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

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-03-31</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>250 EAST FIFTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></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>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-03-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1589</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>117003.6758</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Table I, Item 4: Represents an aggregate of $25,000 in first quarter fees (paid in arrears) for service on the Board of Directors and its committees that Mr. Jager 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 fair market value of a share of Common Stock is the closing price of a share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Table I, Item 5: This amount reflects the correction of a typographical error in the Form 4 filed 3/1/2010 that should have stated 115,414.6758 shares beneficially owned instead of 115,378.6758 following the reported transaction of 5,495 shares received as 2009 non-employee director compensation.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Durk I. Jager</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-04-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
[{"type": "4", "sequence": "1", "filename": "primary_doc.xml", "description": "PRIMARY DOCUMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4030}]
X0303
4
2010-03-31
0
0000101063
CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC
CQB
0001191556
JAGER DURK I
250 EAST FIFTH STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
1
0
0
0
Common Stock
2010-03-31
4
A
0
1589
0
A
117003.6758
D
Table I, Item 4: Represents an aggregate of $25,000 in first quarter fees (paid in arrears) for service on the Board of Directors and its committees that Mr. Jager 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 fair market value of a share of Common Stock is the closing price of a share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.
Table I, Item 5: This amount reflects the correction of a typographical error in the Form 4 filed 3/1/2010 that should have stated 115,414.6758 shares beneficially owned instead of 115,378.6758 following the reported transaction of 5,495 shares received as 2009 non-employee director compensation.
James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Durk I. Jager
2010-04-01