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?
| Mode | Typical time | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 | Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao |
| Destination | Los Angeles and Long Beach, New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Houston; air to LAX, JFK and ORD |
| Consolidation | Weekly consolidation, plus direct FCL bookings |
| Container options | 20GP, 40GP, 40HQ and 45HQ; LCL accepted from 1 CBM |
| Delivery coverage | All 50 states, including residential addresses, Amazon FBA warehouses and third-party fulfilment centres |
| 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 |
| Importer of record | A US importer of record holding a customs bond; where none exists we confirm the arrangement before booking |
| Quote turnaround | A 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?
| 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 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.


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