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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2014-06-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

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

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001227159</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ANDERSON KERRII B</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>550 SOUTH CALDWELL STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHARLOTTE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NC</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>28202</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>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2014-06-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>933</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>64833</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Table I, Item 4: Represents 25% ($10,125 in the aggregate) of Ms. Anderson's second quarter fees for service on the Board of Directors and its committees that Ms. Anderson elected to defer into common stock units under the Directors Deferred Compensation Program.  Each common stock unit represents one share of Common Stock and all stock units must be settled in Common Stock. The shares were valued based on the closing price of a share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Kerrii B. Anderson</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-07-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2014-06-30
0
0000101063
CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC
CQB
0001227159
ANDERSON KERRII B
550 SOUTH CALDWELL STREET
CHARLOTTE
NC
28202
1
0
0
0
Common Stock
2014-06-30
4
A
0
933
0
A
64833
D
Table I, Item 4: Represents 25% ($10,125 in the aggregate) of Ms. Anderson's second quarter fees for service on the Board of Directors and its committees that Ms. Anderson elected to defer into common stock units under the Directors Deferred Compensation Program.  Each common stock unit represents one share of Common Stock and all stock units must be settled in Common Stock. The shares were valued based on the closing price of a share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.
James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Kerrii B. Anderson
2014-07-01