Shipping from China to India

If you import from China into India, you have one big advantage over most other destinations: it is a short, cheap lane, because India sits close to China across the Indian Ocean. This guide covers what shipping from China to India actually costs, how long each option takes, which ports your cargo moves through, and the Indian customs 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 12 to 22 days, much faster than China to Europe. Air freight is about 3 to 6 days. Two things to plan for on the tax side: there is no free trade agreement with China, and India applies anti-dumping duties on a very wide range of Chinese goods, so the duty can be higher than the base rate suggests. You also need an IEC code and, for many products, BIS certification. Request a live quote any time and we will price your exact shipment.

Cost of Shipping From China to India

How much you pay depends on the method, the size and weight of your cargo, and the season. The ranges below are indicative and move week to week. The good news is this is a short lane, so freight is lower than to Europe, and the 2026 Red Sea situation affects India far less because the route does not use the Suez Canal. Treat them as a planning guide, then request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment, ports, and dates.

• Duty: many Chinese goods carry anti-dumping duty on top of the base rate, so check your HS code before ordering.
• Mode: sea is cheapest, air is faster and dearer, express is fastest and dearest.
• Short lane: India is close to China, so both freight and transit are lower than to Europe, and Red Sea disruption has little effect.
• Volume: the more you ship, the lower your cost per unit, especially once you fill a container.
• Service level: door-to-door (DDP) bundles duty, taxes, and delivery into one price, which costs more than port-to-port but 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 Indian customs duty, any anti-dumping duty, 18 percent IGST, or the clearance fee, which 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 India

Sea freight is the backbone of China to India shipping and the cheapest way to move anything large or heavy, and this is one of the shorter Asian sea lanes. 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. Cargo sails across the Indian Ocean, arriving at Nhava Sheva (JNPT) near Mumbai, India’s largest container port, or Mundra in Gujarat, India’s largest port by total volume and often less congested, with Chennai on the east coast and Kolkata serving the east and northeast. Transit is typically 12 to 22 days port to port, with LCL adding about 7 to 10 days. Because the route does not use the Suez Canal, the 2026 Red Sea disruption affects India far less than Europe. 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 India

Air freight is the option when speed matters, and it is quick on this lane. Cargo flies from hubs like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong to Delhi or Mumbai, usually arriving in about 3 to 6 days. It costs 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, though the gap to sea is smaller here than on longer lanes. 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 is already fast and much cheaper, and we can quote both side by side.

Express Courier From China to India

Express courier (the service behind DHL, FedEx, and UPS) is the fastest door-to-door option, usually 3 to 6 days into India, 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 India, though duty, IGST, and any BIS requirement 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, Shenzhen (including the Yantian terminal), Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Qingdao handle the bulk of India-bound containers, with South China ports often having the most frequent sailings. For air freight, the main gateways are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. On the Indian side, Nhava Sheva (JNPT) near Mumbai is the largest container port and best connected for the western industrial belt, while Mundra in Gujarat is the largest port by total volume, often less congested, and strong for north India and Delhi by rail. Chennai serves the south and the auto and electronics sectors, and Kolkata serves the east. Delhi and Mumbai are the main air gateways. 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 India

Indian customs is where you need to do your homework, because anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods are common and the registrations are strict. Here is what applies. Check your HS code for an active anti-dumping order and confirm your registrations before you order.

• Import taxes stack in sequence on the CIF value: Basic Customs Duty (BCD) by product, then a Social Welfare Surcharge of 10 percent of the BCD, then Integrated GST (IGST), most goods at 18 percent, charged on the CIF value plus BCD and surcharge, and a compensation cess on a few categories.
• There is no China-India free trade agreement, and India is one of the most active users of anti-dumping duties against China, on steel, chemicals, plastics, solar, electronics, ceramics, and more. These can add large extra percentages, so always check the HS code for an active order.
• You must have an IEC (Import Export Code) from the DGFT to import at all; there is no import without it.
• Many products need BIS certification (for example over 80 electronics and IT items under the Compulsory Registration Scheme, plus other regulated goods). Customs checks the BIS number and detains non-compliant shipments, so confirm certification before the goods leave China.
• Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, IEC, GSTIN, and the Bill of Entry filed on ICEGATE, plus a certificate of origin and any BIS or agency certificates.
• Wood pallets and crates must meet the ISPM-15 heat-treatment standard and carry the stamp, or the cargo can be rejected.

Door-to-Door and DDP Shipping to India

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, Indian customs, duty including any anti-dumping duty, and IGST, 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 anti-dumping duties and BIS rules can catch importers out, having us calculate the full landed cost and check certification up front avoids surprises, but the consignee still needs an IEC and GST registration, since the import rights sit with them. The alternative, FOB or CIF, leaves the Indian clearance, duty, and delivery for you to arrange. For most importers, DDP is worth it for the time and risk it removes.

How to Ship From China to India, 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 Indian delivery address.
2. 2
   Check whether your HS code carries anti-dumping duty and whether your product needs BIS certification, and make sure you have an IEC and GST registration.
3. 3
   We quote your options (sea FCL, sea LCL, air, or express) with indicative 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 Nhava Sheva or Mundra, or flies into Delhi or Mumbai.
6. 6
   We file the Bill of Entry on ICEGATE, handle duty and IGST, and clear your shipment, then deliver to your door. With DDP, everything is already handled.

Frequently Asked Questions