Shipping from China to the United States
Ocean, air, courier and warehouse-delivery options from China to the United States.
Destination guide →View route →Destination region
Shipping from China to North America
Sea freight from South China to the US West Coast takes about 14–18 days port to port and to the East Coast about 28–35 days via Panama. Air freight is 3–5 days. Every US entry needs an importer of record and a customs bond, and the $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended since 29 August 2025, so duty is assessed on commercial shipments regardless of value.
Available transport modes, delivery scopes and cargo acceptance for North America are confirmed by country, city, postcode and shipment details.
Transit by mode
How long does shipping to North America take?
Planning ranges, not commitments. The routing in force is confirmed with the carrier when the shipment is booked.
| Mode | Typical transit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| FCL sea freight | 14–18 days US West Coast / 28–35 days US East Coast | Port to port; East Coast routing via Panama |
| LCL sea freight | 18–25 days West Coast / 32–42 days East Coast | Weekly consolidation, plus devanning at destination |
| Air freight | 3–5 days | Airport to airport into LAX, ORD or JFK |
| Express courier | 3–5 days | Door to door for parcels and samples |
Region facts
What decides the schedule into North America?
| Gateway ports | Los Angeles / Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma; New York / New Jersey, Savannah, Norfolk, Houston; Vancouver and Prince Rupert |
|---|---|
| Gateway airports | LAX, ORD, JFK |
| Sailing frequency | 3–5 sailings a week to the West Coast; 2–3 a week to the East Coast |
| Import requirements | Importer of record plus a customs bond; ISF 10+2 and AMS filing before loading |
| Duty | Section 301 tariffs apply to many China-origin HS codes, so the code is reviewed before a price is quoted |
| De minimis | The $800 duty-free exemption has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025 |
Country-level pages
Confirmed country routes
Available transport modes, delivery scopes and cargo acceptance for North America are confirmed by country, city, postcode and shipment details.
Last reviewed 2026-09-15. Every country route below is checked against a published source before it goes live.
Every country page below is checked against a published source before it goes live.
Shipping to Canada
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Canada, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Need this country confirmed?
Send the destination city, postcode and cargo details for a shipment-level answer.