What does United States require before the cargo can be imported?
United States is served from China by ocean, air and express, and the arrival-side requirements below are the part that most often changes a landed cost or holds a shipment at the port. Each position is the one we publish for this market and is confirmed per shipment against the actual commodity code and destination city.
What duty, tax and levies apply on arrival?
| Duty and tax | Duty by HTS code, plus MPF and HMF where applicable; the $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended since 29 August 2025, so every shipment needs a customs entry |
| Duty | Section 301 tariffs apply to many China-origin HS codes, so the code is reviewed before a price is quoted |
Who is allowed to import into this market?
| Importer of record | A US importer of record holding a customs bond; where none exists we confirm the arrangement before booking |
| Import requirements | Importer of record plus a customs bond; ISF 10+2 and AMS filing before loading |
What thresholds and reliefs change the cost?
| De minimis | The $800 duty-free exemption has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025 |
How long does shipping from China to United States take?
Typical door-to-door transit on this lane, by mode. These are working ranges rather than carrier-published schedules, so the exact window is confirmed on booking.
| Mode | Typical transit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight FCL — West Coast | 25–35 days | Los Angeles / Long Beach, door to door |
| Ocean freight FCL — East Coast | 35–50 days | New York / New Jersey, door to door |
| Ocean freight LCL | 30–50 days | Consolidated, door to door |
| Air freight | 5–8 days | Door to door incl. clearance |
| Express courier | 3–5 working days | DHL / FedEx / UPS |
Which gateway does cargo arrive through in North America?
The gateway is the same for every country in North America; what changes between countries is the duty, importer and certification position above.
| 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 |
How do you turn this into a landed cost?
Duty is assessed per commodity code, so the positions above tell you what to prepare rather than what you will pay. Screen the official duty range for the HS chapter your product falls in with the HS chapter duty lookup, then put the rate for your actual code through the landed cost calculator to see duty, import tax and levies on the CIF value. Transit times, loading ports and the operating detail for this lane are on the China to United States route page.
Positions reviewed 2026-09-15 by Helen Peng. Duty, importer-of-record and certification answers are confirmed per shipment: a change of commodity code, origin documentation or destination city can change the position.
