listed 18 Oct 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Hapag-Lloyd, East-West Service Network (September 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [4]U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Exporting used self-propelled vehicles, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]eCFR, 19 CFR 192.1 Definitions (used self-propelled vehicles), checked October 18, 2026
- [6]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [7]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [8]IMO, SOLAS verified gross mass requirement enters into force (1 July 2016), checked October 18, 2026
- [9]USDA APHIS, Export ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.