Air & Ocean Shipping From China to US

China is the world’s factory, and has been for some years. Despite a growing trend in the United States toward shortening supply chains and increasing domestic production, opportunities for trade between the giants of East and West are unlikely to diminish anytime soon.

Much has been written about sourcing from China. However, there is somewhat less information to be found about the practicalities of ocean and air shipping from China to the US. On this page, we aim to change that, by providing you with some practical guidance for using either mode of transportation.

Do you want to get your first export from China to the US off to a flying start with air freight, or simplify the business of shipping by sea? Either way, there’s plenty here to help you become more successful with your freight movements from the Orient to the 50 great states of America.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight From China to the US?

With no possibility to import from China to the US via overland services, your only options are to send your goods as ocean or air freight.

If your supply chain requires rapid transit, and you have a robust enough logistics budget, air freight will probably be the right choice for your business. Otherwise, you will need to opt for the slower, but less expensive option, to send your commodities in a shipping container from China to the US as ocean freight.

Ocean Freight From China to the US

Less than Container Load (LCL): For smaller shipments, you can send your ocean freight as a less-than-container-load. In this case, your freight forwarder will have it consolidated with other shippers’ goods and engage a carrier to transport it in a container from China to the US.

Full Container Load (FCL): If you ship in quantities large enough to fill a shipping container, full-container-load (FCL) freight services will save you money in comparison to LCL shipping. FCL means your goods alone will occupy the container. Furthermore, with no need for cargo consolidation/deconsolidation, you should be able to get your freight from China to the US a little faster.

Air Freight from China to the US

If you don’t want to wait several weeks for your freight to steam across oceans from China to the United States, air freight will cut the transit time to mere days, albeit at much higher freight rates.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Freight From China to the US?

A significant portion of the costs for importing from China to the US is made up of freight charges. However, ocean and air freight rates vary according to the season, available capacity, fuel costs, and other commercial and environmental factors. The variances are frequent, making it difficult to provide a general illustration of costs. The nature of the freight being shipped, and the size of the shipment, also dictate the rates you will pay. For that reason, requesting a freight forwarder's quote is the only way to accurately assess the cost of shipping freight from China to the US.

Nevertheless, it is possible to provide some general guidelines to help you compare the cost of different freight shipping modes.

For example, if you can fill a shipping container, an FCL service will save you the most money on transportation, as the cost-per-unit will be lower than LCL. That's because LCL shipping rates are calculated using a dimensional weight formula. In contrast, FCL is based on flat rates per container.

On the other hand, it’s rarely cost-effective to rent and transport a container that’s only partially filled. If your shipment only occupies two or three pallets, the cost of FCL shipping is likely to be prohibitive, and LCL shipping becomes a more attractive option.

Most shippers will not choose air freight—especially for large shipments—unless speed is essential for their supply chains. That said, it is possible to ship goods by air in smaller quantities at reasonable rates. An air freight shipment with a weight of around 100 kilograms can sometimes cost only a little more than sending the goods as ocean cargo.

If you plan to export a shipment that weighs less than 35 kilograms, you’re unlikely to find a freight forwarder to handle it. It’s not viable to ship such a small quantity using freight protocols. Instead, you should approach an international courier company that will arrange to send your goods by air at an affordable price.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From China to the US?

When importing from China to the US, you should expect your consignment to take at least three or four days to make its journey by air, and up to five weeks if you choose ocean freight.

Perhaps you’re wondering why the transit time is so long for air freight. After all, the flight time is less than one full day. However, air-cargo transit times include the total duration of the shipping process, including:

• Consolidation at the departure airport
• Export customs procedures
• Unloading at the destination airport
• Import customs clearance

If indirect flights are used for your freight, you must also take transshipment time into account. Any transshipment might involve a wait of several hours, a day, or even longer.

