Trade routes transported between China and the USA are of great importance worldwide. If you are doing business in commodities between China and the United States, this article is for you. Let’s explore all the modes of transport for shipping from China to USA in detail. Secondly, we will also find out about shipping from china to us cost involved in the different modes of transport.
In my article, you will learn:
- Common methods of shipping from china to USA
- Which is the most appropriate method of shipping from china to USA
- How long does it take to ship from china
- The lowest shipping from china to us cost
- How long does shipping from china take
- Fastest shipping from china to USA
I. Common methods of shipping from China to USA
China is approximately 14,000 kilometers in a straight line from the United States. The largest ocean that separates the two countries – is the Pacific Ocean. So, there is no land route for shipping from china to USA. So, if you want to ship goods from china to USA, you can choose from three standard shipping methods.
1. Express Shipping from China to USA
DHL
If you need to ship precious items, DHL can deliver them to your door. This is because they have a considerable shipping team. However, you only need to contact them online no need to take time to find a service. Just provide details of the goods you are shipping from china to USA, and you can get a quote. So, all the rest of the shipping process does not take you time to track.
FedEx
On the FedEx website, you can create a free personal account. Because with this account, you can save thirty percent on shipping from china to us cost. These reduced shipping costs are vital for some operators who run small businesses. They will guarantee the ambient temperature needed to transport the items. Express shipping from China to USA is not possible without FedEx.
UPS
UPS is the world’s largest express carrier and parcel delivery company. Initially based in Seattle, USA, and now headquartered in Atlanta, UPS has recently expanded its business into logistics and other transport-related areas, such as warehousing for Nike and repair support for Toshiba. You can find the fastest shipping from china to USA in UPS.
2. Air Freight Shipping from China to USA
Air Express
- Transporting cargo items with a mass of 150 kg or less.
- Goods that need to be transported quickly.
- From collection to air freight to delivery to the customer by a single company.
- Pick-up and delivery are both door-to-door
- Transport prices are relatively high.
Air freight
- Delivery of goods from Chinese airports to US airports.
- Delivering goods from the factory to the airport in China needs to be handled by you.
- You will need to send someone to pick up the goods when they arrive at the US airport.
- Suitable for transporting large cargoes.
- shipping from china to us cost are relatively low.
Air freight forwarding
- No need for you to handle the transport of your goods yourself
- A third party agent in China like CFC can take care of all the shipping for you.
- Get a lower quote from CFC.
- You can’t normally get a price this low because of the third party agent’s long-term airport partnerships.
Which one suits you best when Shipping from China to USA
| Air Freight Shipping from China to the US | Weight of the shipment | Time of transport |
| Air Express： | Shipments of less than 150 kg | Shipments delivered within 1-4 days. |
| Air freight： | Greater than 150 Less than 300 kg | Shipments delivered within 2-20 days. |
| Air freight forwarding： | Greater than 300kg Less than 500kg, (Airfreight is not recommended for cargoes greater than 500kg.） | Shipments delivered within 2-20 days.(Over 20 days choose sea freight.) |
It is the best solution to have the goods sent from China managed by a Chinese fulfillment center on your behalf to save even more time. You can keep the goods in the warehouse of the China fulfillment center. When you need to ship your goods, the China fulfillment center can choose the most suitable shipping solution for you.
3. Sea Freight shipping from china to USA
The Atlantic Ocean lies between China and the United States. It was necessary to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Sea freight was the earliest form of transport between China and the USA. With the continuous development of maritime transportation technology, huge cargo ships and naval transportation has always been a critical transportation status. So, depending on the size of the cargo and container, we divide ocean shipping into two types: LCL and FCL
LCL
When the cargo is smaller than the size of the container, we call this LCL, and when you do not have enough load to fill a container, you will need to share a container with someone else. The LCL shipping method by sea is much cheaper than shipping by air. However, the freight cost of sharing a container with someone else is higher than using a whole container.
FCL
The opposite of an LCL is an FCL, meaning that you can use a full container, which is a more convenient way of transport than an LCL. There is no need to share a container with someone else’s cargo. It is easier to hand over the shipment to the person who will receive it at the port of arrival. Therefore, working with a Chinese freight forwarder is only the ideal way of transport. Whichever method you use, you need to consider several factors to decide whether it is appropriate to consolidate or use the whole container.
A standard ISO container: shipping from china to USA
The container is generally known as a container in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and mainland China. It is a steel box standardized to specification. The characteristic of a container is uniform format and the ability to stack layers on top of each other. They can therefore be placed in large numbers on specially designed ocean-going vessels. Containers offer manufacturers worldwide a cheaper way of transporting large volumes than air freight. A typical large container ship can hold between 5,000 and 8,000 containers.
| Type | Length(mm) | Width(mm) | Height(mm) | Inside Cubic Capacity (m³) | Maximum Gross Weight (kg) | Tare Weight (kg) |
| 20FT | 6058 | 2438 | 2591 | 33.2 | 30480 | 2200 |
| 40FT | 12192 | 2438 | 2591 | 67.7 | 30480 | 3710 |
| 40HC | 12192 | 2438 | 2896 | 76.3 | 30480 | 3860 |
Sea Freight Cost：shipping from china to USA
According to the latest shipping information, prices for 40ft containers are now between $3,300 and $3,900 due to the outbreak. In addition to these, there are some additional charges.
