Shipping from China to Brazil

If you import from China into Brazil, the freight is the easy part: the hard part is Brazil’s stacked import taxes and its customs registration. This guide covers what shipping from China to Brazil actually costs, how long each option takes, which ports your cargo moves through, and the Brazilian import rules you need to plan for. As a freight forwarder, we move cargo on this lane every week, so the figures and steps below reflect how shipments really run. You have four main ways to ship: sea freight in a full container (FCL), sea freight in shared container space (LCL), air freight, and express courier. Sea freight is the cheapest for anything large or heavy and takes roughly 32 to 45 days, since this is a long haul. Air freight costs more but arrives in about 5 to 9 days. The most important thing for Brazil: the import taxes (import duty, IPI, PIS/COFINS, and state ICMS) stack on top of each other and often add more to your landed cost than the freight, and you cannot clear anything without a RADAR licence and a registered Brazilian importer. Sort those out first, then request a live quote and we will price your exact shipment.

Cost of Shipping From China to Brazil

How much you pay depends on the method, the size and weight of your cargo, and the season. The ranges below are indicative and have been trending up in 2026 on tight capacity and rerouting. They cover freight only: Brazilian import taxes are paid on top and are often the largest cost. Treat them as a planning guide, then request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment, ports, and dates.

• Import taxes, not freight, are usually the biggest cost: import duty, IPI, PIS/COFINS, and state ICMS stack on top of each other.
• Mode: sea is cheapest, air is faster and dearer, express is fastest and dearest.
• Routing: this is a long haul, and 2026 Red Sea diversions push some services around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost.
• Customs: Brazilian clearance can be slow and document-sensitive, and Santos can be congested, so build in buffer.
• Service level: door-to-door (DDP) bundles freight, taxes, and delivery into one price, which removes the work.

Sea freight is priced per container (FCL) or per cubic meter (LCL). Air and express are priced on chargeable weight, the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight, so bulky-but-light cargo costs more than it looks. None of these ranges include Brazil’s import taxes (import duty, IPI, PIS/COFINS, and ICMS) or the clearance fee, which are the largest part of landed cost and are covered in the customs section below.

Indicative ranges only. Request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment.

Sea Freight From China to Brazil

Sea freight is the backbone of China to Brazil shipping and the cheapest way to move anything large or heavy. You have two choices. A full container (FCL) means you book a whole 20ft or 40ft box for your cargo alone, which is most cost-effective once you have roughly 15 cubic meters (CBM) or more. Shared container space (LCL) means your goods travel in a container with other importers’ cargo and you pay only for the space you use, which is the better deal for smaller loads. This is a long haul from China across the Pacific and Atlantic, or around the Cape of Good Hope, so transit is typically 32 to 45 days port to port, with LCL adding about 7 to 10 days. Cargo arrives at Santos, the largest port in Latin America and the main gateway serving São Paulo, with Paranaguá, Itajaí, Navegantes, and Rio de Janeiro as alternatives. Santos can be congested and Brazilian customs can be slow, so build in buffer time. A rough rule for choosing: below about 15 CBM, LCL is usually cheaper; above it, a full container wins, and we quote both so you can compare.

Air Freight From China to Brazil

Air freight is the option when speed matters on this long lane. Cargo flies from hubs like Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong to São Paulo Guarulhos, usually arriving in about 5 to 9 days, often via a North American or European hub. It costs several times more than sea freight per unit, so it pays off for urgent restocks, high-value goods, samples, or products small and light enough that the weight cost stays reasonable. Air freight is priced on chargeable weight, the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, so bulky-but-light cargo is charged on its size. Per-kg rates fall as the shipment gets heavier. When speed is not essential, sea freight moves the same goods for a fraction of the cost, and we can quote both side by side.

