How long does shipping from China take?
| Mode | Typical time | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| FCL, full container | 14–35 days port to port | US West Coast 14–18, UAE 18–26, UK 30–35; priced per container |
| LCL, shared container | 25–38 days door to door | Adds roughly 4–7 days to FCL; priced per chargeable CBM, 1 CBM minimum |
| Door-to-door FCL | 25–50 days | Adds pickup, consolidation, import clearance and final delivery |
| Project and oversized cargo | Confirmed per shipment | Flat rack, open top and break bulk are reviewed before acceptance |
Typical ranges measured from supplier pickup to signed delivery. They are not a commitment; the binding range is issued with your quotation.
Lane facts
| Pricing basis | FCL per container; LCL per chargeable cubic metre with a 1 CBM minimum |
| Chargeable volume | Confirmed after warehouse measurement, not from the declared figure |
| Typical lane transit | 25–35 days to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the US West Coast; 35–45 to the UK; 35–50 to the US East Coast |
| Sailing frequency | Weekly to several times weekly depending on the lane; space is confirmed at booking |
| LCL or FCL | Below roughly 10 CBM LCL usually costs less; 10–15 CBM is the decision zone where both are worth pricing; above roughly 15 CBM a container is normally cheaper per unit |
| LCL billing | Charged on the greater of volume and weight, so dense cargo can be billed on weight rather than cubic metres |
| Container options | 20GP, 40GP, 40HQ and 45HQ where the lane supports them; flat rack and open top for oversized cargo |
| What extends transit | Carrier space and rollovers, port congestion, customs inspection or revaluation, and public holidays |
| Quote turnaround | A formal quotation is issued within one hour once the cargo details are complete |
What does this cover?
We match the sailing option, loading method and delivery scope to the cargo, destination, timing and budget. Ocean freight is usually the right choice when the cargo is not urgent and the cost per cubic metre matters more than speed.
Who is this for?
- Commercial imports in volume, on pallets or loose cartons
- Full container loads where the cargo fills or nearly fills a container
- LCL where the volume is below a full container but shipping regularly
- Large, heavy, irregular and project cargo
- Cost-sensitive shipments with a workable planning window
What is included in the service?
- China pickup coordination and warehouse receiving
- Consolidation, measurement and loading preparation
- Booking, space and carrier coordination
- Export declaration and shipping document guidance
- Main ocean transport to the agreed port or door
What do you need from us to quote?
- Product name, material and use, with photos or links where useful
- Piece count, cartons per pallet and total cartons
- Gross weight and total volume in cubic metres
- Package dimensions, including any oversized piece
- China origin city or the supplier address
- Destination country, city, postcode and address type
- Cargo-ready date at the supplier
- Whether the goods contain batteries, liquid, powder, magnets or a brand
- Declared value and the delivery scope required
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 coordination and warehouse handling as quoted
- Consolidation and loading preparation
- Booking, space and ocean freight to the agreed destination
- Export declaration where the scope includes it
- Delivery to the agreed address where a door scope is quoted
What is not included?
- Import clearance and duty unless the scope states they are included
- Destination port or terminal charges outside the quoted scope
- Storage, detention and demurrage beyond free time
- Cargo insurance unless stated
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: 1–3 days (calculated from Pickup arranged from the supplier address to Cargo received, counted, weighed and measured at the warehouse)
- Consolidation and waiting: 2–5 days (calculated from Cargo accepted at the warehouse to Container loaded and sealed, or cargo handed to the carrier)
- Export and ocean transit: 14–30 days (calculated from Container loaded on board to Vessel arriving at the destination port)
- Import clearance and duty handling: 2–5 days (calculated from Vessel arrival at the destination port to Customs released and duty or tax settled where the scope includes it)
- Final delivery: 1–3 days (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.
What does the shipment record show?
Photographs and loading footage from our own warehouse and shipments — the same operation your cargo moves through.
What must be confirmed before booking?
- Sailing schedules and space are confirmed with the carrier at booking
- Special cargo requires review before acceptance
- Chargeable volume is confirmed after warehouse measurement
- Destination charges depend on the delivery scope purchased
What mistakes should we avoid?
- Quoting LCL against a competitor price that excludes destination charges
- Forgetting that volume is measured by the longest side of each package
- Declaring a low value that customs later rejects
- Assuming a sailing date before space is actually confirmed