Shipping Cost from China: What the Price Is Built From
Freight is not a single number — it is a mode, a chargeable weight, a set of surcharges and a scope of service. This page shows how each part is calculated, which mode fits which cargo, and what to send us so the quote you receive is the price you actually pay.
- Air, sea, rail & DDP
- FCL, LCL & door-to-door
- 69 destinations
- Quote in one working day
Shipping cost from China at a glance
Four pricing models cover almost every enquiry we receive. The unit of charge matters more than the headline rate — a cheap rate per kilogram becomes expensive once volumetric weight applies.
Ocean LCL
- Pricing unit
- Per CBM or per weight ton, whichever is greater (W/M)
- Best for
- Roughly 2–15 CBM, or several suppliers consolidated together
- Charged on
- Volume measured after consolidation, plus a minimum billable
Ocean FCL
- Pricing unit
- Per 20GP, 40GP or 40HQ container
- Best for
- About 15 CBM and above, or cargo that must stay sealed
- Charged on
- Container rate plus fixed origin and destination charges
Air freight
- Pricing unit
- Per chargeable kilogram at 1 CBM = 167 kg
- Best for
- Urgent or high-value cargo, usually under 2 CBM
- Charged on
- The greater of gross weight and volumetric weight
DDP door-to-door
- Pricing unit
- All-in per shipment, or per kg / CBM on a fixed lane
- Best for
- Buyers without a local importer or broker
- Charged on
- Freight + duty + destination tax + clearance + delivery
Planning reference only. No price on this page is a live rate. Rates move with capacity, fuel and season; the quote for your shipment is issued per booking.
Compare shipping methods
The same cargo can be moved four different ways at four different prices. Choose the mode by what you are paying for: speed, space, or predictability.
| Mode | Typical cargo size | Pricing unit | Transit basis | Main cost components |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean LCL | 2–15 CBM | Per CBM / weight ton (W/M) | Port to port, plus consolidation time | Ocean freight, CFS handling, documentation, destination charges |
| Ocean FCL | 15 CBM and up, or full loads | Per container | Port to port, per sailing | Ocean freight, terminal handling both ends, documentation, drayage |
| Air freight | Under ~2 CBM, urgent or high value | Per chargeable kg | Airport to airport, per flight | Air freight, fuel and security surcharges, handling, air waybill |
| China–Europe rail | 5 CBM and up to inland EU | Per container or per CBM | Terminal to terminal | Rail freight, terminal handling, rail surcharges, onward trucking |
| Express courier | Samples, parcels | Per chargeable kg, minimum charge | Door to door | Courier freight, remote-area fee, duty and tax if sent DDP |
| DDP door-to-door | Any size, landed cost priority | All-in per shipment | Door to door, including clearance | Mode cost + duty + destination tax + clearance + final delivery |
Transit figures per mode are on the shipping time page; this page covers only how cost is constructed.
Popular shipping lanes from China
Ten destinations that account for most first shipments. Each page lists the modes that serve the lane, the gateways used, and what the cost is built from.
Browse shipping costs by country
All 69 destinations, grouped by region. Use the search box or the region filter — every result is a normal link to that country's cost page, so you can also bookmark or share it.
Showing 69 of 69 destinations. Every entry links to its own cost page.
Middle East
Short, frequent ocean and air lanes to the Gulf and Red Sea, with Jebel Ali and Dammam as anchor hubs. Most GCC imports carry a 5% duty; DDP prepays it so new importers clear goods without handling local formalities.
Americas
From China to North, Central and South America by ocean (West/East/Gulf coasts), air and DDP. We handle ISF, customs bonds, CARM and complex Latin-American entry so containers clear on arrival.
Asia
The shortest, highest-frequency lanes from China — Japan and Korea in days, Southeast Asia in a week, plus rail and road into Central Asia. Quarantine- and standards-aware handling throughout.
Africa
Sea and air to North, West, East and Southern Africa, with destination-agent clearance and door delivery where available. Lead times vary widely by port and inland distance — plan a buffer.
Europe
EU/UK/EFTA served by sea to Rotterdam/Antwerp/Hamburg, China–Europe rail to Duisburg/Warsaw, and air to Frankfurt/Paris. EORI, VAT and DDP supported end to end.
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — cost
- 🇩🇪 Germany — cost
- 🇫🇷 France — cost
- 🇮🇹 Italy — cost
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands — cost
- 🇧🇪 Belgium — cost
- 🇵🇱 Poland — cost
- 🇸🇪 Sweden — cost
- 🇫🇮 Finland — cost
- 🇵🇹 Portugal — cost
- 🇪🇸 Spain — cost
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic — cost
- 🇦🇹 Austria — cost
- 🇭🇺 Hungary — cost
- 🇷🇴 Romania — cost
- 🇬🇷 Greece — cost
- 🇹🇷 Turkey — cost
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus — cost
Oceania
Australia and New Zealand by sea and air, with strict biosecurity handled up front. GST is prepayable under DDP for smoother entry.
