AR → PY Freight — Options, Costs, Lead Times
Purpose: Document the freight and customs clearance options for Sexitive AR → Paraguay. Last verified: June 19, 2026
Three freight modes
Mode 1 — International courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, ARCA courier)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best for | First small order (5–20 kg), market testing, samples |
| Lead time | 7–15 days door-to-door |
| Cost | USD 8–15/kg + customs clearance fee |
| Pros | Fast, simple, door-to-door, low minimums |
| Cons | Expensive per kg, may not be discreet, courier customs handling is rough |
| Recommended for | First 1–3 orders while DINAVISA registration is in progress |
Mode 2 — Consolidated freight forwarder (Maritima / courier consolidado)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best for | Regular orders 50–500 kg |
| Lead time | 15–30 days end-to-end (BUENOS AIRES → ASUNCIÓN) |
| Cost | USD 4–8/kg + clearance + storage |
| Pros | Cheaper per kg, more flexible, can negotiate discreet handling |
| Cons | Slower, requires more coordination, warehouse consolidation |
| Recommended for | Ongoing supply, post-Model-1 transition |
Mode 3 — Air freight forwarder (Cargolux, LAN Cargo, etc.)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best for | Time-sensitive orders 100+ kg |
| Lead time | 5–10 days |
| Cost | USD 6–12/kg + clearance |
| Pros | Faster than consolidated, can move pallet quantities |
| Cons | Still needs customs broker, not door-to-door |
| Recommended for | Restocking hot SKUs, promotions |
Freight cost example (illustrative, 100 kg shipment, Model 2)
| Item | USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Products at AR wholesale (100 kg, ~$5–8/kg landed AR wholesale) | 500–800 | Per sexitive-catalog-master.md |
| Freight AR→PY (consolidated) | 400–800 | 100 kg × $4–8/kg |
| Insurance (0.5% of CIF) | 5–8 | |
| Customs clearance (despachante) | 130–250 (Gs 800K–1.5M) | Per shipment |
| DINAVISA inspection (if required) | 50–100 | Per shipment |
| Landed cost | 1,085–1,958 | Range USD 11–20/kg |
At retail, with 100% markup, this becomes USD 22–40/kg at customer. Per-SKU retail math: a 75 ml Wet tube (≈ 80g with packaging) costs Sarah ~Gs 1,500–2,500 landed, retails at Gs 80,000–150,000 in PY market. Margin works.
Confirm with real numbers after Sarah's first cost-basis conversation with Sexitive.
Customs broker (Despachante) — what to look for
| Quality | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Registered with DNA | Verify at www.aduana.gov.py |
| Experience with cosmetics / DINAVISA | Ask specifically |
| Bilingual (Spanish + English) | Helps if Sexitive is English-speaking |
| Responsive on WhatsApp | Critical for time-sensitive shipments |
| Transparent fee structure | Should quote despachante fee upfront |
A good despachante is the difference between a 15-day clearance and a 60-day one. Don't pick the cheapest; pick the most reliable.
Discreet packaging (intimate products)
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Sexitive ships in unmarked outer carton | No one at courier knows contents | Sexitive may charge extra or not offer |
| Sarah re-packages in plain cartons at AR consolidation warehouse | Full control | Adds labor cost, requires warehouse access |
| Custom discreet outer packaging from day 1 | Best long-term | Higher upfront design cost |
| No special handling, rely on shipping label | Simplest | Risk of neighbor/courier seeing "Sexitive" on label |
Recommended: Negotiate with Sexitive AR for unmarked outer cartons for first 3 shipments. If they can do it, great. If not, plan a re-pack step at the AR consolidation warehouse.
Critical for the customer: The product arrives in a plain carton with no external marking indicating "Sexitive" or "intimate products." Inner packaging is the Sexitive retail box (which is itself discreetly designed).
Storage in PY
Once the shipment arrives:
| Option | Cost (Gs/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah's home (start) | 0 | Up to ~50 kg of stock; legal for personal storage but not commercial |
| Sarah's dedicated room / garage | 0 | Same as above, just bigger space |
| 3PL warehouse in Asunción | 300K – 1M | Professional, scalable, invoice-able |
| MercadoLibre PY fulfillment | TBD | MercadoLibre has restrictions on adult content — likely won't work |
Recommendation: Start at home, transition to 3PL when monthly revenue exceeds Gs 5M or inventory exceeds 100 kg.
What Sarah should ask the freight forwarder
- "¿Cuánto cuesta un envío consolidado de 50 kg de Buenos Aires a Asunción con despacho aduanero incluido?"
- "¿Pueden manejar productos cosméticos con registro DINAVISA? ¿Tienen experiencia?"
- "¿Cuánto tiempo de punta a punta, desde que despachamos en Buenos Aires hasta que tengo la mercadería en mi depósito?"
- "¿Pueden consolidar mi carga con un cartón exterior neutro, sin marca visible?"
- "¿Tienen almacén en Buenos Aires para consolidar mis pedidos antes del envío consolidado?"
- "¿Pueden emitir factura de transporte internacional?"