You found the right factory and negotiated a great price. But for small retailers, the journey only begins at the factory gate. How your goods travel from China to your customers determines your landed cost, your delivery times, and ultimately your profit margin.
This guide explains every shipping option available in 2026, what each one really costs, and how to get your goods through customs without surprises.
Choose the Right Shipping Method
There is no single "best" way to ship from China. The right method depends on three things: how fast you need the goods, how much you are shipping, and how much you want to spend.
- · Sea freight LCL: 25-45 days · Large, heavy or bulky orders · $5-15 per CBM
- · Sea freight FCL: 25-40 days · Full container loads (20ft/40ft) · from about $1,500 per container
- · Air freight: 5-10 days · Mid-size orders, urgent stock · $4-8 per kg
- · Express courier (DHL/FedEx/UPS): 2-5 days · Small parcels, samples, urgent · $6-12 per kg
- · China, Europe rail: 15-25 days · EU-bound cargo, mid-size orders · Between sea and air
Costs are typical ranges and vary by route, season and cargo type. Always ask your forwarder or sourcing agent for a current quote.
Sea Freight (LCL and FCL)
Sea freight is the cheapest way to move goods, and it handles about 90% of world trade. If your order does not fill a whole container, you ship LCL (Less than Container Load): your goods share a container with other shippers' cargo and you pay only for the space you use, calculated in cubic meters (CBM).
Once your volume grows, FCL (Full Container Load) becomes more economical. A 20ft container holds roughly 28 CBM, and a 40ft container roughly 58-68 CBM. The main trade-off: ocean transit takes 25-45 days, so you need to plan stock several weeks ahead.
Air Freight
Air freight is 4-8 times more expensive than sea, but it cuts transit to 5-10 days. It suits mid-size orders, seasonal restocks, and products with high value per kilogram: electronics, fashion, branded goods.
Airlines charge by chargeable weight: the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6000, or 5000 depending on the carrier). Light but bulky items are billed by volume, so packaging matters.
Express Courier
DHL, FedEx and UPS offer door-to-door delivery in 2-5 days with full tracking. They are ideal for samples, small parcels, and urgent restocks. The cost is the highest per kilogram, but the speed and reliability often justify it for low-volume shipments.
China, Europe Rail
For EU-bound cargo, the China, Europe rail freight train offers a middle ground: around 15-25 days, cheaper than air and faster than sea. It is a strong option if your customers are in Germany, France, Spain or other EU markets.
Understand the Real Cost of Shipping
The freight quote is only part of the story. A complete shipping budget includes:
- · Freight charges: the base ocean or air fee
- · Fuel surcharges (BAF): variable, tied to oil prices
- · Origin charges: trucking to the port, customs clearance at export, terminal handling in China
- · Destination charges: port handling, customs clearance at import, delivery to your door
- · Duties and taxes: import duty and VAT/sales tax charged by your country
- · Insurance: typically 0.2-0.5% of the cargo value
- · Currency and payment fees: bank transfer and exchange costs
A common mistake is comparing only the headline freight rate. Always ask for a full landed-cost breakdown before you commit.
Customs, Duties & Taxes
Every country regulates imports, and China exports are no exception. Getting customs right is where many first-time importers lose time and money.
HS Codes
Every product has an HS (Harmonized System) code, an international classification number used by customs worldwide. The first six digits are the same in nearly every country; national authorities add more digits for local duty rates. Getting the code right matters: the wrong code can mean the wrong duty rate, delays, or even confiscation.
Duties and VAT
Import duty is a percentage of the customs value, and the rate depends on the product category and the country you import into. On top of duty, most countries charge VAT or sales tax at import. Duty rates have shifted significantly in recent years, so never rely on an old blog post or a friend's experience: check the current rate for your specific HS code before you ship.
DDP vs. DAP
Two terms you will see on every quote:
- · DAP (Delivered at Place): you pay the freight and handle import customs clearance yourself. You control the process, but you carry the risk if anything goes wrong at the border.
- · DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the seller or your sourcing agent handles everything, including duties and taxes, and delivers to your door. The cost is higher and transparent, but you avoid customs headaches entirely.
For first-time importers, DDP is often the safest choice.
Documents You Need
Every shipment requires a standard set of documents:
- · Commercial invoice: what you are shipping, quantities, and values
- · Packing list: how the cargo is packed, weights and dimensions
- · Bill of Lading / Air Waybill: the transport contract and proof of shipment
- · Certificate of Origin: where the goods were made, often required for duty preferences
Your supplier or sourcing agent prepares most of these. Double-check that the declared values and descriptions match the actual cargo, inconsistencies are a top cause of customs delays.
Five Common Shipping Mistakes to Avoid
- · Under-declaring value: declaring a lower value to save duty is customs fraud, and it destroys your insurance cover if goods are lost or damaged.
- · Ignoring restricted items: batteries, liquids, powders and some electronics are restricted on air and express routes. Confirm every item is shippable before booking.
- · Shipping during peak season: between September and December, sea freight rates and transit times surge. Plan your holiday stock months ahead.
- · Poor packaging: goods damaged in transit cost you twice: replacement plus shipping. Use proper export packaging, especially for glass, ceramics and electronics.
- · Forgetting the landing math: if you only look at the freight rate, the final bill will surprise you. Build a landed-cost model for every product.
How a Sourcing Agent Makes Shipping Easier
For small retailers, every step above: booking freight, preparing documents, clearing customs, chasing updates: is a distraction from selling. A professional China sourcing agent bundles all of it:
- consolidated LCL shipments so small orders still get container-level pricing
- experienced customs brokers who prepare and check every document
- · DDP options with a single: transparent door-to-door price
- proactive tracking updates from factory to your doorstep
You pay for the service, and you buy back your time: plus you remove the biggest source of risk and surprise costs.
Final Checklist Before You Ship
- 1. Compare at least three quotes including all surcharges
- 2. Confirm your HS code and the current duty rate for it
- 3. Decide DAP or DDP and understand who handles customs
- 4. Check every item against restricted-goods lists
- 5. Confirm packaging meets export standards
- 6. Insure the shipment for its true value
- 7. Prepare a realistic stock timeline including transit time
Shipping from China does not have to be complicated. Choose the right method, price the full landed cost, and get the documents right: and your goods will move from factory to customers smoothly, every time.
Sourcing and shipping go hand in hand. If you are still planning the sourcing side, read our China sourcing guide for small retailers first.