Freight is where importers are most often overcharged, because most buyers have no reference point for what a lane should cost. This guide gives you the reference points: which mode to use, what transit times to expect, how a freight quote is built, and which payment method leaves you with leverage.
1. Sea, air or express?
| Mode | Best for | Transit (port to port) | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL (full container, 20'/40HQ) | Over ~15 CBM | 25–40 days to Europe/US East Coast | Lowest per unit |
| LCL (shared container) | 1–15 CBM | 30–45 days (plus consolidation) | Mid — watch minimum charges |
| Air freight | High value, urgent, 100–1,000 kg | 5–10 days door to door | 4–8× sea |
| Express courier | Samples, under ~100 kg | 3–7 days | Highest per kg, simplest |
| China–Europe rail | EU buyers, 1–3 CBM, time-sensitive | 18–25 days | Between sea and air |
Rule of thumb: if the goods are worth more than about $8 per kg, air freight frequently makes sense for the first urgent batch. Everything bulky — furniture, ceramics, textiles — goes by sea.
2. How to read a freight quote
A freight quote has four blocks. Suppliers and forwarders often quote only two of them, then "discover" the rest at destination.
| Block | Typical items |
|---|---|
| Origin charges | Pickup from factory, export clearance, terminal handling, documentation |
| Main freight | Ocean or air freight to destination port/airport |
| Destination charges | Terminal handling, port fees, customs clearance, delivery order |
| Final mile & duty | Trucking to your address, import duty, VAT/GST |
Always ask for the quote "all-in to my door, duty paid / duty unpaid" and then demand the breakdown. Any forwarder who refuses the breakdown is not competitive — they are hoping you will not notice.
Once you have the breakdown, the fastest sanity check is to rebuild the number independently: our free landed cost calculator estimates all four blocks for 26 destinations and shows where quotes usually hide margin.
3. Door-to-door timeline
For an LCL shipment from Guangdong to a European or US port, a realistic schedule:
- Days 1–7: booking, pickup from factory, consolidation at the warehouse
- Days 7–12: export clearance and container loading
- Days 12–40: ocean transit (varies widely by lane and season)
- Days 40–45: destination charges, customs clearance, delivery
So plan on 6 to 8 weeks door to door by sea, and 1 to 2 weeks by air. Chinese New Year and the pre-Christmas peak (August–October) add 1–3 weeks and can double spot freight rates — book early for those windows.
4. Customs documents you need
- Commercial invoice (matches the declared value — under-declaring is your risk, not the supplier's)
- Packing list with carton count, dimensions and weights
- Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill — the document that controls the goods
- HS code for your product; this determines the duty rate. Ask your broker, not the supplier
- Certificate of Origin where a trade agreement applies
- Product certificates as required in your market (CE, FCC, FDA, CARB and so on)
Never let a supplier choose your HS code without checking it. A wrong code means wrong duty, and in some countries an under-declaration penalty that lands on the importer — you.
5. Six ways to cut freight cost
- Increase carton fill rate — knock-down designs and tighter packing often cut freight 20–40%.
- Consolidate suppliers into one container instead of three LCL shipments.
- Compare two forwarders every order; rates on the same lane vary 15–30%.
- Avoid the peak season where your cash flow allows (book before June or after November).
- Choose the right destination port — a cheaper port two hours further inland can beat the closest one.
- Move to FCL as soon as volume allows: LCL's minimum charges and double handling often make FCL cheaper from about 12–15 CBM.
6. Payment methods compared
| Method | Cost | Protection | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| T/T bank transfer, 30/70 | Low (bank fees $20–$60) | Balance gives leverage | Standard for orders $2k–$50k |
| Platform escrow / Trade Assurance | 1–3% | Payment-channel protection | New supplier, platform purchase |
| Letter of Credit | $300–$800 per L/C | Strong — bank pays against documents | Orders above ~$50k |
| PayPal / card | 3–5% | Chargeback possible | Samples and small orders only |
| Open account (30–60 days) | None | None | Only after 6+ clean orders |
Whatever the method, the rule is the same: the payment you have not yet made is your only leverage. Keep 70% behind a passed inspection. See our guide to sourcing scams and payment protection for how payment fraud actually happens.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China take?
Sea freight: 6–8 weeks door to door for an LCL shipment, 4–6 weeks for FCL. Air freight: 5–10 days. Express: 3–7 days. Add 1–3 weeks in peak season.
Is it cheaper to use the supplier's shipping or my own forwarder?
Usually your own forwarder, unless the supplier ships enough volume to get better rates. Always get both numbers — our Incoterms guide explains how to compare them properly.
Do I pay duty on the goods or on the freight too?
In most countries duty is calculated on the CIF value — goods plus freight plus insurance — so freight is dutiable. VAT/GST is then usually charged on top of the duty-inclusive value.
Get a freight quote you can compare
Send us your carton dimensions and destination. We will return an itemised door-to-door quote and tell you whether FCL or LCL is genuinely cheaper for your volume.