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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-01-06</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

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

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001559697</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Lonergan Edward F</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>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President &amp; CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-01-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>28053</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>14.49</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>257488</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-01-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>U</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>257488</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>14.5</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>7.68</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-01-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1440062</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>6.82</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2017-10-07</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1440062</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The transactions reported on this Form 4 relate to the vesting of awards at the acceptance time and the right to receive payment at the effective time pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 26, 2014, among Cavendish Global Limited, Cavendish Acquisition Corporation, the Issuer, Burlingtown UK Ltd. and Erichton Investments Limited (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Shares withheld to pay required taxes upon the vesting at the acceptance time of 79,412 shares.  The full award was reported previously.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Shares disposed in a cash tender offer pursuant to the Merger Agreement. At the effective time of the merger, all shares converted into the right to receive, in cash and without interest, $14.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each stock option that was outstanding at the effective time was cancelled in exchange for the right to receive cash equal to the number of shares subject to the option multiplied by the excess of $14.50 and the exercise price.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Edward F. Lonergan</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-01-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
[{"type": "4", "sequence": "1", "filename": "primary_doc.xml", "description": "PRIMARY DOCUMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7999}]
X0306
4
2015-01-06
1
0000101063
CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC
CQB
0001559697
Lonergan Edward F
550 SOUTH CALDWELL STREET
CHARLOTTE
NC
28202
0
1
0
0
President & CEO
Common Stock
2015-01-06
4
F
0
28053
14.49
D
257488
D
Common Stock
2015-01-06
4
U
0
257488
14.5
D
0
D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)
7.68
2015-01-06
4
D
0
1440062
6.82
D
2017-10-07
Common Stock
1440062
0
D
The transactions reported on this Form 4 relate to the vesting of awards at the acceptance time and the right to receive payment at the effective time pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 26, 2014, among Cavendish Global Limited, Cavendish Acquisition Corporation, the Issuer, Burlingtown UK Ltd. and Erichton Investments Limited (the "Merger Agreement").
Shares withheld to pay required taxes upon the vesting at the acceptance time of 79,412 shares.  The full award was reported previously.
Shares disposed in a cash tender offer pursuant to the Merger Agreement. At the effective time of the merger, all shares converted into the right to receive, in cash and without interest, $14.50 per share.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each stock option that was outstanding at the effective time was cancelled in exchange for the right to receive cash equal to the number of shares subject to the option multiplied by the excess of $14.50 and the exercise price.
James E. Thompson as Attorney-in-Fact for Edward F. Lonergan
2015-01-07