How to ship from China to the US
Importers who make products in China and sell them in the US can choose from a variety of shipping options, including express, air, and sea shipping.
Express from China to USA DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.)
Airfreight from China to the US
And ship from China to the US
Ship from China to the US cargo inquiry and tracking
It is necessary to inquire and track the information of where the goods ship from China to the US are shipped, the date of departure, when they arrive at the port of destination and whether the customs release them.
It is usually necessary to consult the container number and shipping company of the LCL company for the inquiry and tracking of the goods by sea. Generally, the container number, seal number, and shipping company are not displayed on the bill of lading, so you can only contact the booking agent for information about the goods.
Process of Ship from China to the US
China’s export to the United States by sea is the same as the United States’ import to China by sea.
The following is the introduction of the whole process of shipping from The Chinese factory to the American warehouse, provided that the goods meet the shipping requirements of the shipping company, and both the consignee and consignor have their cooperative local shipping and freight forwarding agency.
Ship from China to the US:Shipping inquiry
to inquire about the shipping cost of the corresponding goods from China to the United States;
Ship from China to the US:Ocean freight booking
to international ocean freight forwarding companies, shipping companies, the United States line ocean LCL companies
Ship from China to the US:Pick up
pick up the goods into the warehouse or the container to the factory after loading back to the dock, fumigation, weighing;
Ship from China to the US:Export customs declaration
declare the export of goods to the Chinese Customs on behalf of the shipping agency or the customs broker;
Ship from China to the US:Marine bill of lading information
provide accurate Marine bill of lading information
Ship from China to the US:US customs declaration
ISF and AMS declaration, only for US line. Import and export enterprises without experience in the United States shipping are advised to consult professional shipping agencies in the United States.
Ship from China to the US:By sea to the United States
by ship
Ship from China to the US:US import clearance
usually the consignee entrusts a local us international freight forwarder or customs clearance company to provide services.
Ship from China to the US:Pick up
pick up the goods from the dock to the warehouse or to the LCL agent warehouse to pick up the goods.
Shipp from China to the US is completed.
American law stipulates that importers and exporters engaged in international transportation must use “international freight forwarders” with professional knowledge to do so.
No matter how big the company is, it cannot book the shipping space directly from the shipping company. It can only be booked through an international freight forwarder. The cost involved in each link of international shipping, the United States law is relatively fixed, so shipping to the United States freight is very transparent.
How long does it take to ship from China to US
How long does it take for China to ship goods to USA? It is divided into sea time and door to door, including picking up goods and delivering customs declarations, and customs clearance time.
How long does it take from Chinese ports to USA ports: it usually takes 10~15 days for containers from major coastal ports such as Shanghai Yangshan Port and Yantian Port to Los Angeles and nearby ports in the west of the United States, and different shipping companies have some differences.
It takes 23 to 30 days to ship from major Chinese ports to eastern U.S. ports (Such as New York and Miami).
DALIAN → LOS ANGELES,CA: 22 days;
YANTIAN(YANTIAN, Shenzhen) → LOS ANGELES, CA(LOS ANGELES, California): 14 days;
XIAMEN → LOS ANGELES, CA: 14 days;
XINGANG,TIANJIN(TIANJIN XINGANG Pier,TIANJIN) →NEW YORK,NY(NEW YORK,NY) : 35 days;
QINGDAO → NEW YORK, NY: 29 days;
NINGBO → NEW YORK, NY(NEW YORK, NY): 26 days;
Guangzhou Huangpu → MIAMI, FL(MIAMI, Florida): 30 days;
Port to port shipping time refers to the time from the day of departure to the arrival of the ship at the port of destination but does not include the delay of unloading due to shipping peak season, workers’ strike, epidemic impact, import declaration, and other reasons.
The time of shipping from China to the United States includes a series of work such as picking up goods in China, export customs declaration, waiting for ships, shipping time, customs clearance in the United States, and picking up and delivering goods. Theoretically, if all goes well, the door-to-door shipping time from China to the United States is 25 to 40 days.
Many uncertain factors will affect the total shipping time, such as the frequent customs inspection delay and missing the ship booked.
Container FCL
Container FCL from China to The United States includes 40-size high cabinets 45HQ, 40HQ or 40HC, 40FT (40GP), 20FT (20GP).
Among them, the 45 HQ ultra-high cabinet is relatively abundant only on the routes to The United States, and other shipping companies rarely provide such containers.
The length, width, and height of a 20 FT container are 5898*2352**2392 MM, about 5.9*2.3*2.3 meters. The total volume is 33.2 cubic meters, and the cargo carrying capacity is 26.0 tons. The theoretical size and volume are different in actual loading. It is suggested that the cargo volume should be 28 cubic meters.
