Pharmaceuticals air freight from Brazil to Kazakhstan

Why airfreight for pharmaceuticals?

Pharmaceuticals require speed, control, and traceability — three core qualities of airfreight. Medicines, vaccines, and biologics are valuable, time-sensitive, and temperature-sensitive. Sea freight takes weeks and provides insufficient control over the cold chain. Airfreight takes 1–3 days — with continuous monitoring.

Schiphol is one of Europe’s leading pharma cargo hubs: KLM Cargo's Pharma Gateway Amsterdam (PGA) is certified for GDP transport and offers specialized storage and handling facilities for pharmaceutical airfreight right at the airport.

When is airfreight essential for pharma?

• Clinical trials: samples and study medications must arrive exactly on time
• Acute drug shortages where every day counts
• Vaccines and biologics with short shelf life or strict cold chain
• High-value APIs where delay risk is unacceptable
• Compassionate use: individual patient shipments

Exporting to Brazil

Brazil is the largest economy in South America and a strategic export destination for Dutch companies in the agriculture, energy, machinery, and pharmaceutical sectors. The flight time from Schiphol is approximately 11 hours to São Paulo (GRU) or Rio de Janeiro (GIG) — with direct cargo flights available.

Brazilian Customs — the world's most complex

Brazil is internationally known as one of the most challenging customs environments. The Brazilian tax structure (including ICMS, IPI, PIS, and COFINS) is extremely complex, and the Siscomex system requires detailed electronic declarations. An incorrect HS code or missing document can cause delays of several weeks.

Points of Attention

• Importer must have a Brazilian CNPJ number
• Licença de Importação (LI) — import license — required for many product categories
• ANVISA registration for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
• Expect an additional 2–5 business days for clearance
• Always use an experienced Brazilian customs broker

Importing from Kazakhstan

Air cargo imports from Kazakhstan are relatively limited and mainly concern high-quality industrial components, mining samples, pharmaceutical raw materials, and certain specialty foods like caviar.

Air Cargo vs. Sea/Rail

Kazakhstan is landlocked — sea freight is not an option. Rail transport via the Trans-Asian route takes 18–25 days to Rotterdam, while air freight via Schiphol is customs-ready within 1–3 working days. For urgent shipments or high-value goods, air freight is the logical choice.

Customs on Imports from Kazakhstan

EU import duties apply depending on the HS code. Reduced rates may apply under the GSP scheme for certain goods. Aircargo.nl manages customs clearance at Schiphol and provides fiscal representation where necessary.

Frequently Requested Goods from Kazakhstan

• Mining samples and soil specimens
• Pharmaceutical raw materials and uranium derivatives (under license)
• Industrial parts and spare components
• Specialty foods and agricultural samples

Brazil via Schiphol: Latin America Gateway

São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) is the largest airfreight hub in South America. Goods destined for Argentina, Colombia, Peru, or Chile are frequently routed via GRU. Aircargo.nl has agent connections in São Paulo that efficiently handle crosstrade shipments, including the notoriously complex Brazilian customs procedures.

Key considerations for pharmaceutical airfreight

GDP transport mandatory

Pharmaceuticals must be transported in accordance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines. This means a continuous cold chain with temperature recording, certified storage, and documentation proving that the temperature stayed within the required range throughout transport. Aircargo.nl works only with GDP-certified handlers and airlines.

Temperature requirements

Most pharmaceutical products require transport at 2–8°C (cold chain) or 15–25°C (room temperature). Biologics, vaccines, and certain diagnostics require -20°C or colder (frozen transport). Every shipment is equipped with a calibrated temperature logger and a temperature excursion report when applicable.

Regulatory documentation

• GDP certificate from the shipper
• Import or export license depending on product type and destination country
• Controlled substances: DEA license (US) or national narcotics permit
• Batch release certificates for biologics