Looking for transit times instead? See shipping time from China, or browse all destination guides.
How chargeable weight is calculated
Carriers do not charge for the weight you declare. They charge for the space your cargo takes up, expressed either as weight or as volume. The rule is simple: compare the actual gross weight with the volumetric weight and pay for the larger one.
Actual weight vs volumetric weight
For air freight, volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000. That is the same as saying one cubic meter equals 167 kilograms. A carton measuring 60 × 50 × 40 cm has a volume of 0.12 CBM and a volumetric weight of 20 kg. If it weighs 18 kg, you are charged for 20 kg — the box, not the product, decides the price.
For LCL sea freight the same comparison is made in cubic meters against weight tons, usually at a ratio of one cubic meter to one ton. Light cargo is billed on volume, dense cargo on weight, and a minimum billable volume applies to very small shipments.
Worked example. 40 cartons at 60 × 50 × 40 cm = 4.8 CBM and 720 kg gross. Volumetric weight for air is 4.8 × 167 = 801.6 kg, so air is charged on 802 kg. For LCL the chargeable volume is 4.8 CBM, because 4.8 CBM is greater than 0.72 weight tons.
CBM without the arithmetic
Use the CBM calculator for mixed carton sizes, and the chargeable weight calculator to see where air and LCL land. Both are estimators for volume and weight — neither quotes a price.
FCL pricing and the surcharges that follow it
A container rate is the easiest number to compare and the easiest to misread. The ocean freight quoted for a 40HQ is only the middle of the cost: terminal handling is charged at both ends, documentation is charged per bill of lading, and inland legs are charged separately.
Containers are also priced by sailing, not by day. Two bookings on the same lane a fortnight apart can differ by hundreds of dollars because of capacity and season, which is why a rate held for a month is unusual outside a contracted allocation.
| Charge | What it covers | Usually billed by |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal handling (THC) | Moving the container through the terminal, both ends | Terminal, via forwarder |
| Fuel adjustment (BAF/EBS) | Bunker and fuel-cost variation on the ocean leg | Carrier |
| Peak season surcharge (PSS) | Capacity premium during demand peaks | Carrier |
| Documentation fee | Bill of lading, manifest, amendment handling | Forwarder or carrier |
| Customs brokerage | Import or export declaration and release | Broker |
| Advance manifest filing | ISF, AMS or ENS data filed before loading | Forwarder |
| Detention and demurrage | Late container return, or storage beyond free time | Carrier or terminal |
| Cargo insurance | Marine cover for loss or damage in transit | Insurer |
Which of these appear on your invoice depends on the Incoterm. Under FOB you typically pay the destination side; under DDP we pay both sides and bill one all-in figure.
Freight, landed cost and door-to-door: three different totals
Most quote confusion is a scope problem, not a price problem. The same shipment has three legitimate totals depending on where the forwarder's responsibility stops. Comparing them without aligning the scope is how a cheap quote becomes an expensive shipment.
| Scope | What it includes | What it does not include |
|---|---|---|
| Main-leg freight | Port or airport to port or airport, plus origin handling | Import clearance, duty, tax, final delivery |
| Landed cost (DAP) | Freight, import clearance, delivery to your address | Import duty and destination tax |
| DDP total | Freight, clearance, duty, tax and delivery | Anything outside the agreed delivery address and scope |
When you compare two quotes, compare the scope line first. A DDP figure will always look higher than a port-to-port figure for the same container — because it is a different product.
What to send for an accurate quote
A quote is only as good as the input. Send these ten items and the reply is a price you can plan around, rather than a range that has to be renegotiated after loading.
- Origin city or factory address in China — pickup is priced separately from port loading.
- Destination address, including postcode, and whether it is a business or residential address.
- Product description in customs terms, plus the HS code if you have one.
- Carton count, carton dimensions and gross weight per carton.
- Total volume in CBM, or the measurements to calculate it.
- Cargo ready date, and whether the goods are packed or still in production.
- Preferred mode, or the deadline that decides the mode for you.
- Incoterm you agreed with the supplier, and who arranges the China pickup.
- Whether you need duty and tax prepaid (DDP) or cleared on arrival (DAP).
- Anything unusual: batteries, liquids, oversized pieces, wooden packaging, or a delivery appointment.
Send it through the quote form or WhatsApp. If you are still choosing between modes, see the complete shipping from China guide for the end-to-end sequence.
Shipping cost questions
Why don't you publish a fixed price per kg or per container?
How is LCL sea freight charged?
How much does one cubic meter weigh for air freight?
Does a DDP quote include duty and VAT or GST?
Is the cheapest quote the cheapest shipment?
Can you quote before I have exact carton dimensions?
Get a live cost quote
Share the route, carton count and ready date. We price freight, clearance and delivery in one scope.