Do you import products from China to the United States? For your company or Amazon store. So, How much doe sea freight from China to USA cost?
In the following article, I will introduce the sea freight from China to USA cost, time, and other matters about shipping from China to USA in detail. The sea freight from China to USA cost has a great relationship with your profit.
The lower sea freight from China to USA cost, the higher profit. This is something every seller wants to see.
What is the best way of transportation between China and the US?
There are two different ways to ship your goods between China and the US: by sea or by air. In order to give you the best advice on which shipping method to choose for your shipment from China, we have compared the two options for you!
Sea freight
There are 3 types of standard size containers that are commonly used by most of the importers for shipping both commercial and personal freight. They are called “dry containers”:
● 20 feet: 33 cubic meters capacity (approx. 10 pallets)
● 40 feet: 67 cubic meters capacity (approx. 20 pallets)
● 40 feet HQ: High Cube, 76 cubic meters capacity (approx. 24 pallets)
For pallets with a dimension of 120 x 100 cm (max height 230 cm)
Difference between the Less Container Load LCL and the Full Container Load FCL
Sea freight is a reliable way of transporting large volumes, with options designed to accommodate different sized cargoes. Two of them include Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container Load (LCL).
FCL refers to shipments in which all the goods in a container belonging to one party, while LCL refers to goods from several shippers or importers packed and loaded together in the same container.
A company’s needs and inventory requirements determine the procurement and shipping decision, as well as factors such as cost and type of merchandise. For example, the LCL allows for smaller and more adaptable product inventory, while the FCL is more suitable for high-volume items and high-volume products.
Advantages of LCL Shipping
You only pay for the space you use, depending on the amount
More convenient if you don’t have enough storage space
Possibility to load any type of cargo
Disadvantages of LCL Shipping
slowest shipping method
Goods must be palletized
High processing (and therefore risky) in merge/split repositories
Advantages of FCL Shipping:
You have all the space you need in the container
Treat less. Sealed container from departure to arrival
The most affordable bulk method
Disadvantages of FCL Shipping:
Sea freight is the slowest mode of transportation
You must buy in bulk or at least 15 CBM
How much does sea freight from China to USA cost?
The sea freight from China to USA cost depends on many criteria, each carrier, each freight forwarder applies its own rate, more or less high, more or less negotiable, depending on the quantity shipped.
The essential information is the volume of your cargo and not the weight, as it is always based on the international “equivalence rules”. It really helps optimize space without worrying too much about weight.
Weight/volume ratio: According to the ocean freight equivalent rule “1 ton = 1 cubic meter”.
The sea freight from China to USA cost for an FCL shipment, obviously depends on the destination, both in terms of distance and cargo volumes. Below follows a few FCL 20’’ price samples for various destinations in the US, EU, Australia, and Asia:
Shenzhen – Los Angeles: $2,230 – $2,460
Shenzhen – New York: $2,275 – $2,515
Insurance
The insurance cost in transit is also a part of the sea freight from China to USA cost. Most freight forwarders insure the cargo and charge 0.02% of 110% of the FOB price.
Let’s say you buy $50,000 worth of merchandise and because you have insurance, your loss is reduced to $110. Insurance: 0.2% x 1.1 x cargo value (included in CIF).
How can we effectively reduce sea freight from China to USA cost?
Here are some examples that can help you reduce sea freight from China to USA cost:
1.Consolidate your LCL cargo into one FCL container
2.Adjust your order quantity according to container capacity (eg 20” FCL = 1200 pcs)
3.Book ocean freight instead of air freight
4.Book DAP or DDU shipping instead of CIF
5.Optimize the export carton and product packaging size to reduce the total volume.
How often do sea freight from China to USA cost change?
sea freight from China to USA cost may change daily or weekly. Therefore, due to the volatility of the international freight market, shipping offers expire very quickly.
What is the cheapest sea freight from China to USA cost?
FCL container shipping is by far the cheapest way to ship products from China. The more you ship, the less you pay, which means importers who buy bulk from suppliers enjoy better shipping rates than smaller competitors – who are often caught between LCL and air freight predicament.
The following is the second mode of transportation: Air Freight
Air freight from China to the US is ideal for shipping relatively high value and urgent but not necessarily large shipments. With Air Freight from China, you will get door-to-door delivery at competitive prices and in less time than other shipping methods.
Time
The transit time from China to the US usually takes 5 to 8 days. Several factors affect the delivery time of your shipments, the type of shipments themselves (bulk or non-bulk), and their value and weight.
Cost
Air freight costs are a combination of various charges and surcharges, including air freight, fuel surcharges, security charges, terminal charges and other surcharges. These fees are set by different airlines based on their operating costs.
Airlines often revise these charges to reflect market changes, based on factors such as season, international oil prices and low seasons.
Air freight charges vary by airline, route and season. Airfreight charges for each airline on the same route may vary. For example, if there are two airlines, the airfreight rates between airlines on the same route can vary significantly.
For example, a shipment from China to the U.S. might cost $100 per kilogram during the peak season, while the same shipment during the low season might cost as little as $75 per kilogram.
Even for the same airline on the same route, airfreight costs can vary dramatically, depending on the level of competition on that route and the time of year.
For example, a summer shipment from China to the U.S. might cost $10 per kilogram, while the same shipment to another state for Christmas might cost $1,500 per kilogram.
All in all, the sea freight from China to USA cost is cheaper than air freight, but the speed of air freight is impeccable. Whichever suits you is the best.
