International shipping guide from China

If you have plans to begin importing or exporting from China, this page will be a good starting point in your search for information. It provides some basic guidance for shipping from China to other countries around the globe, covering fundamentals such as:

• China export standards and customs procedures;
• Transit times for international shipping from China to the US and other countries;
• The busiest routes for ocean and air freight from China.

International Shipping from China: Customs Standards and Procedures

The details we share in this section are primarily for your information. As a Shipa Freight customer, you will not have to worry unduly about the obligations described here, as we take care of most border formalities, including the preparation and submission of documents on your behalf. However, you will need to take responsibility for all export-licensing arrangements.

Perhaps the first thing to be aware of is that there is currently no standardization of customs requirements and procedures in China. They vary from region to region, so before your company or your Chinese supplier begins exporting, it will be necessary to determine the exact protocols in use at the Chinese port where your goods will be declared for export.

Common Customs Documentation Requirements

As a rule, you should expect the following minimum documentation requirements to be in effect, regardless of which Chinese port of origin you choose:

• A customs entry document
• A customs declaration
• A commercial invoice
• A Packing list
• An export license

It is rarely, if ever, possible to export commercial goods or materials from China without an export license. The onus is on the Chinese exporter to be in possession of a license, or else to use the services of a licensed trading company or export agency.

Importers’ and Exporters’ Responsibilities

The exporter is responsible for the preparation and submission of customs entry and declaration documents, although it is common for shippers to seek help with this, typically turning to professional specialists, such as:

• An international freight forwarder with a Chinese branch;
• One of the many international shipping companies in China;
• A Chinese customs broker.

These types of agency can assist exporters by ensuring documents are completed correctly and by filing them according to appropriate procedures. Of course, if you are a Shipa Freight customer, we will be pleased to take care of all documentation, and ask only that you have the relevant information available for us.

If you will be the consignee, or recipient of goods from China, you won’t need to take any direct responsibility until the shipment legally passes into your ownership, but you should still make sure your Chinese supplier has all requirements covered, to ensure your goods don’t get delayed or even held indefinitely at a Chinese port.

China Export Restrictions and Limitations

As mentioned above, the Chinese government requires that all exports comply with licensing regulations, unlike the United States for example, where licensing only applies to certain specific types of products and materials.

Other Chinese export restrictions are more akin to those imposed on exports from many nations, such as those relating to goods and materials classified as having a dual military/commercial use.

China also restricts the export of a range of raw materials, particularly those that are known as rare earth elements. These restrictions are apparently in breach of a World Trade Organization ruling, but the Chinese government applies them nevertheless, although the range of restricted materials is decreasing as China seeks to become more compliant with WTO laws.

China also maintains a list of materials that may not be exported at all. You can find details of prohibited exports on the Chinese Customs Administration website.

Other products, apart from those mentioned above, may also be subject to export regulation in China, so it’s important to get advice from a China freight forwarder or directly from the customs service, relating to any goods you are planning to export or import from China.

Ocean Freight Shipping from China

The following information will help you to familiarize yourself with some of the main ocean freight routes for shipping from China. While the information here only covers port-to-port transportation, Shipa Freight also offers port-to-door and door-to-door shipping to locations in 100 countries.

International Ocean Freight Shipping from China: Busiest Routes

The last couple of decades have seen international shipping companies in China flourish, as the nation has grown to become a major offshore manufacturing center for companies in the West.

As a result, there are few countries left unserved today by ocean trade lanes from China. That said, intra-Asia trade lanes tend to be the busiest of all. The following five ocean routes form some of the most heavily used connections, plied frequently by vessels belonging to China’s international shipping lines, and those sailing under the flags of other Asian nations.

• Shanghai to Busan (South Korea)
• Ningbo to Busan
• Shanghai to Singapore
• Ningbo to Singapore
• Ningbo to Port Kelang (Malaysia)

Shortest and Longest Transit Times for Shipping from China

If you have freight that needs shipping from China to US destinations, or anywhere in the Americas, you should prepare for some substantial lead times. Consignees on the American continent must endure some of the longest transit times for containers originating in China, with a cargo vessel taking, for example, up to 30 days to travel from the port of Ningbo to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, or from Shanghai to Boston in the United States.

Of course, if you are based in an Asian country and will be receiving an ocean freight shipment from China, you may not have to wait very long at all, with routes from Xiamen to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam or Japan’s Nagoya port taking just three and five days respectively.