For ocean freight, you will need to allow weeks rather than days for shipping. The duration of the voyage will depend on the route and whether the carrier operates a direct service, or one that visits several ports before arriving at your shipment’s destination.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea From China to the US?

As mentioned above, total transit time for ocean shipments from China to the United States depends on the specific origin and destination ports used. The following examples will give you an idea of actual ocean-freight transit times between different ports in China and the USA:

• Guangzhou to Los Angeles – 26 days LCL
• Guangzhou to Miami – 38 days LCL
• Dalian to Los Angeles – 26 days LCL
• Huangpu to Miami or Charleston – 40 days LCL
• Huangpu to Los Angeles – 35 days LCL
• Huangpu to New York – 40 days LCL and FCL
• Jiangmen to Charleston – 42 days LCL
• Jiangmen to Los Angeles – 27 days LCL
• Jiangmen to Miami – 44 days LCL
• Ningbo to Chicago – 22 days LCL, 29 days FCL
• Ningbo to Houston – 34 days LCL, 36 days FCL
• Ningbo to Los Angeles – 17 days LCL, 13 days FCL
• Ningbo to New York – 23 days LCL, 35 days FCL
• Ningbo to Seattle – 17 days LCL, 23 days FCL
• Shanghai to Atlanta – 29 days LCL, 34 days FCL
• Shanghai to Boston – 35 days LCL, 37 days FCL
• Shanghai to Charleston – 34 days LCL, 37 days FCL
• Shanghai to Chicago – 28 days LCL, 37 days FCL
• Shanghai to Houston – 33 days LCL, 39 days FCL
• Shanghai to Los Angeles – 22 days LCL and FCL
• Shanghai to Miami – 46 days LCL, 38 days FCL
• Shanghai to New York – 37 days LCL, 38 days FCL
• Shanghai to Seattle – 24 days LCL
• Shenzhen to Charleston – 40 days LCL
• Shenzhen to Chicago – 30 days LCL
• Shenzhen to Los Angeles – 23 days LCL, 19 days FCL
• Shenzhen to Miami – 44 days LCL
• Shenzhen to New York – 38 days LCL, 36 days FCL
• Shenzhen to San Francisco – 25 days LCL
• Qingdao to Atlanta – 39 days LCL, 35 days FCL
• Qingdao to Chicago – 25 days LCL, 24 days FCL
• Qingdao to Houston – 37 days LCL, 36 days FCL
• Qingdao to Los Angeles – 24 days LCL
• Qingdao to New York – 40 days LCL, 36 days FCL
• Qingdao to Seattle – 20 days LCL
• Tianjin to Houston – 35 days LCL
• Tianjin to Miami – 42 days LCL
• Tianjin to Seattle – 35 days LCL, 36 days FCL
• Xiamen to Los Angeles – 20 days LCL
• Xiamen to New York – 34 days LCL
• Fuzhou to Houston – 23 days FCL
• Fuzhou to Los Angeles – 20 days FCL
• Lianyungang to Boston, Savannah or Oakland – 36 days FCL
• Ningbo to Oakland, Long Beach, Norfolk, Savannah, or Baltimore – 36 days FCL
• Shanghai to Baltimore – 36 days FCL
• Shanghai to Savannah – 29 days FCL
• Shanghai to Long Beach – 25 days FCL
• Shanghai to Tacoma – 36 days FCL
• Shekou to Los Angeles – 23 days FCL
• Shekou to New York – 36 days FCL
• Qingdao to Charleston – 35 days FCL
• Qingdao to Long Beach – 19 days FCL
• Qingdao to Oakland – 24 days FCL
• Xiamen to Charleston, Houston, Oakland, or Savannah – 36 days FCL

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From China to the US?

