Ocean freight is the most common option for shipping goods internationally. It can be a cost-effective and reliable method of transportation.
China ocean freight to USA is a popular option for importing goods from Asia, and many companies choose this route to save on cost and delivery time.
China is the largest trading partner and the third largest export market. The United States has a very large demand for shipping from China to USA, especially for shipping. The United States is China’s largest trading partner and the third largest export market.
China ocean freight to USA has several players in the process. these are:
shipping company
customs broker
shipping agent
A shipping company is a company that handles the actual transportation of goods. They know the right way to pack and handle goods.
The customs broker will process the documents and obtain government permission. They can also handle the delivery of items through a freight company, as they are usually located near ports.
China ocean freight to USA process
● The first part of the process is to transfer the goods from the supplier to the freight forwarder‘s location.
● The next part will be customs clearance. This is required for each port depending on the country where the supplier is located (in this case, China).
● Customs clearance will be handled by a licensed broker.
● The next step will be to handle and load other cargo in preparation for the actual shipping.
● The freight forwarder will then select the shipping, which will handle the actual shipping from one port to another. They usually do this according to the schedule required to deliver the goods.
● Once the cargo arrives at a U.S. port, it must go through import clearance.
● Now, the cargo must be unloaded from the ship, separated from other cargo, and prepared so that the consignee can then pick it up.
FCL vs LCL China ocean freight to US
FCL or LCL sea freight from China to USA, which is better? To determine which option is better for our shipping, we need to understand what the terms LCL and FCL mean.
They refer to the two main container shipping methods: FCL means full container load and LCL means less than container load, this is the second factor that determines what is the best way to ship your goods from China to the US is to evaluate your shipping volume and weight, then contact your freight forwarder or shipping agent in China.
If your cargo is less than 10 cubic meters, the best way is LCL, but if you need to ship more than 10 cubic meters, the best option is FCL.
Precautions for LCL China ocean freight to US
LCL shipping means that your shipment will share space with that of other companies.
It also means that your delivery may take longer due to the packing and unpacking process.
Before departure, your shipment will be stored in the LCL warehouse in China until departure, then in the unpacking warehouse in the United States upon arrival, and then delivered to your address.
Precautions for FCL China ocean freight to US
FCL shipping means renting an entire container for your cargo.
If you have loads large enough to occupy a container, or even a large portion of a container, FCL shipping is probably the most economical.
It’s also faster than LCL shipping because you don’t have to combine or break up your items with others.
Your container will also remain sealed throughout its journey, unless a customs officer chooses it for inspection, it will remain sealed until it reaches your address or destination of choice.
Cost of China ocean freight to US
Most LCLs are priced by volume, not by weight, except for particularly heavy loads.
For most products, use the following rules of thumb to choose the most cost-effective model:
It becomes uneconomical to transport goods weighing more than 500 kg by air.
Shipping cost is about 2-4 USD/kg.
Time of China ocean freight to US
It takes about 15-40 days for China-US transportation, and the delivery time by sea is relatively long. That’s because boats move much slower than planes.
U.S. Customs requires importers to use a Single Entry Guarantee and travel by sea also requires an ISF Guarantee.
On top of that, port congestion, customs delays and adverse weather conditions affect ocean freight more than air freight.
If you need to ship your goods faster, ocean shipping offers great service. Depending on shipping requirements, expedited shipping may be able to really reduce transit time. In some cases, it may even be competitive with airfreight delivery times.