Shipping from China to United States

If you are importing from China, the route to the United States is the one you will use most, and it is also the one with the most moving parts. This guide covers what shipping from China to the USA actually costs, how long each option takes, which ports your cargo moves through, and what the 2025 to 2026 customs changes mean for your bill. As a freight forwarder, we move cargo on this lane every week, so the numbers and steps below reflect how shipments really run, not a generic checklist. 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 15 to 40 days depending on the coast. Air freight costs more but lands in 3 to 7 days. The right choice comes down to how fast you need the goods and how much they weigh and measure. One thing has changed for everyone importing from China: as of 2025, the old duty-free allowance for low-value parcels is gone, so every shipment now clears customs and pays duty. Request a live quote any time and we will price your exact shipment.

Cost of Shipping From China to United States

How much you pay depends on the method, the size and weight of your cargo, the destination coast, and the season. The ranges below are indicative and move with the market, especially during peak season from August to October when ocean rates can run 50 to 100 percent above the quiet months. Treat them as a planning guide, then request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment, ports, and dates.

• Season: peak season from August to October, and the rush before Chinese New Year, push ocean rates up.
• Coast: East Coast and inland US delivery cost more than the West Coast.
• Volume: the more you ship, the lower your cost per unit, especially once you fill a container.
• Mode: sea is cheapest, air is faster and dearer, express is fastest and dearest.
• Service level: door-to-door (DDP) bundles customs and delivery for 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, which is the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight, so bulky-but-light cargo costs more than it looks. None of these ranges include US customs duty, the Merchandise Processing Fee, or the Harbor Maintenance 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 United States

Sea freight is the backbone of China to USA 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 to ship. 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. Transit time depends on the coast. To the US West Coast (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle), a full container typically sails 15 to 25 days port to port. To the East Coast (New York, Savannah), expect 30 to 40 days, since the ship either transits the Panama Canal or routes the long way around. LCL adds about 7 to 10 days for the cargo to be consolidated before departure and unpacked after arrival. A rough rule for choosing: below about 15 CBM, LCL is usually cheaper; above it, a full container wins. Between 15 and 20 CBM it is worth pricing both, because LCL handling fees at the destination can eat the saving. We quote both so you can compare.

Air Freight From China to United States

Air freight is the option when speed matters. Cargo flies from hubs like Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong to US gateways such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, usually arriving in 3 to 7 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, which is the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric (dimensional) weight. That means bulky-but-light cargo is charged on its size, not its scale weight, so foam, packaging, and oversized items cost more than you might expect. Per-kg rates fall as the shipment gets heavier, so larger air shipments earn a better rate per kilo. For most importers, air makes sense when the value of arriving a few weeks sooner is worth the premium. When it is not, sea freight moves the same goods for a fraction of the cost, and we can quote both side by side so the trade-off is clear.

Express Courier From China to United States

Express courier (the service behind DHL, FedEx, and UPS) is the fastest door-to-door option, usually 2 to 5 days, 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 and most reliable way to move goods from China to the USA. Above roughly 100 to 150 kg, standard air freight usually becomes cheaper while still being fast, so express is best kept for the genuinely small and urgent. 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, Shenzhen (including the Yantian terminal), Ningbo, Qingdao, and Guangzhou handle the bulk of US-bound containers. For air freight, the main gateways are Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. On the US side, where your cargo lands depends on the coast that suits your delivery. West Coast ports (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma) are closest to China and fastest by sea, and they handle the largest share of transpacific traffic. East Coast ports (New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston) suit deliveries to the eastern half of the country, even though the sea leg is longer. Houston serves the Gulf and the south-central states. The busiest single lanes we run include Shanghai to Los Angeles, Shenzhen to Long Beach, and Ningbo to New York. You can browse the specific city-to-city routes we operate below and open any one for its own transit times and details.

Customs, Duties and Taxes in United States

Customs is where China to USA shipping has changed the most. The headline: the duty-free allowance for low-value parcels (the old $800 de minimis) ended for China-origin goods in 2025, so in 2026 essentially every shipment pays duty and clears a formal customs entry. Rates and rules are changing fast, so confirm the current duty on your products with a licensed customs broker before you ship.

• Import duty is charged on the customs value of your goods, based on their HTS code (the product classification number). Many China-origin goods also carry Section 301 trade-war tariffs on top, commonly 7.5 percent or 25 percent depending on the product.
• The de minimis exemption that let parcels under $800 enter duty-free is gone for China-origin goods as of 2025. Plan for duty on every shipment, whatever its value.
• Two US government fees apply: the Merchandise Processing Fee (a small percentage of cargo value, with a set minimum and maximum) and, on ocean shipments only, the Harbor Maintenance Fee. Air freight does not pay the Harbor Maintenance Fee.
• For ocean cargo you must file an Importer Security Filing (ISF, also called 10+2) at least 24 hours before the goods are loaded in China. Missing or late filings can mean fines and holds.
• Commercial shipments need a customs bond, either a single-entry bond for a one-off shipment or a continuous bond if you import regularly.
• Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, and the bill of lading (ocean) or air waybill (air). Wood pallets and crates must meet the ISPM-15 heat-treatment standard or the shipment can be refused.
• Goods regulated by agencies like the FDA (food, cosmetics, supplements) need that agency’s clearance too, which can add time. As of June 2026 the exact tariff stack is in flux, so verify current rates with a broker before you commit.

Door-to-Door and DDP Shipping to United States

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, US customs and duty, 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 broker or US logistics setup. The alternative, DDU or DAP, stops short of duty and final delivery, leaving those for you to arrange. For most small and mid-size importers, DDP is worth it for the time and risk it removes.

How to Ship From China to United States, 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 US delivery address.
2. 2
   We quote your options (sea FCL, sea LCL, air, or express) with indicative costs and transit times, and you pick one.
3. 3
   We arrange pickup from your supplier and handle export clearance in China.
4. 4
   Your cargo sails or flies from the origin port, for example Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Ningbo, to a US gateway such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, or New York.
5. 5
   We file customs (including the ISF for ocean cargo), pay duty and fees, and clear your shipment with CBP.
6. 6
   We deliver to your door. With DDP, duty and delivery are already handled, so there is nothing left to arrange.

Frequently Asked Questions