Typical transit times for air freight from China to the US range from two to eight days, as you can see from the following examples, which comprise routes from the Shipa Freight database:

• Guangzhou to Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago – 5 days
• Guangzhou to Miami – 6 days
• Zhengzhou or Beijing to Los Angeles – 5 days
• Chengdu to Los Angeles – 12 days
• Beijing to Boston, New York or Atlanta – 6 days
• Beijing to Chicago or Cincinnati – 4 days
• Beijing to San Francisco, Dallas or Houston – 7 days
• Shanghai to Atlanta – 3 days
• Shanghai to Dallas, Boston or Cincinnati – 7 days
• Shanghai to Chicago, Miami, New York, or Los Angeles – 5 days
• Shanghai to Sacramento, Detroit or Houston – 6 days
• Shenzhen to Atlanta, Miami, or Dallas – 6 days
• Shenzhen to Chicago or Los Angeles – 5 days
• Shenzhen to Denver – 7 days
• Shenzhen to Houston – 2 days
• Qingdao to New York, Houston or Chicago – 8 days
• Qingdao to Seattle or Los Angeles – 5 days
• Wuhan to New York – 8 days
• Xiamen to Atlanta or New York – 4 days
• Xiamen to Detroit or Houston – 7 days
• Xiamen to Los Angeles – 8 days

Customs Clearance in China and the US

Export and import customs clearance can seem complicated, and in many cases, that’s because it is. Nevertheless, it is an unavoidable aspect of ocean and air shipping from China to the US. Consequently, it is something for which every supplier, consignee, and intermediary engaged in international trade must be prepared.

Your carrier will not take any responsibility for helping you with customs procedures. However, a freight forwarder will take care of them for a fee. Even so, there are some steps for which your business must retain responsibility. They include the provision of accurate information and the documents to accompany your freight.

Typically, you will need to ensure that the following documents accompany all your exports from China to the USA, as customs authorities in both countries will require them:

1. Commercial Invoice
2. Packing List
3. Certificate of Origin
4. Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depending on the contract between the parties involved)
5. Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Your freight forwarder should provide this)

We have published a comprehensive Shipping Documents page to familiarize you with the various papers and forms, including examples that you can examine.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

As long as you can live with the lengthy shipping durations required for sea freight, it’s likely to be the most practical way to transport your US-bound cargo from China.

Ocean shipping usually involves packing your goods into a shipping container, either with other shippers' consignments (LCL shipping), or sealed in a dedicated unit (FCL shipping). In either case, you will need to ship your cargo via a port in the United States with container-handling facilities. Similarly, you must choose a container port in China as the gateway for your freight.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of container ports in either country. Therefore, you should have no trouble finding a route to minimize the amount of domestic transportation required. Your freight forwarder will help you identify the ports nearest to the supplier and those closest to the shipment's recipient.

Depending on the Incoterms applicable to your shipment, your business will be responsible for some, or all, transportation. That means you will need to decide if you want a port-to-port, door-to-port, port-to-door, or door-to-door freight service. Many forwarders can offer a choice between all of these options, both for LCL and FCL freight.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

LCL ocean freight will probably suit your needs if you’re shipping a small consignment—one that will not take up more than about half the space of a 20-foot container. You can also use LCL shipping with a larger load if your forwarder can consolidate into a 40-foot unit. However, it would make sense to weigh up the costs as compared with a full, 20-foot container load. You may find it cheaper, for instance, to send the bulk of your goods as a 20-foot FCL, with the remainder as an LCL.

Before you settle on a decision to use LCL shipping, it will pay to consider the following questions:

• Are your products suitable for transit in a container with other shippers’ freight?
• Are you able to live with the possibility of slightly longer transit times?
• Will your cargo stand up to the amount of handling involved in LCL shipping?
• Is your schedule flexible? LCL arrival times can change without warning.

If you answer “no” to any of the questions above, you might prefer to go with an FCL shipping service, even if your goods will not fill a container.

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

With FCL shipping, you won't have to worry too much about your consignment's weight and dimensions. These factors will not affect the cost as long as your shipment is not too voluminous for the length, breadth, and height of a container. However, you will be paying for the rental of the container, as well as transportation. Therefore, if you can’t fill the container, you will probably need some other good reasons to choose FCL, because LCL might prove more economical.