- Cargo insurance premiums.
- They are handling charges once the cargo has arrived at the port.
- Customs brokerage fees in the USA.
- Ocean handling charges in China.
To make getting the lowest sea freight quotations easier, so, we recommend getting a third-party agent in China to handle these operations for you.
Ocean transit times shipping from china to USA
Sailing times fluctuate because shipping by sea is more affected by the marine environment. We count an average time of 12 to 41 days. Shipping from China to the west coast of the USA is typically 12 to 25 days. However, shipping from China to the East Coast of the USA normally takes 24-41 days.
| Los Angeles, CA (days) | Long Beach, CA (days) | Seattle-Ta coma, WA (days) | Oakland, CA (days) | New York &New Jersoy, NY, NJ (days) | Savannah, GA (days) | Norfolk, VA (days) | Charlesto n, SC (days) | Miami, FL (days) | Houston, TX (days) | |
| guangzhou | 17-18 | 15-19 | 24-25 | 18-21 | 27-35 | 32-40 | 29-37 | 30-40 | 30-40 | 27-28 |
| shenzhen | 12-15 | 14-17 | 17-23 | 18-21 | 30-36 | 31-37 | 33-38 | 34-38 | 39-41 | 23-29 |
| shanghai | 12-15 | 13-17 | 14-21 | 18-21 | 24-32 | 26-29 | 28-35 | 28-34 | 32-37 | 24-29 |
| ningbo | 12-15 | 12-15 | 13-19 | 18-21 | 26-33 | 27-35 | 33-39 | 28-35 | 35-36 | 24-29 |
II. Which is the most appropriate way of shipping from china to USA
We have to consider this in several ways.
Firstly, what is the volume and weight of the goods we want to transport?
Secondly, where do we want to transport the goods to? Will the goods be delivered to the customer or to the warehouse?
Thirdly, what is the transit time of the goods?
1.Product and Load
- Transporting gas or magnetic cargo by sea from China to the United States
- Electronic products or ion batteries are shipped by air from China to the USA.
- Very large items are shipped by sea. （Cargo weighing more than 500kg）
2. Destinations for cargo delivery
Before choosing a mode of transport, you need to know where the shipment’s destination is. Sea freight is cheaper, but it needs to dock at a port with the capacity to unload. So, when you choose sea freight, you should also check whether there are any large local ports. Otherwise, choosing sea freight at a destination with no port will cause you a lot of trouble. If you decide to work with a Chinese third-party logistics company, they can customize the most suitable transport solution for you.
- The 3PL can deliver your goods to a warehouse in the USA
- Worldwide Delivery Service can return your goods to small to medium-sized commercial areas in the USA
- One-Stop China Order Fulfillment Service can also return your order to a specific customer.
3. Transport time
Transporting goods by air is much faster than by ship. The choice between air or sea freight will depend on the circumstances.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables and other foodstuffs by air
- Important documents by air
- A combination of sea and land can transport large cargoes. For example, we first send the goods by sea from China to the west coast of the USA. Then we will transport the goods by rail to the east coast of the USA. Therefore, this combination of transport methods will significantly reduce the transport time.
Many Chinese third-party companies have a wide range of transport solutions. Tell them which port in China you need to ship your goods from to which city in the USA. They will then work out several viable options for you. You can choose the one that offers the best value for money from these options.
| Port of Departure | Destination ports | Route | Time | Cost |
| Yantian (Shenzhen) | New York | Sea freight container transport + trucking | 33days | $3,600 |
| Yantian (Shenzhen) | Los Angeles | Sea freight container transport + trucking | 25days | $9,000 |
| Yantian (Shenzhen) | John F. Kennedy | air freight + trucking | 3days | $55,000 |
III. How long does it take to shipping from china to USA
No matter what business you are in, time is critical in making money. For example, if you are in the clothing business, you must sell new clothing ahead of other companies. When choosing shipping times, we should try to choose one that has a fast transit time. Of course, if you start purchasing goods a month in advance, you don’t have to worry about the time it takes to arrive. The minimum transit time from China to the USA is one day, and the maximum takes 35 days.
- Express delivery time from China to the USA is 1-5 days.
- Air transport from China to the USA is 2-15 days.
- Sea freight from China to the USA takes 15-41 days.
IV. The lowest cost way to shipping from china to USA
Shipping from China USA is always a relatively expensive cost. You need to pay for shipping, but you also need to pay for some other expenses. Whether express shipping or air or ocean shipping, the rates are usually calculated by kilogram.
- Sea freight 3000-3900 USD per container
- 4-8 USD per kilogram for air transport
- 5-9 USD per kilo for air express shipping.
- In addition, there are the costs from the factory to the airport or port.
- If you need warehouse storage for your goods, you will also have to pay storage fees.
- The cost of customs clearance in the USA also needs to be included in the cost of shipping.
How long does shipping from china take? What is the Cheapest Way to Ship from China to the USA? Comparing the shipping costs of these three modes of transport, we find that shipping by sea is the cheapest. But is this the case? When choosing a shipping method, you should consider the cost of shipping and the cost of time, and other charges. If you can’t make the best solution yourself, you can choose a Chinese third-party logistics agency. You need to make your sales plan, and all the warehousing, shipping, and logistics issues can be left to Order Fulfillment.