The length * width * height of a standard 40FT container is 12,031 *2352*2392 mm, or about 12*2.3*2.3 meters. The total volume of the container is 67.7 cubic meters, and the maximum load capacity is 26.0 tons.
The 40 HQ standard container is 12031*2352*2697 mm in length * width * height, which is about 12*2.3*2.6 meters. The total volume of the container is 76 cubic meters, and the maximum cargo weight is 26 tons.
Standard 45 HC containers are 12 m X2.34 m X2.71 m in length, width, and height, with a maximum cargo weight of 26 tons.
Major container seaports in China
Major container shipping ports in China include:
Shenzhen Port (Shenzhen Port includes Yantian Dock, Chiwan Dock, Mawan Dock Shekou Dock)
Guangzhou port Huangpu new port old port wharf, Wuchang port, Nansha port
Xiamen
Ningbo port
In Shanghai port
Qingdao port
Tianjin port
The Dalian port
Even the shipment port
Inland ports: Zhongshan Port, Foshan Xingang Port, Jiangmen Port, Beihai Port, Fangcheng Port, Wuzhou port, Zhanjiang Port, Zhuhai Port, Shantou Port, Nanchang port, Changsha port, Wuhan, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi ‘a Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou,
A major container shipping port in the United States
Major U.S. container shipping ports: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Oakland, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York, Newark, New Jersey
China container freight to the United States sea freight
China container transport to the United States sea freight, from The Chinese port to the United States port of the sea freight is different ship company, every week, different ports and ports, different goods, different weight, a container freight will not be different.
Common matters needing attention in USA customs clearance
Common provisions and notes for US customs import clearance
Tariffs, which are usually levied by value, have risen from an average of 8 percent to 25 to 35 percent since Trump increased them in 2019. Of course, import tariffs on most goods are still relatively low, at around 10%.
The label “MADE IN CHINA” must be attached to the products and outer packing cases, otherwise, the goods may be confiscated and destroyed when inspected by US customs.
If medical devices are shipped to the United States, FDA certification must be done before shipment to China. If they are not shipped, they may not pass the United States Customs, and the goods are easy be returned to China or destroyed by the United States Customs.
AMS declaration must be accurate and completed according to requirements.
ISF 10+2 declaration should be completed by the requirements and time.
All food and cosmetics imported into the United States must provide FDA Prior Notice and invoice list to the United States Customs. If other details are required by the United States Customs, they must be provided again. Please follow the requirements of the United States Customs and wait for the confirmation of the customs before transshipment.
All shipments into the United States with logs must be fumigated, whether packaged or palletized. If unfumigated logs are found by the United States Customs, the customer shall bear the penalty of the United States Customs and the freight of returning the whole truck, at his own risk.
Fragile, valuable, and special goods are not acceptable for all goods entering the USA. If they are damaged or lost, they will not be compensated. (Similar to glass sheets for microscope, quite a lot of documents are required.)
All drugs or chemicals used in drugs entering the United States must meet the import standards of Canada and the United States, and the contraband will be confiscated by customs in both countries. You also need to provide the documentation required in point 1
Door-to-door charges for China sea LCL shipment to the USA
Charges that may be involved in door-to-door container shipping from China to the United States: Domestic and local charges, charges by export container shipping companies, customs, charges by American container shipping unpacking companies, customs clearance fees, and provision fees.
Domestic and local expenses in China: delivery fee, warehousing fee, packaging fee, etc. Charges of export LCL company: document fee, AMS declaration fee, LCL fee, ocean LCL freight, China Customs: export customs declaration fee, (there may be payment fee);
Container shipping FCL from China to the USA door to door charges
The door-to-door charges for FCL from China to the United States are much less than those for LCL, and many charges are fixed by shipping companies or port companies.
Domestic and local expenses in China: towing fee, fumigation, weighing fee, transportation appraisal report fee, warehouse collection, and handling fee;
Fixed charges of the shipping company at the port of departure: dock fee, document fee, AMS declaration fee, depot fee, booking fee, port miscellaneous fee, ISPS, PREconfigured warehouse receipt fee (PTF), Seal fee, handling fee, telex release fee;
Export customs charges: export customs declaration, commodity inspection, etc. Sea freight from China to the United States: container sea freight fixed charges at American ports: document fee, dock fee, change documents fee;
Customs clearance fees: customs clearance fees, customs duties and taxes and commissions, BOND purchase fees, ISF 10+2 declaration fees; Pick-up charge: towing fee and any additional charges that may be incurred.