Sea freight
Sea freight from China, FCL and LCL
For large orders, ocean freight gives you the lowest cost per unit. We book the space, collect from your suppliers and handle the paperwork at both ends.
Container options
FCL or LCL: which fits your order?
FCL (full container load)
Often worth it from about 13–15 CBM
You book a whole 20 ft or 40 ft container. It's sealed at origin and stays sealed until it's unloaded at destination. There's less handling, and past a certain volume it costs less per cubic meter than LCL.
Get a quote: FCL (full container load)LCL (less than container load)
Best for pallets and smaller carton counts
Your cartons share a container with other shippers' cargo. It's priced by volume (cubic meters, or CBM) and weight, so you pay only for the space you use. Expect a few extra days, since the container is packed at a consolidation warehouse and unpacked at destination.
Get a quote: LCL (less than container load)
Transit estimates
How long sea freight takes, by lane
Port-to-port estimates from Shenzhen or Ningbo. Allow roughly 1–2 more weeks for pickup, export, customs clearance and final delivery, and more for LCL or inland addresses.
View as table
Transit times are estimates. Sea times are port to port unless stated. Air is counted from departure and express from pickup. Actual times vary by route, season, carrier space and customs.
Booking and space
We compare carriers and sailings for your dates and route.
Pickup in China
Collection from one or several suppliers, trucked to the port or to our warehouses in China.
Export customs
Export declaration and shipping documents from China.
Delivery terms
Port to port, door to door, door to port or port to door.
DDP or DDU
We can arrange import clearance and duties for you, or leave that to your broker.
Final delivery
Trucking to an Amazon fulfillment center, a 3PL or your own warehouse.
Cargo insurance
Available on request through third-party insurers.
How it works
How a sea shipment runs
- 01
Quote
Send your cartons, weight, volume, supplier location and destination. We'll recommend FCL or LCL, and quote both if it's close.
- 02
Booking
Once you confirm, we reserve space and agree cargo ready dates with your suppliers.
- 03
Pickup and loading
Goods are collected, checked against the packing list, photographed and loaded.
- 04
Sailing
We share the vessel and estimated arrival, and tell you if the schedule changes.
- 05
Arrival and delivery
Import clearance, then delivery to your address or delivery appointment.
FAQ
Sea freight FAQs
Question not answered here?
Message our shipping team directly, in English or Chinese.
Ask on WhatsAppHow long does sea freight from China take?
Port to port, roughly 2–3 weeks to the US West Coast and Vancouver, 4–6 weeks to New York/New Jersey, and 4–7 weeks to Felixstowe or Rotterdam. Add 1–2 weeks for pickup, clearance and delivery. These are estimates that shift with season, carrier routings and port congestion. We'll give you a route-specific estimate with your quote.
What's the minimum for LCL?
LCL is usually charged at a minimum of 1 CBM. For a few small cartons, air freight or express often costs about the same and arrives weeks sooner.
Which Chinese ports do you ship from?
Mostly the main export ports near our offices: Shenzhen (Yantian and Shekou), Ningbo and Shanghai. If your supplier is closer to another port, tell us and we'll quote from there.
What does a US ocean shipment need before it sails?
An Importer Security Filing (ISF) must be filed at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto the vessel in China, and US imports generally need a customs bond. On US DDP, you can use our importer-of-record arrangement or your own. If we arrange the importer of record through our partner US customs broker, the ISF and bond are handled on that side. If you're the importer of record, we send your broker the ISF data in good time. See shipping to the USA.
Can you ship sea freight straight to Amazon FBA?
Yes. We deliver ocean shipments to Amazon fulfillment centers with FBA box labels applied in China. Pallet and truckload deliveries need a booked delivery appointment. See Amazon FBA shipping.
Does the sea freight price include duties?
Only on DDP quotes. A DDU or port-to-port quote covers freight, and you or your broker pay import duties and taxes on arrival. See DDP vs DDU.
Related pages
- Air freight
Urgent, Standard and Economy air freight from China to the USA, UK, Canada and Europe. Airport or door delivery, DDP available. Send cargo details for a quote.
- Amazon FBA shipping
Amazon FBA freight forwarder in China: pickup from all your suppliers, prep and labels, customs and DDP delivery to FBA in the US, UK, Canada and EU.
- DDP and door to door
DDP door-to-door shipping from China. One price for freight, customs clearance and import duties, delivered to your address or Amazon FBA. Get a DDP quote.
- USA
Ship from China to the USA by sea, air or express, DDP or DDU, to your warehouse or Amazon FBA. Pickup, prep and US customs planned up front. Get a quote.
- Canada
Ship from China to Canada by sea, air or express, DDP or DDU, to Amazon.ca or any address. CBSA clearance, GST and CARM planned up front. Get a quote now.
- Sea vs Air vs Rail vs Express from China
Compare sea, air, rail and express from China: port-to-port estimates by lane, how chargeable weight works, FCL vs LCL, and when to split a shipment.
Get a sea freight quote
Send your carton count, total weight and volume, supplier city and destination. We'll quote FCL, LCL, or both.
Free quotes. We typically reply within one business day by email, WhatsApp or live chat.