Anyone shopping from the USA is deterred first with the shipping cost of products from the USA to China. In fact, many shoppers and investors leave the idea of exporting products from the USA to China only because of their unawareness of shipping costs.
So, usually, the most common question we confront about shopping in the USA is, “How much does it cost to ship to china from USA?” To answer it shortly, the cost of shipment will depend on the weight and size of your product.
It also varies according to your shipment route and delivery time.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship to China From USA?
You need to understand the different shipping methods available to know the probable cost of shipment from the USA to China. There are three main shipping methods:
- Air Freight
- Ocean Freight
- Courier Service
Now, without much ado dig deep into the three methods.
Air Freight
Air Freight has opted for the fastest delivery of goods in the bulk system. Big merchandisers seek for the air freight when they need to ship products fast and quick.
Nonetheless, it is expensive since the air route is costlier and includes the expense of transporting products from shop to the airport and then from the airport (in China) to your desired spots. Almost all major airlines have a freighting service.
The cost will depend on the weight and volume of the shipped product. For instance, you will have to pay more to ship 1KG of a marshmallow than 1KG of iron. It is because marshmallow takes more space than iron.
You can find the detailed shipment expense on the respective airline websites. Also, note that air freight costing mostly includes TAX, custom duties, and clearance duties as well.
Ocean Freight
If you have to ship a large number of goods ardently and usually you are not in a hurry. It is also generally cheaper compared to the air freights. The costing of ocean freight will include the following:
- Port-to-port shipment
- Door-to-door delivery
- Local port as well as customs handling fees
- Import tax
- Customs duties and tariffs
Usually, the tax will vary from product to product and also from one state to another in the USA and China, which makes it difficult to determine the actual expense.
Also, you get two types of shipping methods for ocean freight. These are:
- LCL: It is abbreviated as less-than-a-container, which, in general, refers to a shared container with others.
- FCL: It is known as full container load, and you occupy the entire space within the container. It is safe if you have large products.
The cost varies extensively depending on product type and container size. For instance, the port-to-port shipment expense for a 20 GP container from Guangzhou, China, to Los Angles (LA), USA, will be around $2000 to $3000.
A 20 GP container has a 33 cubic meter capacity (CBM) inside, and its maximum payload is 28,280. So, it’s a large amount of goods.
Courier Service
If you are not thinking about business and just bought a few products from Amazon or E-Bay or other USA based online shops, courier service is your best available option.
FedEx, DHL, and UPS are three of the most reliable and dominating players when it comes to shipment from the USA to China and vice versa. All of them have a varied level of cost. For instance, DHL claims $7.5 per Kg, whereas FedEx charges $5.5 for each Kg of delivered goods.
However, it is ardently essential to note that no courier includes concise tax, duties, and tariffs in their costing. So, you may need to pay them additionally, if applicable.
Also, smaller packaging costs less since, in the USA, anything less than $800 is the duty-free, and only regular tax will be applicable.
The following is a comparative of the shipping costs of different courier services in the USA to China, as described by Easyship.
| Service Name | Required Working Days to Reach Product | Estimated cost ($) | Courier Type |
| DHL Express (Worldwide) | 1-2 days | $34.04 | Drop-off |
| DHL e-Commerce (Packet Plus) | 18-22 days | $15.44 | Drop-off Pick-up |
| USPS | 10-12 days | $17.25 | Drop-off Pick-up |
| Global Post (Economy) | 10-15 days | $15.58 | Drop-off |
| SF Express | 10-12 days | $17.88 | Drop-off Pick-up |
The following table should help you realize the costing for shipments. However, also be aware that it is an estimation of the pricing only; the final pricing may vary depending on product type, dimension, insurance, and so on.
Conclusion
We now hope that you have a clear idea of shipment costing to China from the USA. If you are a merchandiser and looking to ship a large amount of goods, ocean freight will be your best option. Also, air freight is a good option if you have to receive imported goods shortly.
Nonetheless, courier service is suitable for shipping small goods, especially if these are for individual uses such as daily goods or electronics. Also, check for your local duty and tariffs to have a whole idea on the correct shipping cost at your doorstep.
Hello, I’m a specialist in cost estimation. My name is Daniel and I have been in this field for 3 years. I estimate the cost, materials, and time needed to render a service or manufacture a product. It usually involves in-depth research and calculations, but with years of practice, I have become an expert cost estimator.