In general, FCL is a suitable shipping mode in the following cases:

• When you want your freight isolated, sealed, and secured in its container from origin to destination.
• When you can’t accept any delays or problems that might arise from other shippers’ issues, such as leakage, contamination, or customs discrepancies.
• When the container and its contents must undergo minimal handling, so mitigating against the risk of loss or damage to your freight
• When the shipment supplier and recipient have space and facilities to accommodate a full container for loading/unloading
• When the quantity of goods is sufficient to occupy at least half the available interior space of a container.

Air Freight

While much faster than ocean freight, air shipping from China to the US is also much more expensive. Nevertheless, it may be a necessity if your cargo:

• Must be delivered quickly to its recipient
• Is high-value and requires the tight security offered by airlines and airport operators
• Consists of products with a substantial profit margin
• Is perishable, fragile, or delicate
• Occupies no more than two or three pallets
• Is to be shipped between a supplier and consignee located close to airports and far from ocean ports.

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in China

Shanghai

Port Facts:

• The port of Shanghai is one of the world’s most important for container shipping.
• Home to the largest automated container terminal on the planet.
• The Shanghai port complex is vast, comprising a deep water port and shallow-water zones.
• It’s an ideal port of origin if you are importing products from factories in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Owned By: Shanghai International Port Company Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >40 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: CNSHA.

Dalian

Port Facts:

• China's second-largest container transshipment hub.
• Serves primarily as an export point for the Northeastern region of the country.
• Container traffic has increased here since the nearby Liaoning Free Trade Zone was established.
• The most northerly ice-free port in China, located on the Yellow Sea.
• Provides 80 berths.

Owned By: Dalian Port Group Co., Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >9 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: CNDLC.

Ningbo-Zhoushan

Port Facts:

• Comprises five terminals (including a modern container terminal) and more than 300 berths.
• A high-volume gateway for exports from Zhejiang Province.
• Serves as a strategic overflow for the nearby Port of Shanghai.
• A $1.6 billion port expansion is planned, to include a significant increase in container capacity.

Owned By: Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >26 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: CNNGB.

Qingdao

Port Facts:

• This port has a steady throughput of container traffic, to and from some 700 world ports.
• The main port of export for Shandong Province, a powerhouse of Chinese industry.
• Among the ten busiest ports in the world.
• Situated on the Yellow Sea.
• There are two primary container terminals at Qingdao Port: the Qingdao Cosport International Container Terminal and the Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal.

Owned By: Qingdao Port (Group) Co., Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >18 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: CNTAO.

Xiamen

Port Facts:

• Xiamen is a sprawling port, comprising nine container terminals and 74 berths.
• The leading Chinese port for service to and from Taiwan.
• Ranks as the eighth-largest container gateway in China.
• An origin and destination for 68 shipping routes to 50 countries, including the United States.
• The port stretches over 30 kilometers.
• A high-volume hub for global shipping.
• The port’s Haicang container facility is currently undergoing an upgrade that will allow it to receive larger container vessels.

Owned By: Xiamen Port Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >10 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: CNXMN.

Other Ports in China

In addition to the five ports described above, Shipa Freight also operates ocean freight services to the USA from the following ports of origin in China:

• Shenzhen (Chiwan, Shekou, Yantian)
• Fuzhou
• Lianyungang
• Qinzhou
• Shantou
• Zhongshan
• Zhuhai
• Guangzhou (Huangpu, Nansha)
• Tianjin

Cargo Ports of Arrival in the US

Los Angeles

Port Facts:

• Around one-fifth of all cargo entering the United States arrives via the Port of Los Angeles.
• The USA’s premier trade gateway, with the nation’s highest throughput in tonnage and value.
• It is the largest port in the USA, covering nearly 70 kilometers of California coastline.
• Facilities include eight container terminals and more than 80 cranes.
• More businesses have their cargo arrive via Los Angeles than any other US port.
• Located in San Pedro Bay, near to Long Beach Port.
• Ranked as the USA’s number-one container port every year since 2000.

