Shipping Steel Structures from Croatia: Containers, Ports and Incoterms
Container, break-bulk or road: container internal dimensions, Croatian ports for steel, distances from our plant and Incoterms for containers.
Last checked: 1 Nov 2026 · sources: carrier equipment tables (ONE), port and terminal operators, ICC · RAKUŠIĆ Corporation
Steel structures leave Croatia in one of three ways: in containers when no element is longer than about 12 m, as break-bulk or project cargo through a general-cargo terminal when elements are longer or heavier, and by road as an abnormal load for destinations within Europe. For sea freight the main Croatian port is Rijeka, with two container terminals that have direct services to Asia and a general-cargo terminal that officially handles steel sections, plates and project cargo. Ploče, in the south, is the second option.
1. The longest element decides the container
Container length is the first filter. The table gives internal dimensions from the published equipment tables of the carrier ONE; other carriers’ boxes differ by a few millimetres, so the booking always follows the carrier’s own data.
| Container | Internal length | Internal width × height | Max. payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ standard | 5,888 mm | 2,340 × 2,387 mm | 28,280 kg |
| 40′ standard | 12,031 mm | 2,346 × 2,383 mm | 26,740 kg |
| 40′ High Cube | 12,031 mm | 2,350 × 2,694 mm | 26,650 kg |
| 40′ open top | 12,020 mm (roof opening 11,890 mm) | 2,340 × 2,340 mm | 26,600 kg |
| 40′ flat rack | 11,650 mm between end walls | 2,200 × 1,950 mm | 38,800 kg |
Sources: ONE equipment table (dry containers), ONE Special Cargo brochure (May 2023, open top and flat rack).
- Up to about 5.8 m: a 20′ container is enough — short members, bolts, fittings, connection plates.
- Up to about 11.9 m: 40′ standard or High Cube. The open top is loaded by crane from above, which suits bundles of sections.
- Heavy, wide or tall pieces up to about 11.6 m: flat rack — the payload is much higher than in a dry container.
- Longer than about 12 m: no standard container fits. The element ships as break-bulk or ro-ro, or the design splits it with bolted splices.
2. Croatian ports for steel (as of 1 Nov 2026)
Rijeka Gateway (APM Terminals)
A deep-sea container terminal that received its first commercial vessel in September 2025. According to the operator: a 400 m quay with 20 m depth, 650,000 TEU of annual capacity and vessels up to 18,000 TEU. It is served by the Gemini AE12 Asia–Adriatic service. In its first year, the operator reports, 53 % of cargo left the terminal by rail. Sources: APM Terminals, Croatia Week, 30 Sep 2026.
Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT), Rijeka
The second Rijeka container terminal (ICTSI). Main berth 428 m. MSC runs two weekly direct Far East services, Hadria and Phoenix. Sources: ICTSI port card, 5 Jan 2026, Container News.
Port of Rijeka — general cargo
For elements that do not fit in a container. The port’s 2026 facility description lists iron products — explicitly rails, sections, coils, pipes and steel plates — and project cargo. Quay cranes include two 84 t units that can lift in tandem (168 t) and mobile cranes of up to 63 t; ro-ro handling is available. Source: Luka Rijeka d.d., facility description 2026.
Port of Ploče
A general-cargo terminal for iron products (410 m of quay, 9.2 m draught) and a smaller feeder container terminal (60,000 TEU) with a 24 m ro-ro ramp. Most of its container traffic is in transit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sources: Luka Ploče, general cargo, container terminal.
Koper (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy) share several of the same liner services and are reachable by road from eastern Croatia in about the same time as Rijeka. The port and carrier are chosen per shipment with the forwarder.
3. Distances from our plant in Đakovo
| Port | Road distance | Driving time (car) |
|---|---|---|
| Rijeka | ≈ 400 km | ≈ 4 h 20 min |
| Ploče (through Bosnia and Herzegovina) | ≈ 420 km | ≈ 6 h 20 min |
| Koper | ≈ 480 km | ≈ 5 h |
| Trieste | ≈ 480 km | ≈ 5 h |
Route calculation OpenStreetMap (OSRM), 1 Nov 2026; approximate, for a passenger car without border waiting. Trucks take longer, and the route to Ploče leaves the EU.
4. Incoterms: FCA, not FOB, for containers
Delivery terms are agreed under Incoterms® 2020. FOB is still widely used, but the ICC explains that FCA is the appropriate rule when goods travel in containers, because the seller hands the goods over to the carrier at a terminal or its own premises rather than on board the vessel. FOB and CIF are reserved for sea and inland-waterway transport, typically for cargo loaded directly onto the vessel. Source: ICC Academy, “Incoterms® 2020: FCA or FOB?”
- Containers: FCA (plant or terminal), CPT/CIP or DAP — depending on who books the main carriage.
- Break-bulk loaded directly onto the vessel: FOB or CFR/CIF can be appropriate.
- Road delivery within Europe: usually DAP to the site, or delivery with erection.
5. What to clarify before ordering from abroad
- Design basis: Eurocode 3 with the national annex of the country of construction, plus snow, wind and seismic loads for the site.
- Execution: EN 1090 execution class (EXC) set by the designer; declaration of performance and CE marking for structural components placed on the EU market.
- Corrosion protection: the corrosivity category of the site (ISO 9223) and the system — for example hot-dip galvanizing to EN ISO 1461.
- Element lengths: where to place bolted splices so that members fit the transport mode.
- Packing list: marks, masses and lifting points for every bundle.
- Erection: who erects on site and which crane is available.
RAKUŠIĆ Corporation designs, fabricates to EN 1090 and delivers steel halls, structures and towers, and has completed 150+ projects. We erect with our own teams in Croatia, Austria and Switzerland; for other markets, delivery and erection are agreed per project. More on international projects and export.