North America route

Shipping from China to the United States

Typical door-to-door shipping from China to the United States takes 25–35 days by ocean freight to the West Coast, 35–50 days to the East Coast, 30–50 days by LCL consolidation, 5–8 days by air freight and 3–5 working days by express courier — budget 35–45 days for a normal sea shipment to reach a US warehouse. The $800 duty-free de minimis exemption has been suspended since 29 August 2025, so every US shipment needs a customs entry — DDP duty-paid delivery is available where a compliant importer-of-record arrangement is confirmed before booking.

Ocean, air, courier and warehouse-delivery options from China to the United States.

Looking for the destination side of this lane — duty, importer of record and certification? Open the the United States destination guide.

How long does shipping from China take?

ModeTypical timeBasis
Ocean freight FCL — West Coast25–35 daysLos Angeles / Long Beach, door to door
Ocean freight FCL — East Coast35–50 daysNew York / New Jersey, door to door
Ocean freight LCL30–50 daysConsolidated, door to door
Air freight5–8 daysDoor to door incl. clearance
Express courier3–5 working daysDHL / FedEx / UPS

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 fromShenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao
DestinationLos Angeles and Long Beach, New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Houston; air to LAX, JFK and ORD
ConsolidationWeekly consolidation, plus direct FCL bookings
Container options20GP, 40GP, 40HQ and 45HQ; LCL accepted from 1 CBM
Delivery coverageAll 50 states, including residential addresses, Amazon FBA warehouses and third-party fulfilment centres
Duty and taxDuty 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
Importer of recordA US importer of record holding a customs bond; where none exists we confirm the arrangement before booking
Quote turnaroundA formal quotation is issued within one hour once the cargo details are complete

What does this cover?

Shipment details, destination postcode, delivery type and customs arrangement are reviewed before quotation. The United States is a regular-service lane with strong marketplace and wholesale demand, and the delivery scope usually depends on whether the consignee can act as the importer of record.

Who is this for?

  • Amazon and e-commerce inventory for FBA, AWD or a third-party warehouse
  • Wholesale cargo for distributors and retailers
  • Factory exports to a United States importer
  • Consolidated purchasing requiring one delivered shipment

What is included in the service?

  • China pickup, consolidation and warehouse handling where the scope includes it
  • Ocean, air or courier transport matched to the cargo and the timing required
  • Export declaration and document guidance
  • Delivery to the agreed warehouse, marketplace or commercial address

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 dimensions
  • China origin city or supplier address
  • Destination state, city, full address and ZIP code
  • Whether the consignee has an entity that can act as importer of record
  • For marketplace shipments: the warehouse code, shipment plan and label requirements
  • Any battery, liquid, powder, magnet or regulated attribute, including any FDA-regulated category

Who is responsible for what?

ScopeCompanyCustomerResponsibility transfers
Door to door
  • Pickup from the agreed origin address
  • Warehouse intake, checking and measurement
  • Export declaration and main transport
  • Destination delivery to the agreed address, with the customs arrangement stated in the quotation
  • Providing accurate cargo, supplier and consignee details
  • Duty and tax if the quotation states they are not included
  • Ensuring the delivery address can accept the shipment
  • Confirming the final charges before dispatch
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 to the United States
  • Delivery to the agreed address within the quoted delivery area
  • Import clearance and duty only where the scope states they are included

What is not included?

  • Duty, tax and any customs bond unless the scope states they are included
  • Marketplace non-compliance charges, relabelling or returns handling
  • Warehouse waiting time and appointment rescheduling
  • Remote-area delivery and residential surcharges where applicable

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 3–6 days, longer if later suppliers are still producing (calculated from Cargo accepted at the warehouse to Container loaded and sealed, or cargo handed to the carrier)
  • Export and ocean transit: Typically 15–21 days port to port to the West Coast or 26–33 days to the East Coast (calculated from Container loaded on board to Vessel arriving at the destination port)
  • Import clearance and duty handling: Typically 3–6 days when the entry, bond and duty payment are in order (calculated from Vessel arrival at the destination port to Customs released and duty or tax settled where the scope includes it)
  • Final delivery: Typically 1–4 days to a US warehouse; longer for residential or remote addresses (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.

Container to the USA — A US-bound container loaded in our warehouse
Inspection upon arrival — How cargo is inspected and recorded on arrival

What must be confirmed before booking?

  • Duties, inspections and delivery appointments may affect the final scope
  • Marketplace receiving locations require a booking and specific labelling and packaging standards
  • Certain products need registration, certification or a prior notice before they can be imported
  • Delivery appointments at commercial warehouses can add waiting time that is outside the quoted scope
  • DDP availability depends on the commodity, the value and the importer arrangement

What mistakes should we avoid?

  • Assuming the marketplace will accept cartons that do not meet the current labelling standard
  • Leaving the importer-of-record question unresolved before dispatch
  • Treating an airport-to-airport rate as a delivered price
  • Forgetting that some product categories need prior registration or certification
  • Missing the delivery appointment window and incurring waiting time
Questions

What else do buyers ask?