Owned By: City of Los Angeles.

Annual Container Volume: >9 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USLAX.

Long Beach

Port Facts:

• A critical gateway for trade from China and the rest of Asia.
• Long Beach is located right alongside the Port of Los Angeles.
• More than a quarter of container traffic to and from the USA moves through LA and Long Beach.
• Ideal port of arrival for consignees based on the Western side of the USA.
• Long Beach is the USA’s second-largest container port.
• A colossal port occupying 40 kilometers of waterfront.
• Located three kilometers from downtown Long Beach.

Owned By: City of Long Beach.

Annual Container Volume: >8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USLGB.

Savannah

Port Facts:

• The port of Savannah lies 30 kilometers from the ocean, on the Savannah River.
• A popular port of unloading for imports from China.
• Home to the largest and fastest-growing container terminal in North America.
• A logical choice for importers based in the Eastern States, and even those in the Midwest.
• Offers direct access to interstate highways.

Owned By: Georgia Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USSAV.

Seattle

Port Facts:

• A convenient arrival port for businesses in the Northwestern United States.
• A significant redevelopment of the port's Terminal 5 recently got underway.
• The upgrade will increase container capacity and enable larger ships to be accommodated.
• Facilities include one of the largest container terminals on the U.S. west coast.

Owned By: Northwest Seaport Alliance.

Annual Container Volume: >3.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USSEA.

Miami

Port Facts:

• One of the biggest cargo ports in the USA.
• A convenient gateway for cargo from China bound for the Southeastern states.
• Port Miami is fondly known as the Cargo Gateway of the Americas.
• Situated on Dodge Island on the Miami River.
• More than 7.4 million tonnes of sea freight is processed here annually.
• Located 1,850 kilometers from the Panama Canal.
• The largest container port in Florida, and the ninth-largest in the US.
• One of the most popular ports for door-to-door ocean freight from China to US businesses.

Owned By: Multiple owners.

Annual Container Volume: >1 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: USMIA.

Other Ocean Freight Ports in the United States

Aside from the five ports described above, freight forwarders like Shipa Freight can also offer ocean freight services to the following US container ports:

• New York
• Houston
• San Francisco
• Oakland
• New Orleans
• Boston
• Baltimore
• Atlanta
• Charleston
• Norfolk
• Tacoma
• Port Everglades
• Mobile

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Airports of Origin in China

Shanghai Pudong

Airport Facts:

• Pudong Airport is the world's third busiest air-cargo hub.
• The airport typically handles more than 3.5 million tonnes of cargo per year.
• A crucial air freight center for the East Asia region.
• Situated 30 kilometers east of Shanghai city center.
• Received the Best Air Freight Facility on the Planet accolade by Air Cargo World in 2019.
• At least 17 airlines operate freight services between Shanghai and airports in the United States, including 13 cargo-only operators.

USA Airports Served: Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Memphis, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Detroit, Seattle, Newark, Oakland, Washington DC.

Shanghai to USA Cargo-Only Operators: AirBridge Cargo, Air China Cargo, China Cargo Airlines, China Southern Cargo, Atlas Air, Kalitta Air, Polar Air Cargo, Southern Air, FedEx Express, Korean Air Cargo, National Airlines, Qantas Cargo, Suparna Airlines, UPS Airlines.

Beijing

Airport Facts:

• The airport belonging to China’s capital, Beijing, is another of the world’s busiest cargo airports.
• It sees a cargo throughput of more than 2 million tonnes annually.
• Located 32 km northeast of Beijing's city center.
• 13th-busiest airport in the world by cargo traffic.
• Handled two million tonnes of cargo in 2018.
• Air China Cargo provides freight-only services from here to four US destinations.
• American Airlines, Air China, Delta, United, and Hainan Airlines all fly passengers and freight to the USA from Beijing.