Express Courier From China to Brazil

Express courier (the service behind DHL, FedEx, and UPS) is the fastest door-to-door option, usually 5 to 8 days into Brazil, and it bundles pickup, the flight, and delivery into one service. It is built for small parcels, samples, and urgent documents rather than pallets of stock. Express is the priciest choice per kilo, but for a small, time-critical shipment it is often the simplest way to move goods from China to Brazil, though the import taxes still apply. Above roughly 100 to 150 kg, standard air freight usually becomes cheaper while still being fast. We can compare express against air freight for any shipment where speed is the priority.

Transit Times Compared

Transit times are port to port. Add a few days for customs clearance and final delivery.

Main Ports and Routes

Most cargo from China leaves through a handful of major ports. On the ocean side, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen (including the Yantian terminal), Guangzhou, and Qingdao handle the bulk of Brazil-bound containers. For air freight, the main gateways are Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. On the Brazilian side, Santos is by far the largest port, the main gateway for São Paulo and the industrial southeast, with Paranaguá in the south, Itajaí and Navegantes in Santa Catarina, and Rio de Janeiro as alternatives. The main air gateway is São Paulo Guarulhos. Santos is known for congestion, so an alternative port sometimes saves time for cargo not bound for São Paulo. You can browse the specific city-to-city routes we run below and open any one for its own transit times and details.

Customs, Duties and Taxes in Brazil

Brazilian customs is where this lane gets complicated. There is no free trade agreement with China, the import taxes stack in layers, and you cannot clear anything without the right registration. Here is what applies. The key is to model your full landed cost, not just the freight, before you order.

• Import taxes stack on top of each other. Import Duty (II) is charged on the CIF value, roughly 0 to 35 percent by product. IPI (a tax on manufactured goods, roughly 0 to 15 percent) is added on top, then PIS/COFINS-Importação (about 11.75 percent combined), then state ICMS (a VAT-like tax, usually about 17 to 19 percent) calculated on top of everything else. Together these often add more than the freight.
• There is no China-Brazil free trade agreement, so goods pay the standard Mercosur common external tariff with no preference.
• You must hold a RADAR licence with Receita Federal, and the importer must be a registered Brazilian entity. Nothing clears without it, and it is a common first-time blocker.
• The import declaration is filed electronically in the Siscomex system (DI or DUIMP). Documentation errors get shipments held, and clearance can take days to weeks.
• Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and the import declaration, plus a certificate of origin where relevant and product licences for regulated goods (for example Anatel for electronics or Anvisa for health products).
• Wood pallets and crates must meet the ISPM-15 heat-treatment standard and carry the stamp, or the cargo can be held or rejected.

Door-to-Door and DDP Shipping to Brazil

Door-to-door, often sold as DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), means we handle the whole journey: pickup at your supplier in China, export clearance, the sea or air leg, Brazilian customs and the import taxes, and final delivery to your address. You get one price and one point of contact, and you never deal with the port or the paperwork yourself. Because Brazil’s import taxes are heavy and the clearance is complex, having a clear all-in price up front avoids surprises, but the consignee still needs a RADAR licence and must be a registered Brazilian importer, since the import rights sit with them. The alternative, FOB or CIF, leaves the Brazilian clearance, taxes, and delivery for you to arrange through a local broker. For most importers, DDP is worth it for the time and risk it removes.

How to Ship From China to Brazil, Step by Step

1. 1
   Tell us what you are shipping: the goods, their weight and volume (CBM), the supplier’s city in China, and your Brazilian delivery address.
2. 2
   Make sure the importer has a RADAR licence and is registered with Receita Federal, and we help you estimate the full landed cost including the stacked import taxes.
3. 3
   We quote your options (sea FCL, sea LCL, air, or express) with indicative freight costs and transit times, and you pick one.
4. 4
   We arrange pickup from your supplier and handle export clearance in China.
5. 5
   Your cargo sails to Santos, Paranaguá, or Itajaí, or flies into São Paulo Guarulhos.
6. 6
   We file the import declaration in Siscomex, handle the import taxes, and clear your shipment, then deliver to your door. With DDP, everything is already handled.

Frequently Asked Questions