List of Ocean Routes for Shipping from China

While it’s not practicable to provide a full list of all shipping trade lanes from China, those below should give you an idea of the transit times and availability of shipping between China and various locations around the world.

As an international freight forwarder, Shipa Freight can certainly provide you with quotes for the routes listed here, along with many more. Even if you don’t see your preferred route below, please do request an online quote from us, as we’re very likely to have the route in our vast database.

Please note that all transit times shown in the list below are for your interest and general guidance only. They are not guaranteed to be precise, and your freight may be in transit for more or less time than the charts indicate.

To Europe

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Shanghai	Croatia	Rijeka	25 Days
Ningbo	France	Le Havre	30 Days
Shanghai	Germany	Bremerhaven	28 Days
Ningbo	Italy	La Spezia	30 Days
Shanghai	Italy	Genoa	29 Days
Shanghai	Netherlands	Rotterdam	29 Days
Ningbo	Russia	Vladivostok	6 Days
Shanghai	Russia	Vostockny	7 Days
Ningbo	Slovenia	Koper	25 Days
Shanghai	Spain	Valencia	27 Days
Shanghai	Spain	Algeciras	24 Days
Ningbo	Spain	Algeciras	27 Days
Ningbo	Spain	Valencia	26 Days
Nanjing	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	36 Days
Nanjing	United Kingdom	London Gateway	36 Days
Nanjing	United Kingdom	Southampton	36 Days
Lianyungang	United Kingdom	London Gateway	38 Days
Lianyungang	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	38 Days
Lianyungang	United Kingdom	Southampton	38 Days
Dalian	United Kingdom	London Gateway	41 Days
Dalian	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	41 Days
Dalian	United Kingdom	London Gateway	41 Days
Qingdao	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	35 Days
Qingdao	United Kingdom	London Gateway	43 Days
Qingdao	United Kingdom	Southampton	43 Days
Ningbo	United Kingdom	Southampton	30 Days
Ningbo	United Kingdom	London Gateway	30 Days
Shenzhen	United Kingdom	London Gateway	29 Days
Shanghai	United Kingdom	London Gateway	29 Days
Xiamen	United Kingdom	London Gateway	27 Days
Xiamen	United Kingdom	Southampton	27 Days
Ningbo	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	33 Days
Shenzhen	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	29 Days
Shanghai	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	31 Days
Xiamen	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	29 Days
Shenzhen	United Kingdom	Southampton	29 Days
Shanghai	United Kingdom	Southampton	29 Days

To America

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Ningbo	Brazil	Rio De Janeiro	30 Days
Qingdao	Canada	Vancouver	24 Days
Ningbo	Canada	Vancouver	17 Days
Shanghai	Canada	Vancouver	15 Days
Ningbo	Chile	Valparaiso	30 Days
Ningbo	Colombia	Buenaventura	27 Days
Shanghai	Colombia	Buenaventura	25 Days
Shanghai	Ecuador	Guayaquil	29 Days
Shanghai	Guatemala	Puerto Quetzal	19 Days
Shanghai	Mexico	Manzanillo	21 Days
Ningbo	Mexico	Manzanillo	18 Days
Qingdao	Mexico	Manzanillo	19 Days
Shanghai	Panama	Colon	20 Days
Ningbo	Panama	Colon	22 Days
Qingdao	Panama	Colon	24 Days
Qingdao	Panama	Manzanillo	26 Days
Shanghai	Peru	Callao	26 Days
Ningbo	Peru	Callao	26 Days
Qingdao	Peru	Callao	28 Days
Dalian	USA	Long Beach	24 Days
Shanghai	USA	Boston	30 Days
Shanghai	USA	Tacoma	12 Days
Ningbo	USA	Charleston	29 Days
Qingdao	USA	Los Angeles	19 Days
Qingdao	USA	Oakland	26 Days
Qingdao	USA	Long Beach	19 Days
Xiamen	USA	New York	28 Days
Ningbo	USA	Seattle	17 Days
Ningbo	USA	Savannah	27 Days
Ningbo	USA	Oakland	19 Days
Ningbo	USA	Long Beach	15 Days
Ningbo	USA	Los Angeles	20 Days
Qingdao	USA	Savannah	29 Days
Qingdao	USA	Tacoma	21 Days
Shanghai	USA	Charleston	29 Days
Shanghai	USA	Los Angeles	18 Days
Shanghai	USA	Long Beach	17 Days
Shanghai	USA	Portland	22 Days
Shanghai	USA	Savannah	26 Days
Shanghai	USA	Oakland	22 Days
Shanghai	USA	Seattle	13 Days

