Shipping from China: Sea, Air & Rail Freight
We arrange sea, air or rail freight with partner forwarders and keep the paperwork moving, from the factory door to your port.
By the Sino Vorex team · Updated
What's included
- Comparing freight options and quotes from partner forwarders
- Booking pickup from the factory
- Coordinating export paperwork with the forwarder
- Sharing tracking details until arrival
What you receive
A freight quote, booking confirmation and shipping documents for your shipment.
How we arrange freight
We are not a freight forwarder. We work with partner forwarders who move the goods, and we coordinate between them, the factory and you: we compare quotes, book pick-up from the factory, check the export paperwork, and share tracking until the goods arrive. That means one point of contact from the factory floor to your port or door. See freight forwarder vs sourcing agent for who does what.
Sea, air or rail: which to choose
| Mode | Typical transit | Best for | Priced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea freight (FCL / LCL) | About 15–45 days port to port | Large or heavy orders; lowest cost per unit | Container (FCL) or volume in CBM (LCL) |
| Air freight | About 3–10 days | Samples, urgent restocks, light or high-value goods | Chargeable weight (the greater of actual and volumetric weight) |
| Rail freight | About 15–25 days to Europe | China–Europe and Central Asia: faster than sea, cheaper than air | Container or volume |
Typical sea transit times from China
| Destination | Typical transit |
|---|---|
| Japan and South Korea | 2–5 days |
| Southeast Asia (e.g. Singapore) | 5–10 days |
| Australia (e.g. Sydney) | 14–22 days |
| US West Coast (Los Angeles / Long Beach) | 14–20 days |
| Middle East (e.g. Jebel Ali, Dubai) | 15–25 days |
| Northern Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe) | 30–45 days; longer when vessels route via the Cape of Good Hope |
| US East Coast (New York) | 30–40 days |
| South America (e.g. Santos) | 35–45 days |
FCL or LCL?
With LCL (less than container load) your cartons share a container with other shippers' goods and you pay for the volume you use. With FCL (full container load) you pay for the whole container. As a rule of thumb, LCL usually makes sense below about 13–15 cubic metres; above that, a 20-foot container is often cheaper and your goods are handled less.
| Container | Nominal volume | Practical loading volume |
|---|---|---|
| 20-foot | About 33 CBM | About 25–28 CBM |
| 40-foot | About 67 CBM | About 55–58 CBM |
| 40-foot high cube | About 76 CBM | About 65–68 CBM |
Incoterms: who pays for what
| Incoterm | Seller (factory) arranges | You arrange |
|---|---|---|
| EXW (Ex Works) | Goods ready at the factory | Everything from the factory door, including export clearance |
| FOB (Free On Board) | Delivery onto the ship at the Chinese port, export clearance | Sea freight, insurance, import clearance, duties and delivery |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight) | Freight and insurance to your destination port | Import clearance, duties and delivery from the port |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | Delivery to your address with import duties paid | Unloading at your address |
We quote on FOB, CIF or DDP. DDP is arranged with partner forwarders where it is available for your country and product.
Export documents
- Commercial invoice and packing list that match the goods and quantities exactly.
- Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air), issued by the carrier or forwarder.
- Export customs declaration, filed in China by the factory or its export agent.
- Certificate of origin where your country gives preferential duty rates for Chinese goods, or where your buyer asks for one.
On the import side, you (or your customs broker) are responsible for duties, taxes and product compliance in your country, unless you ship on DDP terms.
Shipping to Amazon FBA warehouses
Partner forwarders can deliver to Amazon fulfilment centres in many markets. If your goods are going to FBA, tell us at the quote stage, so the factory applies FBA product and carton labels and packs to Amazon's carton requirements before the pre-shipment inspection.
What you receive
A freight quote with the options compared, booking confirmation, copies of the shipping documents, and tracking details until arrival.
Shipping Coordination: common questions
Are you a freight forwarder?
No. We arrange and coordinate freight with partner forwarders, who carry the goods and issue the transport documents.
Can you ship goods from suppliers you did not source?
Yes. We can arrange pick-up from any factory in China, on its own or consolidated with goods from other suppliers.
Who handles import customs?
Under DDP, the forwarder's agent in your country clears customs and pays the duties, which are included in the price. Under FOB or CIF, your own customs broker handles import clearance.
Is cargo insurance included?
Under CIF it is included to the destination port. For other terms we can add cargo insurance through the forwarder; we recommend it for most shipments.