The volume of trade between China and the United States is very large, and there is also a lot of international transportation between the two places. However, under the influence of various factors in the past two years, the freight costs from China to USA has continued to rise to a historically high level.
Express freight costs from China to USA
Whether it is FedEx, UPS or DHL, the official price is generally higher
FedEx IP & IE
Although shipping rates fluctuate frequently, FedEx prices remain within a certain range. FedEx offers International Priority and International Economic Delivery, also known as IP and IE. The transfer time of IP is faster than that of IE. General IP needs 2-3 working days, IE needs 4-6 working days.
When choosing express shipping, pay special attention to the weight charged when express delivery. The courier company will compare the dimensional weight with the actual weight, and take the larger one as the chargeable weight to calculate the freight costs from China to USA.
Express shipping from China to USA is calculated by volume, that is, Length(cm) x Width(cm) x Height(cm)/5000.Now, if you are shipping a huge foam that is 100cm x 100cm x 100cm and weighs 20kg.
Dimensional weight = 100cm x 100cm x 100cm/5000 = 200kg. Much larger than the actual weight (20kg). So the courier will charge you 200kg, not 20kg, because the package is large and will take up a lot of space.
Air freight costs from China to USA
The price of air freight from China to USA is usually divided into five grades: 45KGS, 100KGS, 300KGS, 500KGS, 1000KGS. The price of each grade is different, and of course the prices of different airlines are also different.
The air freight costs from China to USA is also calculated by actual weight or volume, similar to express delivery. But air freight has its own formula for calculating volumetric weight, namely: length (cm) x width (cm) x height (cm)/6000, which is slightly different from express delivery.
For example: CA: 100KG shipping, 23 yuan/100KGS; 22.8 yuan/300KGS; 21.6 yuan/500KGS; 21.5 yuan/1000KGS. (The price is for reference only, CA is cheaper, HU, MU, OZ, KE, BR are slightly higher).
In addition to air freight, the air freight costs from China to USA has additional fees, such as security inspection fees, airport operation fees, air master bills, fuel surcharges, declaration surcharges, dangerous goods handling fees, and waybill fees, also known as air waybills. Cost of work, centralized cargo service fee, cost of freight order, cost of freight order, storage cost of destination station, etc.
Ocean freight costs from China to USA
If your cargo exceeds 2 CBM (cubic meters), you should consider sea freight.
Sea freight from China to USA has different routes to the East Coast and West Coast. The clipper ships to the west coast of the United States (usually to Long Beach or the Port of Los Angeles), and the sea passes through the Pacific Ocean.
The sea voyage time takes about 13 to 16 days. Because the shipping company is different, the price is different, so the time is long or short. For slow boats, it will take about 30-40 days to arrive at the port for pickup.
Goods shipped by sea are packed in containers. There are two types, LCL and FLC.
If your shipment is small and the volume is less than 15 CBM, the freight forwarder will help you to transport your shipment by LCL. This means that you have to share a container with other importers because your cargo load is smaller than the container size.
LCL calculates shipping costs in CBM (cubic meters). For example, if your product is 12 CBM, then shipping = price per CBM * 12 CBM.
FCL means that your cargo is sufficient to fill one or more containers. In this case, the freight costs from China to USA is calculated by the quantity of the whole container. For example, your goods can be loaded in 2 containers, then freight = price of a full box * 2. Generally cheaper than LCL.
How to save freight costs from China to USA?
●Compare at least some offers and models to ensure you get the best cost and most efficient service.
●Buffer your freight budget and transit time for changes. Costs may be incurred due to unforeseen delays or limited capacity, so be prepared.
●Explore warehousing options to mitigate the impact of declining U.S. demand and business restrictions
●.Pay attention to the profitability of your item and consider whether it is worth taking a pivot. Also, remember to factor in shipping costs when assessing profitability.