Can you combine goods from multiple suppliers?

Yes. We receive goods from several suppliers, register each delivery separately, check piece counts and outer packing, and consolidate everything into one shipment that you release once the last supplier has delivered.

Consolidation means one export declaration, one main transport movement and one delivered scope instead of several separate shipments. The shipment is held until you confirm that all suppliers have delivered.

Can I track the shipment?

Yes. Warehouse data and shipment progress can be queried through our system, and your service representative provides updates and handles exceptions.

Tracking visibility can cover warehouse receipt, booking, dispatch, international transit, customs clearance, delivery and receipt. Standard warehouse records include arrival photographs, while dedicated inspection reports and specified-angle filming are value-added services.

Is DDP available for every country and every product?

No. DDP is available where a compliant import arrangement can be built for that country and that commodity, which is confirmed per shipment. Where it cannot, an alternative such as DDU is quoted instead.

Some destinations do not allow an overseas seller to complete import and tax formalities, and some commodities need registration or certification before they can be imported at all. We confirm the importer-of-record position and the duty treatment for each shipment instead of promising universal DDP coverage.

How long does shipping from China take?

Typical door-to-door transit from China is 25–35 days by ocean FCL and 25–38 days by LCL to the UAE, 25–35 days by FCL to Saudi Arabia, 35–45 days by FCL to the United Kingdom, and 25–35 days by FCL to the US West Coast or 35–50 days to the East Coast; air freight typically takes 4–12 days door to door and express courier 3–6 working days. These are typical ranges, not a commitment; the confirmed range is issued with your quotation.

The ranges above are measured door to door and cover five stages: pickup and warehouse intake, consolidation and waiting, international transport, import clearance and duty handling, and final delivery. Ocean transit between the ports themselves is only one part of the total, which is why a port-to-port figure cannot be read as a door-to-door timeline. Sailing schedules, carrier space, port congestion and customs conditions can all extend the outcome, so the quotation states a range with its calculation start and end points rather than a guaranteed arrival date.

Why is one quote much cheaper than another?

The most common reason is that the two quotes do not cover the same thing. Check whether pickup, export, freight, destination charges, duty, tax and delivery are each included before comparing the totals.

A port-to-port rate excludes import clearance, duty, destination terminal charges and onward transport, while a delivered price includes them. Chargeable weight or volume may also be calculated differently between quotes, so a lower headline figure often means a smaller scope rather than a cheaper service.

When do I pay, and when does the cargo leave?

The standard sequence is: cargo arrives and is measured, the final charge is confirmed with you, you approve and pay, and then the shipment is dispatched.

Cargo is received and measured first, so the charge you approve is based on actual data rather than a declaration. Credit terms, monthly settlement or staged payment can be discussed for established and project customers, and every payment is recorded against a company order.

What happens if the cargo is damaged, delayed or goes missing?

We notify you as soon as an issue is confirmed, state the impact, give you the options, and keep updating until it is resolved. Responsibility and compensation are then determined by the cause, the contract terms and the insurance position.

We do not promise unconditional compensation for every loss. Claims depend on where responsibility sat at the time, what the contract says and whether insurance was in place, so we recommend confirming the insurance position for each shipment before dispatch.

Can you guarantee a fixed transit time?

No. We do not guarantee a fixed arrival date. Transit is issued as an estimated range with its calculation basis, and carrier schedules, port and customs conditions and delivery arrangements can all extend it.

We state the calculation basis and the factors that can extend transit, and where a route is exposed to a known risk we plan a primary and an alternative option instead of promising a date.

Is the $800 de minimis exemption still available for US imports?

No. Duty-free de minimis treatment for imports under $800 has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025, so commercial shipments now require a customs entry and payment of applicable duty regardless of value.

A US shipment can therefore no longer be treated as a small parcel exempt from duty. Every entry needs an importer of record and a customs bond, and duty together with MPF and HMF is assessed on that entry.

Do I need a US importer of record and a customs bond?

Yes. Clearing goods into the United States requires an importer of record and a customs bond covering the entry, and the position is confirmed before booking. Where a compliant arrangement exists we quote DDP; where it does not, we quote DDU.

A customs bond is a financial guarantee to CBP rather than an insurance policy, and it can be continuous or single-entry. The quotation states which party imports and what the DDP price includes, so the responsibility is visible before the cargo ships.

Can you deliver to Amazon FBA warehouses and residential addresses?

Yes. We deliver to Amazon FBA and AWD warehouses, third-party fulfilment centres, commercial premises and residential addresses across all 50 states, provided the delivery appointment and labelling requirements are met.

Marketplace deliveries need the shipment plan, labels and appointment in place before the truck arrives. Storage, waiting time or rescheduling charges raised by the facility fall outside the standard quoted scope, and residential or remote addresses are confirmed before dispatch.

Need a shipment-level answer?

Send the cargo details, origin, destination and preferred delivery scope for review.

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