USA Airports Served: Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Jose, Houston, New York, Newark, Washington DC, Dallas, Detroit, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco.

Beijing to USA Cargo-Only Operators: Air China Cargo.

IATA Code: PEK.

Guangzhou

Airport Facts:

• Guangzhou is China’s third busiest cargo airport, and the 17th busiest globally.
• Cargo throughput at Guangzhou was more than 1.8 million tonnes in 2018.
• It’s the primary airport in Guangdong province.
• Facilities include two terminals and three runways.
• China Southern flies a few passenger and freight routes between Guangzhou and airports in the United States, while also operating freight-only services to Chicago and Los Angeles.

USA Airports Served: Anchorage, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco.

Guangzhou to USA Cargo-Only Operators: China Southern Cargo.

IATA Code: CAN.

Qingdao

Airport Facts:

• Situated 31 kilometers from central Qingdao in Shandong Province.
• As it’s surrounded by urban development, the existing airport has no room to expand.
• The existing airport will soon be replaced by the much larger Qingdao Jiaodong Airport, which has been under construction since - 2013 and is scheduled to open late in 2019.

USA Airports Served: Los Angeles, San Francisco.

Qingdao to USA Cargo-Only Operators: China Southern Cargo.

IATA Code: TAO.

Wuhan

Airport Facts:

• Wuhan Tianhe links Central China with cargo destinations around the world.
• The busiest airport overall in central China.
• Located 26 km from downtown Wuhan in Hubei Province.
• Comprises two runways and one terminal with a second under construction.
• Kalitta Air offers freight-only flights from Wuhan to Anchorage and Chicago.
• China Southern Airlines carry passengers and cargo to San Francisco and New York.
• Handles more than 220,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

USA Airports Served: Los Angeles, San Francisco.

Wuhan to USA Cargo-Only Operators: China Southern Cargo.

IATA Code: WUH.

Other Airports in China

In addition to Shanghai Pudong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, and Wuhan, Shipa Freight also provides air freight forwarding services to the US from the following international airports in China:

• Xiamen
• Chengdu
• Shanghai Hongqiao
• Shenzen
• Zhengzhou
• Chongqing
• Dalian
• Tianjin

Airports of Arrival in the US

Los Angeles

Airport Facts:

• LAX, as it’s commonly known, is the 10th busiest cargo airport in the world (as of 2018).
• A perfect destination for international air freight from China to the Western United States.
• In 2018, more than two million tonnes of cargo passed through Los Angeles Airport's terminals.
• More than half of the cargo through LAX is transported in the holds of passenger airliners.
• Approximately 1,000 flights per day arrive or depart Los Angeles airport with cargo onboard.
• Most imports reaching the USA via LAX are inbound from China.
• Among the five busiest airports in the United States for both passenger and cargo traffic.
• Situated 30 kilometers southwest of Downtown Los Angeles.

Connected Airports in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou.

China to Los Angeles Cargo-Only Operators: AirBridge Cargo Airlines, Air China Cargo, China Cargo Airlines, China Southern Cargo, National Airlines, Qantas Freight.

IATA Code: LAX.

Miami

Airport Facts:

• Miami International Airport handles more than two million tonnes of freight per year.
• Additionally, Miami trumps LAX, and all other US airports, for international freight volume.
• Ranked 15th among the busiest cargo airports in the world in 2018.
• Offers connections to more than 160 cities on four continents.
• No direct flights from Chinese airports.

Connected Airports in China: None.

China to Miami Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: MIA.