To Asia and Oceania

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Xiamen	Australia	Melbourne	16 Days
Shanghai	Australia	Melbourne	18 Days
Qingdao	Australia	Melbourne	18 Days
Qingdao	Australia	Brisbane	17 Days
Qingdao	Australia	Sydney	20 Days
Shanghai	Australia	Fremantle	28 Days
Shanghai	Australia	Sydney	16 Days
Shanghai	Australia	Brisbane	18 Days
Ningbo	Australia	Brisbane	18 Days
Ningbo	Australia	Melbourne	16 Days
Ningbo	Australia	Sydney	17 Days
Ningbo	India	Nhava Sheva	17 Days
Ningbo	India	Mundra	17 Days
Ningbo	India	Chennai	12 Days
Ningbo	India	Kattupalli	14 Days
Ningbo	India	Hazira	18 Days
Shanghai	India	Hazira	20 Days
Nansha	India	Nhava Sheva	13 Days
Nansha	India	Haldia	11 Days
Shanghai	India	Nhava Sheva	18 Days
Shanghai	India	Mundra	17 Days
Shanghai	India	Kattupalli	15 Days
Qingdao	India	Nhava Sheva	22 Days
Qingdao	India	Mundra	21 Days
Qingdao	India	Hazira	22 Days
Xiamen	India	Nhava Sheva	16 Days
Xiamen	India	Haldia	16 Days
Tianjin	India	Visakhapatnam	26 Days
Tianjin	India	Haldia	24 Days
Tianjin	India	Nhava Sheva	27 Days
Dalian	India	Chennai	25 Days
Shenzhen	India	Mundra	15 Days
Ningbo	Indonesia	Jakarta	9 Days
Qingdao	Indonesia	Jakarta	13 Days
Shanghai	Indonesia	Jakarta	10 Days
Ningbo	Indonesia	Surabaya	11 Days
Shanghai	Indonesia	Surabaya	12 Days
Qingdao	Indonesia	Surabaya	15 Days
Nansha	Japan	Kobe	5 Days
Ningbo	Japan	Yokohama	6 Days
Xiamen	Japan	Nagoya	5 Days
Shanghai	Japan	Yokohama	5 Days
Shanghai	Japan	Kobe	3 Days
Dalian	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	18 Days
Nansha	Malaysia	Port Klang	6 Days
Shanghai	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	11 Days
Ningbo	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	9 Days
Qingdao	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	12 Days
Qingdao	Malaysia	Port Klang	11 Days
Ningbo	Malaysia	Port Klang	17 Days
Shanghai	Malaysia	Port Klang	17 Days
Shanghai	New Zealand	Tauranga	19 Days
Ningbo	New Zealand	Tauranga	17 Days
Shanghai	Philippines	Manila	5 Days
Ningbo	Philippines	Davao	17 Days
Ningbo	Philippines	Manila	5 Days
Qingdao	Philippines	Manila	7 Days
Qingdao	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	3 Days
Ningbo	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	12 Days
Shanghai	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	10 Days
Dalian	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	4 Days
Shanghai	Singapore	Singapore	10 Days
Ningbo	Singapore	Singapore	9 Days
Qingdao	Singapore	Singapore	8 Days
Dalian	Singapore	Singapore	18 Days
Dalian	South Korea	Busan	4 Days
Shanghai	South Korea	Busan	7 Days
Ningbo	South Korea	Busan	5 Days
Qingdao	South Korea	Busan	3 Days
Ningbo	Thailand	Laem Chabang	10 Days
Shanghai	Thailand	Laem Chabang	10 Days
Qingdao	Thailand	Laem Chabang	13 Days
Ningbo	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	5 Days
Shanghai	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	5 Days
Qingdao	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	8 Days
Xiamen	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	3 Days

Air Freight from China: Some Useful Trade Lane Information

The following information covers some of the main air freight routes for shipping from China. While the information here only covers airport-to-airport services, Shipa Freight also offers port-to-door and door-to-door transportation to locations in 100 countries worldwide.

