<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-06-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000101063</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>cqb</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001191556</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>JAGER DURK I</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PROCTER &amp; GAMBLE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE PROCTER &amp; GAMBLE PLAZA</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CINCINNATI</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OH</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>45202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2006-06-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>919</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>36530.6758</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Table I, Item 4:  Fees for service as a member of the Board of Directors are paid each quarter in arrears.  Mr. Jager has elected to have both the cash portion of his director's quarterly compensation (which consists of $6,250 in quarterly fees) and the stock portion (which consists of a number of shares of Chiquita's Common Stock having an aggregate fair market value of $6,250) deferred in common stock units, which must be settled in Common Stock, pursuant to the Chiquita Directors Deferred Compensation Program.  The number of stock units credited to his account is based on the aggregate fair market value (the average of the high and low sales prices) of Chiquita's Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Barbara Wagner as Attorney-in-Fact for Durk I. Jager</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-07-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0202
4
2006-06-30
0
0000101063
CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC
cqb
0001191556
JAGER DURK I
C/O PROCTER & GAMBLE
ONE PROCTER & GAMBLE PLAZA
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
1
0
0
0
Common Stock
2006-06-30
4
A
0
919
0
A
36530.6758
D
Table I, Item 4:  Fees for service as a member of the Board of Directors are paid each quarter in arrears.  Mr. Jager has elected to have both the cash portion of his director's quarterly compensation (which consists of $6,250 in quarterly fees) and the stock portion (which consists of a number of shares of Chiquita's Common Stock having an aggregate fair market value of $6,250) deferred in common stock units, which must be settled in Common Stock, pursuant to the Chiquita Directors Deferred Compensation Program.  The number of stock units credited to his account is based on the aggregate fair market value (the average of the high and low sales prices) of Chiquita's Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.
Barbara Wagner as Attorney-in-Fact for Durk I. Jager
2006-07-05