Chicago

Airport Facts:

• Up to 15 wide-body cargo aircraft can unload simultaneously at Chicago O’Hare.
• The freight terminal covers an area of approximately 185,000 square meters.
• A full quarter of the freight that arrives here comes from China.
• The number-three airport for cargo in the USA.
• Handled over 1.8 million tons of freight in 2018.
• It can accommodate 15 wide-bodied cargo aircraft.
• You can fly your freight here with any of seven international carriers.
• Five cargo-only carriers operate flights to Chicago from airports in China.

Connected Airports in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhengzhou.

China to Chicago Cargo-Only Operators: Air China Cargo, Cargolux, China Southern Cargo, Qantas Freight, Yangtze River Express.

IATA Code: ORD.

New York

Airport Facts:

• The number-one airport in the United States for cargo value.
• Sixth-busiest airport in the country.
• Situated 26 kilometers southeast of Manhattan.
• Stretches over a 21 square-kilometer area and has four runways.
• Offers several direct passenger and cargo flights from airports in China.
• Korean Air Cargo, Air China Cargo, and Qantas Freight operate cargo-only flights from China.
• The third busiest US gateway by the value of cargo handled, with only the ocean ports of Los Angeles and New York seeing a higher value in throughputs.

Connected Airports in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu.

China to New York Cargo-Only Operators: Korean Air Cargo, Air China Cargo, Qantas Freight.

IATA Code: JFK.

Dallas/Fort Worth

Airport Facts:

• Nowhere in the US is more than a four-hour flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
• It offers 1.8 million square meters of warehouse capacity.
• American Airlines and other operators fly between Dallas and some 190 stateside destinations.
• Freight operations are already moving close to 2,000 tonnes per day.
• The central hub for the USA's national flag carrier, American Airlines.
• Flights serve the airport from more than 190 US cities.

Connected Airports in China: Beijing, Shanghai.

China to Dallas Cargo-Only Operators: Air China Cargo, China Airlines Cargo, Qantas Freight.

IATA Code: DFW.

Other Air Freight Destinations in the USA

By shipping your imports from China by air to LAX, MIA, JFK, ORD, or DFW, you should be able to get them into your inventory quickly, if not as economically as with ocean freight. However, these are not the only international airports available for your goods. You can also ship your imports from China into the following destinations in the United States:

• Atlanta
• Charlotte
• Denver
• El Paso
• Houston
• Philadelphia
• Seattle
• Cleveland
• Cincinnati
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Boston
• Detroit
• Sacramento

Why Ship Freight From China to the US With Shipa Freight?

Regardless of your business’ scope and scale, Shipa Freight can simplify your processes for exporting from China to the United States of America. Apart from the advantages of online quote requests, bookings, payment, and freight tracking, we place the resources of a top 20 global shipping company at your disposal. Our parent company, Agility, has a physical presence in several major cities, both in China and the United States.

Turn Your Challenges into Capabilities

• Our industry-leading technology and skilled logisticians equip you with the capabilities to overcome global freight shipping complexities.

• When all you need is straightforward, self-service management tools, our platform provides fingertip control.

• When you need human experts to advise, guide, and help you, our specialists are just an email, online chat, or phone call away, and available around the clock.

Customs Clearance Made Easy

• Not only will we move your freight via the most economical and efficient routes, but we'll also help you comply with customs requirements.

• If you’d like some essential customs information at a glance, you’ll find it on the China and USA pages of our International Shipping Guide.

• When you book your freight on our platform, you’ll be prompted for all the information we need to clear your shipment through customs.

• When you have questions about customs clearance, or we need extra information from you, our agents will guide you as appropriate to your shipment and its characteristics.

In short, we're with you—and your freight—all the way from origin to destination. So if you're ready to simplify your shipping, try China to the USA with Shipa Freight.

Know Your Shipping Terminology

To help build your understanding of the language of shipping, we’re ending our country-to-country pages with definitions of potentially confusing terms and jargon. It’s a great chance to familiarize yourself with the ‘lingo’ so you can communicate your needs more effectively.

• Acceptance
• Carriage and Insurance Paid to (CIP)