Important International Air Freight Routes from China

If your shipments from China comprise high-value goods or are time-critical, you might want to ask your China freight forwarder to provide you with some quotes for shipping by air. This is of course much faster than ocean shipping, but you should also expect the price to be considerably higher.

Fortunately, availability of flights is good, as freight is shipped using passenger airliners as well as dedicated freighter aircraft. Five of the busiest air freight routes from China are:

• Shanghai to Frankfurt (Germany)
• Shanghai to Los Angeles (USA)
• Shanghai to Singapore
• Beijing to Tokyo (Japan)
• Shanghai to London (UK)

Air Freight from China: Longest and Shortest Transit Times

Air freight from China to the rest of Asia is very fast, with shipments from Beijing or Shanghai to Seoul in South Korea taking less than two hours. In fact, the longest element of air freight lead times for Asian consignees is made up of the hours (or perhaps days) spent waiting for border formalities to be completed.

Even the transit time from the air cargo terminal to your business premises can take longer than the flight itself, especially if you are located a long way from the destination airport. The opposite will be true though, if you are shipping freight from China to the United States. Routes from Shanghai to Dallas or Chicago are some of the longest, involving flight times of up to 13 hours.

Examples of Air Freight Routes from China

The lists below should give you a good idea of how long it might take for shipments from China to arrive at an air freight terminal near you. They provide only a few examples of air-cargo trade lanes, though, and we can provide you with quotes for shipments between hundreds of different airports, and even for complete door-to-door transportation between consignor and consignee.

Please note that all transit times shown in the list below are for your interest and general guidance. They show flight durations for direct routes only, and your freight may be in transit for more or less time than the charts indicate.

To Europe

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Beijing	Austria	Vienna	10 Hours
Shanghai	Austria	Vienna	11 Hours
Beijing	Denmark	Copenhagen	9 Hours
Shanghai	Germany	Frankfurt	11 Hours
Nanjing	Germany	Frankfurt	11 Hours
Guangzhou	Germany	Frankfurt	11 Hours
Shanghai	Netherlands	Amsterdam	11 Hours
Zhengzhou	Russia	Moscow	8 Hours
Beijing	Ukraine	Kiev	10 Hours
Shanghai	United Kingdom	London	11 Hours
Guangzhou	United Kingdom	London	12 Hours

To Americas

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Beijing	Canada	Vancouver	10 Hours
Beijing	Canada	Toronto	12 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Los Angeles	12 Hours
Beijing	USA	Chicago	12 Hours
Beijing	USA	San Francisco	11 Hours
Beijing	USA	Dallas	12 Hours
Beijing	USA	Los Angeles	12 Hours
Beijing	USA	Detroit	13 Hours
Beijing	USA	Seattle	11 Hours
Beijing	USA	New York	13 Hours
Guangzhou	USA	Los Angeles	13 Hours
Guangzhou	USA	New York	15 Hours
Guangzhou	USA	San Francisco	13 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Dallas	13 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Chicago	13 Hours
Shanghai	USA	San Francisco	11 Hours
Shanghai	USA	New York	14 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Atlanta	11 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Detroit	13 Hours
Shanghai	USA	Seattle	11 Hours

To Asia

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Guangzhou	India	Mumbai	6 Hours
Beijing	India	Delhi	7 Hours
Shanghai	India	Chennai	8 Hours
Shanghai	India	Mumbai	8 Hours
Guangzhou	India	Delhi	6 Hours
Shanghai	India	Delhi	6 Hours
Shenzhen	India	Chennai	5 Hours
Shanghai	Japan	Osaka	2 Hours
Beijing	Japan	Tokyo	2 Hours
Beijing	Japan	Osaka	2 Hours
Beijing	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	6 Hours
Shanghai	Singapore	Singapore	5 Hours
Beijing	Singapore	Singapore	6 Hours
Beijing	South Korea	Seoul	1 Hour
Shanghai	South Korea	Seoul	2 Hours
Shanghai	Thailand	Bangkok	4 Hours

China Freight: Forwarder Services are Faster Online

At Shipa Freight, we understand that business success can depend on trouble-free, fast imports and exports from China. Our online freight-forwarding platform makes it a quick and simple task to get a quote, book, pay, and track your shipments.

At the same time, our logistics experts help you ensure that your shipping documentation is all in order, reducing the likelihood of delays in transit or at customs facilities.

Every moment counts when your business depends on trouble-free shipping from China, so speed up the process with quotes and bookings from Shipa Freight.