Looking for the destination side of this lane — duty, importer of record and certification? Open the Japan destination guide.
How long does shipping from China take?
| Mode | Typical time | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight FCL | 3–7 days port to port | Shanghai to Tokyo/Yokohama 3–5 days; Shenzhen to Osaka/Kobe 5–7 days, published lane data |
| Ocean freight LCL | 7–12 days | Door to door including consolidation |
| Air freight | 3–5 days | Door to door; 1–2 days airport to airport, with daily capacity on several China pairs |
| Express courier | Confirmed per shipment | Carrier transit times for Japan are confirmed at booking |
Typical ranges measured from supplier pickup to signed delivery. They are not a commitment; the binding range is issued with your quotation.
Lane facts
| Loading from | Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Qingdao |
| Destination ports | Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe and Hakata |
| Direct calls | Direct intra-Asia calls are the norm on this lane; transhipment is the exception |
| Air gateways | NRT and HND for Kanto, KIX for Kansai; several China pairs carry daily capacity |
| Container options | 20GP, 40GP and 40HQ; LCL accepted from 1 CBM |
| Duty and tax | Consumption tax 10% standard (8% reduced); duty follows the MFN, GSP or EPA rate for the tariff line |
| Small consignments | A total customs value of ¥10,000 or less is exempt from duty and consumption tax; split shipments from one sender to one recipient are aggregated |
| Importer of record | Normally the importer or a customs broker filing as proxy; a foreign seller can act as importer of record through an ACP |
| Electrical goods | PSE covers 457 designated items — 116 Specified with the diamond mark requiring conformity inspection, 341 Non-Specified by self-declaration |
| Quote turnaround | A formal quotation is issued within one hour once the cargo details are complete |
What does this cover?
Japan is a short, high-frequency lane from South and East China. Space is rarely the constraint; the variables are the destination port, the delivery appointment and the customs and consumption-tax treatment.
Who is this for?
- Commercial imports for wholesale, retail and distribution
- Factory-to-buyer shipments arranged on a delivered or port-to-port basis
- Consolidated cargo from several Chinese suppliers
- Buyers who need a duty-paid door price rather than a port-to-port rate
What is included in the service?
- China pickup, consolidation and warehouse handling where the scope includes it
- The transport combination quoted — ocean, rail, road, air or express
- Export declaration and shipping document guidance
- Destination clearance under the confirmed arrangement where a door scope is quoted
- Delivery to the agreed address within the quoted delivery area
What do you need from us to quote?
- Product name, material, use and photographs
- Declared value with currency and whether the goods carry a brand
- Piece count, gross weight, volume and package dimensions
- China origin city or the supplier address
- Destination city, full address and postcode
- Address type: commercial, residential, warehouse or free zone
- Whether the consignee can act as importer of record if the destination requires it
- Any battery, liquid, powder, magnet or regulated attribute
- Cargo-ready date and any required delivery window
Who is responsible for what?
| Scope | Company | Customer | Responsibility transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door to door |
|
| Responsibility passes on delivery and signature at the agreed destination address. |
What does the quotation cover?
The quotation states the total for the scope described in it. It is built from the cargo data, the origin and destination, the transport mode and the delivery scope agreed at that time.
What is included?
- China pickup and consolidation as quoted
- Export declaration and main transport on the quoted routing
- Destination import clearance under the confirmed arrangement
- Duty and tax for the declared goods where the scope is DDP
- Delivery to the agreed address within the quoted delivery area
What is not included?
- Customs revaluation where the declared value is not accepted
- Certification, registration or testing required by the destination authority
- Storage, demurrage and inspection costs arising at either customs point
- Remote-area delivery outside the quoted area
- Unloading equipment or labour at the destination address
What might cost extra?
- Remote or difficult-access delivery beyond the standard service area
- Customs inspection, holds or revaluation at either end
- Storage where cargo cannot be dispatched inside the agreed free period
- Detention and demurrage when a container or vehicle is held beyond free time
- Oversized, overweight or special loading equipment
- Cargo that arrives without the documents required for the confirmed route
- Special cargo approved after review but requiring extra handling or documentation
- Address change, re-delivery or a failed delivery appointment after dispatch
- Peak-season or fuel surcharges applied by the carrier
- Duty or tax reassessment where customs does not accept the declared value
Freight rates and space change with the market, so each quotation carries its own validity period. Once it expires, or if the rate or space changes before booking, the price is reconfirmed before dispatch.
Cargo is weighed and measured after it reaches the warehouse. If the piece count, weight, volume, packing, cargo attributes or delivery address differ from the original inquiry, the charge is recalculated and sent to you for confirmation before payment and dispatch.
How long does each stage take?
Transit is counted from the stated start point to the stated end point for each stage. Carrier schedules, port and customs conditions, and the destination delivery arrangement all affect the outcome.
- Pickup and warehouse intake: Typically 1–3 days from supplier release (calculated from Pickup arranged from the supplier address to Cargo received, counted, weighed and measured at the warehouse)
- Consolidation and waiting: Typically 1–3 days; the lane sails frequently (calculated from Cargo accepted at the warehouse to Container loaded and sealed, or cargo handed to the carrier)
- Export and ocean transit: Typically 3–7 days port to port (calculated from Container loaded on board to Vessel arriving at the destination port)
- Import clearance and duty handling: Typically 1–2 days; over 90% of import procedures are computerised (calculated from Vessel arrival at the destination port to Customs released and duty or tax settled where the scope includes it)
- Final delivery: Typically 1–2 days inside Japan (calculated from Customs released to Delivered to the agreed address and signed for)
Estimated total: An estimated total is issued with the quotation, expressed as a range with the calculation start and end points stated. It is an estimate, not a guaranteed arrival date.
Last verified 2026-09-15.
How is the shipment handled?
Illustrations generated for this page, showing the handling stages your cargo moves through. They are not photographs of a specific shipment.


What must be confirmed before booking?
- Solid-wood packaging must be ISPM 15 treated and stamped; non-compliant wood is a standard rejection and delay cause
- PSE conformity applies to designated electrical items, and the importer must notify METI of the business
- The ¥10,000 small-consignment exemption excludes leather bags and handbags, gloves, knitted apparel, ski boots and leather-soled footwear
- The future of the ¥10,000 exemption for e-commerce consignments is under discussion; it is reconfirmed at booking
- Express courier and HKG air transit times are confirmed per shipment because carriers do not publish static days for every pair
What mistakes should we avoid?
- Assuming a delivered duty-paid price is available without confirming the import arrangement
- Supplying a declared value that does not match the commercial invoice
- Leaving certification or registration until the cargo has already arrived
- Treating the transit range as a guaranteed arrival date