It’s not that planes are slower it comes down to the fact that air freight processes are more complicated than for express freight. Standard air freight between China and the US generally takes around 8-10 days. If it’s really urgent, there are more expensive premium services which may even be delivered overnight. That includes either picking the parcel up at the Chinese supplier’s door unless the supplier has dropped it off at their depot.
When shipping from China by international courier, allow three days. So, increase your chances of regular post only taking one week, by checking that the supplier gets the paperwork right before sending. US Customs will deprioritize release of parcels if something looks wrong with the paperwork. China Post offers much quicker, cost-effective options in airmail and express mail service (EMS), which are both likely to take between one and two weeks. Shipping from China by surface mail takes forever. These estimates can be affected by a wide range of circumstances, so it’s worth checking with your logistics provider. Rules of thumbs for lead times (in regular conditions) are 1-2 weeks for regular post, 3 days for air express freight, 8-10 days for air freight, and 30-40 days for ocean freight. Modes with a lower base cost are cheaper for smaller shipments while modes with lower variable weight costs are the cheaper options for larger shipments, even if they start out with a high base cost. How can Air Freight be cheaper than Sea Freight?Įach shipping mode has its own combination of base and variable costs. It will give you instant shipping estimates for both air and sea. You can even start shopping around right now with our handy freight rate calculator. Like air freight, ocean freight rates vary widely between forwarders, and over time, so again – shop around. Some freight forwarders offer a premium service, often called expedited freight, which is a little more expensive than normal ocean freight. Ocean freight offers tremendous economies of scale (some ships can carry 20,000 twenty-foot containers). Once a shipment weighs more than around 500 kg, sea freight becomes the cheapest option.
Freight rates can vary widely between freight forwarders and prices change regularly, so make sure you shop around.įor larger shipments sizes and origin/destination pairs, LCL (less than container load) ocean freight costs might actually be cheaper than air freight costs – make sure you check it out! Sea freight costs and rates from China to the US Express air freight is a little more expensive. Very light shipments for their size might be charged on dimensional weight, rather than actual weight.Īir freight by far the fastest.
But watch out, some couriers will charge an astronomical amount if you are not a registered customer.Īir freight costs and rates from China to the USĪt about $3 per kilo, standard air freight is the cheapest option for shipments between about 150 kilos and 500 kg. Using an international courier, also known as express freight is generally more reliable and quicker than by mail, whether it’s DHL, UPS or TNT.Īs a rule of thumb, at about $5 per kilo, express freight is the cheapest shipping mode for packages or small shipments up to about 150 kg. While mail will run cheap, you’re also looking at a long wait time. The heavier the parcel, the more likely it is that a courier (express freight) will be cheaper.
For example, China Post offers several mail options: Air Mail/SAL or Surface Mail for small parcels Air Parcel, SAL or Surface Mail for large packages and the EMS/China International Express and EUB priority systems for packages.īut carefully check each option out first and then compare it with courier charges. Mail may be the most economical shipping option for small shipments of light and small products. You’re safer falling back on: Regular Post It will cost you more and take you longer. If you’re importing small goods, like a new product sample, freight shipping is overkill. Often the most important freight factor when shipping from China is cost.