China to USA ocean freight is probably the most practical way to shipping from China to USA, as long as you can live with the long shipping times .
Ocean freight from China to USA usually involves packing your cargo into a shipping container, either with another shipper’s consignment (LCL), or sealed in a dedicated unit (FCL). In either case, you will need to ship your cargo through a US port with container handling facilities. Again, you must choose a container port in China as your cargo gateway.
FCL or LCL China to USA ocean freight
You must choose between Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL) – LCL before completing the procedure for shipping to China. FCL will allow you to use only one container to store your cargo without sharing it. This is especially true if the cargo volume allows you to fill a 20-foot container or a 40-foot container, as each container can hold 10 or 21 standard US pallets, respectively. Standard US pallets are 47.24″ long x 39.37″ wide.
This way, you will make more use of your China to USA ocean freight costs as FCL shipping starts to be more profitable when you are more than half full; moreover, if you want to avoid any damage or damage if you share the container with other traders or contamination, you will also benefit from a full case load.
In other cases, “LCL” — sharing a container — allows you to save on China to USA ocean freight costs in case you don’t need enough volume to fill a container, or you’re not concerned about the risks associated with sharing containers. This approach involves sharing the container with other cargo belonging to other traders, but you only pay for the space your cargo uses, saving you significantly on China to USA ocean freight costs.
The following examples will give you an idea of actual China to USA ocean freight time between different ports in China and the US
● Guangzhou to Los Angeles – 26 Days LCL
● Guangzhou to Miami – 38 Days LCL
● Dalian to Los Angeles – 26 Days LCL
● Huangpu to Miami or Charleston – 40 Day LCL
● Huangpu to Los Angeles – 35 Days LCL
● Huangpu to New York – 40 Days LCL and FCL
● Jiangmen to Charleston – 42 Days LCL
● Jiangmen to Los Angeles – 27 Days LCL
● Jiangmen to Miami – 44 Days LCL
● Ningbo to Chicago – 22 days LCL, 29 days FCL
● Ningbo to Houston – 34 days LCL, 36 days FCL
● Ningbo to Los Angeles – 17 days LCL, 13 days FCL
● Ningbo to New York – 23 days LCL, 35 days FCL
● Ningbo to Seattle – 17 days LCL, 23 days FCL
● Shanghai to Atlanta – 29 days LCL, 34 days FCL
● Shanghai to Boston – 35 days LCL, 37 days FCL
● Shanghai to Charleston – 34 days LCL, 37 days FCL
● Shanghai to Chicago – 28 days LCL, 37 days FCL
● Shanghai to Houston – 33 days LCL, 39 days FCL
● Shanghai to Los Angeles – 22 Days LCL and FCL
● Shanghai to Miami – 46 days LCL, 38 days FCL
● Shanghai to New York – 37 days LCL, 38 days FCL
● Shanghai to Seattle – 24 Days LCL
● Shenzhen to Charleston – 40 Days LCL
● Shenzhen to Chicago – 30 Days LCL
● Shenzhen to Los Angeles – 23 days LCL, 19 days FCL
● Shenzhen to Miami – 44 Days LCL
● Shenzhen to New York – 38 days LCL, 36 days FCL
● Shenzhen to San Francisco – 25 Days LCL
● Qingdao to Atlanta – 39 days LCL, 35 days FCL
● Qingdao to Chicago – 25 days LCL, 24 days FCL
● Qingdao to Houston – 37 days LCL, 36 days FCL
● Qingdao to Los Angeles – 24 Days LCL
● Qingdao to New York – 40 days LCL, 36 days FCL
● Qingdao to Seattle – 20 Days LCL
● Lianyungang to Boston, Savannah or Oakland – 36 Days FCL
● Ningbo to Oakland, Long Beach, Norfolk, Savannah or Baltimore – 36 Days FCL.
Before from China to USA ocean freight, you must fully understand the steps of supply chain management, understanding, packaging, production, transportation, storage and warehousing. But if you hire a freight forwarder, then these problems will become easier.