Container shipping from China to USA is one of the cheapest channels.
How much does containers from China to USA cost?
When comparing the price of container shipping and shipping, the size of the container affects the price.
While there are more than a dozen different sizes of containers, the 20-foot (TEU) and 40-foot (FEU) containers from China to USA are the most commonly used.
20-foot containers from China to USA fee:
What suits the TEU will determine the shipping cost. Costs also depend on the type of goods being transported and how efficiently those goods are packed and loaded into containers.
The dimensions of the TEU are as follows:
Length: 19.4 ft (5.9 m)
Width: 7.7 feet (2.35 meters)
Height: 7.9 ft (2.39 m)
Thus, a TEU has a total cubic capacity of 1,172 cubic feet (33.2 cubic meters) and a payload capacity of 55,126.9 pounds (25,000 kg).
This means that a 20ft container can usually hold 9-10 standard pallets.
40-foot containers from China to USA fee:
FEUs have twice the capacity of TEUs, but do not charge twice the price.
If you want to ship a 20ft container instead of a 40ft container, it’s worth noting that the latter usually costs only 20-25% more than the former.
These are the dimensions of the FEU:
Length: 39.5 ft (12.03 m)
Width: 7.7 feet (2.35 meters)
Height: 7.9 ft (2.39 m)
The FEU has a total cubic capacity of 2,389 cubic feet (67.7 cubic meters) and a payload capacity of 61,200 lbs (27,600 kg).
Container shipping costs have increased dramatically over the past few years, but freight shipping quote appear to be stabilizing (at least for now). In September 2021, it cost more than $20,000 to ship a container from China to the U.S. West Coast, and in June 2022 the price was half the $9,500.
That rate is still four times higher than in June 2020, when container shipping from China to the U.S. was around $2,500.This means you can fit 20-21 standard pallets in the FEU.
Minimum Shipping Time for containers from China to USA from China
One of the shortest transit times for containers to the U.S. is the route from Shanghai Container Terminal using CMA CGM Container Service, with an average transit time of 20 days, which is a faster way to ship containers from China to USA from China. The next shortest route is East Overseas, with Qingdao as the loading port, it takes an average of 28 days to reach the west coast of the United States.
Maximum Shipping Time for containers from China to USA from China
The longest and slowest transit time for a container from China to the U.S. is the Hong Kong to New York route, with an estimated average transit time of 35 to 37 days from port to port. The second-longest route for shipping containers from China to the U.S. is from Guangzhou to Houston, Texas, with an average transit time of 38 to 45 days.
The benefits of LCL containers from China to USA
Choosing the LCL method allows you to minimise your shipping costs as there is no need to rent an entire container to import small quantities of goods.It is also a very advantageous option for freight forwarders in China, so they have the opportunity to fill entire containers with cargo from different customers.LCL is also a good option for importers sourcing from different locations in China. Many companies offer a mix of goods from 5-6 Chinese manufacturers.
Advantages of FCL containers from China to USA
FCL is more cost-effective
Importing via container loading is not always as expensive as one might think, and FCL loading reduces shipping costs compared to small batches.
Buying FCL means your shipments are safer.
In a LCL arrangement, the shipper needs to deliver the goods to the freight forwarder’s warehouse for containerization. Forwarders will use the same container to load more cargo from other shippers to complete a full container load at the warehouse. This operation is also known as freight consolidation.
Save time
This is because carriers can load FCL without any hassle, whereas LCL shipments need to be consolidated first. The destination is the same.