Shipping from China to Morocco

If you import from China into Morocco, you ship into one of the best-connected ports in Africa: Tanger Med. This guide covers what shipping from China to Morocco actually costs, how long each option takes, which ports your cargo moves through, and the Moroccan customs and tax 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 22 to 35 days. Air freight costs more but arrives in about 5 to 8 days. Morocco is not in the EU and runs its own customs, with 20 percent VAT (TVA) plus duty. One point to budget for: Morocco has free trade deals with the EU, the US, and others, but not with China, so Chinese-origin goods pay full duty. Request a live quote any time and we will price your exact shipment.

Cost of Shipping From China to Morocco

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, with 2026 Red Sea diversions affecting routing into the Mediterranean. Treat them as a planning guide, then request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment, ports, and dates.

• Mode: sea is cheapest, air is faster and dearer, express is fastest and dearest.
• Duty: there is no China-Morocco free trade agreement, so Chinese goods pay full MFN duty, which can add meaningfully to landed cost alongside the 20 percent VAT.
• Port choice: Tanger Med is a global hub with strong China links; Casablanca is the practical import port for cargo consumed in Morocco.
• 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, VAT, 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 Moroccan customs duty, the small import tax (TPI), 20 percent VAT, or the forwarder’s 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 Morocco

Sea freight is the backbone of China to Morocco 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. Morocco has a strong advantage in Tanger Med, on the Strait of Gibraltar, which is Africa’s largest container port and a major global transshipment hub with strong direct Asia links, so it has good China connections. For goods actually consumed in Morocco, Casablanca is the practical import port serving the Casablanca-Rabat economic core. Transit is typically 22 to 35 days port to port, with LCL adding about 7 to 10 days. In 2026, some carriers route around the Cape of Good Hope, which runs up Morocco’s Atlantic coast and can favour Atlantic calls but adds 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 Morocco

Air freight is the option when speed matters. Cargo flies from hubs like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, usually arriving in about 5 to 8 days. 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 far less, and we can quote both side by side.

Express Courier From China to Morocco

Express courier (the service behind DHL, FedEx, and UPS) is the fastest door-to-door option, usually 3 to 6 days into Morocco, 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 Morocco. 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 Morocco-bound containers. For air freight, the main gateways are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. On the Moroccan side, Tanger Med on the Strait of Gibraltar is Africa’s largest container port and a leading global transshipment hub with strong China services, often used for automotive and manufacturing cargo. Casablanca is the main port for local import cargo serving the Casablanca-Rabat core, with Agadir in the south and Jorf Lasfar for bulk and industrial goods. Casablanca Mohammed V is the main air gateway. Picking between Tanger Med and Casablanca depends on where your goods are going. 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 Morocco

Moroccan customs is straightforward, but the key point for China imports is duty: there is no free trade agreement with China, so Chinese goods pay full duty plus 20 percent VAT. Here is what applies. Duty depends on your exact product, so check the rate before you order.

• Import VAT (TVA) is 20 percent, charged on the customs value plus duty (a reduced 10 percent applies to some goods). VAT-registered businesses can recover it.
• Customs duty is charged on the CIF value (goods plus insurance and freight), with MFN bands running roughly 2.5 to 40 percent depending on the product. There is no China-Morocco free trade agreement, so Chinese goods pay full duty, unlike EU, US, or Turkish-origin goods.
• A small import tax (TPI, Taxe Parafiscale à l’Importation) of 0.25 percent of the import value also applies.
• The importer must be a registered Moroccan entity with an ICE company number, and declarations are filed through the BADR electronic customs system.
• Because duty is calculated on the CIF value, a correct declared value including freight is essential.
• Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and certificate of origin, plus any product-specific certificates or licences.
• 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 Morocco

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, Moroccan customs, duty, the small import tax, and VAT, 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. It is the simplest option for importers who do not have their own customs setup, though the consignee still needs to be a registered Moroccan entity with an ICE number. The alternative, FOB or CIF, leaves the Moroccan 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 Morocco, 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 Moroccan delivery address.
2. 2
   We quote your options (sea FCL, sea LCL, air, or express) and the right port (Tanger Med or Casablanca) for your delivery point, and you pick one.
3. 3
   Make sure the importer is a registered Moroccan entity with an ICE number; we can work with your customs agent or handle clearance under DDP.
4. 4
   We arrange pickup from your supplier and handle export clearance in China.
5. 5
   Your cargo sails to Tanger Med or Casablanca, or flies into Casablanca Mohammed V.
6. 6
   We clear Moroccan customs through the BADR system, handle duty and VAT, and deliver to your door. With DDP, the charges and delivery are already handled.

Frequently Asked Questions