Shipping from China to USA: Costs, Rates and Customs [Updated July 2026]

Shipping from China to the USA moves over 90% of US imports by ocean and the rest by air or express. Ocean FCL costs $1,500 to $5,000 per container with 12 to 35 day transit. LCL runs $40 to $80 per CBM. Air freight is $3.50 to $7.00 per kg in 3 to 7 days. Express courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS) is $5 to $10 per kg in 1 to 5 days. This guide breaks down every method, current rates from Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen to Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and Savannah, US Customs paperwork, Section 301 tariffs, and the mistakes that wipe out margin. For live rates and booking on this lane, see ExFreight’s China to USA freight forwarding service.

Shipping methods from China to USA: cost and transit comparison

Method	Cost	Transit time	Best for
Express courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS)	$5 to $10 per kg	1 to 5 days	Packages under 200 kg, samples, urgent docs
Air freight	$3.50 to $7.00 per kg	3 to 7 days	100 to 2,000 kg, time-sensitive cargo
Sea/Air hybrid (via Dubai or Incheon)	$2.50 to $4.50 per kg	9 to 14 days	Mid-budget shippers needing speed
Ocean LCL	$40 to $80 per CBM	22 to 45 days door-to-door	Shipments under 15 CBM
Ocean FCL 20′	$1,500 to $3,200 per container	12 to 33 days port-to-port	Heavy cargo up to 28 metric tons
Ocean FCL 40′ / 40′ HC	$2,500 to $5,000 per container	12 to 35 days port-to-port	High-volume cargo up to 67 CBM

For door-to-door transit including pickup, customs and inland delivery, see the full transit time breakdown from China to the US.

Ocean freight from China to the USA

Ocean shipping is the default for any commercial shipment over 1 CBM. The choice splits at roughly 15 CBM: under that, LCL is cheaper; over that, FCL wins on per-unit cost and damage risk.

FCL routes and rates

Origin port	Destination	20′ container	40′ / 40′ HC	Transit (port-to-port)
Shanghai (CNSHA)	Los Angeles / Long Beach	$1,500 to $2,800	$2,500 to $4,200	12 to 16 days
Ningbo (CNNGB)	Los Angeles / Long Beach	$1,600 to $2,900	$2,600 to $4,300	13 to 16 days
Shenzhen / Yantian (CNYTN)	Los Angeles / Long Beach	$1,700 to $3,100	$2,700 to $4,500	14 to 17 days
Shanghai (CNSHA)	New York / New Jersey	$2,400 to $4,200	$3,400 to $5,800	28 to 33 days
Ningbo (CNNGB)	Savannah	$2,300 to $4,100	$3,200 to $5,500	27 to 33 days
Shenzhen (CNYTN)	New York / New Jersey	$2,500 to $4,300	$3,500 to $6,000	29 to 35 days

Major Chinese export ports: Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen/Yantian, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen. Major US gateways: Los Angeles/Long Beach (handle ~40% of China imports), New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, Seattle/Tacoma. Rates spike during Chinese New Year (mid-January to mid-February) and the August to October peak season. Capacity events at LA/LB add demurrage and detention charges fast: see how port congestion impacts freight rates.

LCL pricing and break-even with FCL

• Base ocean rate: $40 to $80 per CBM, 1 CBM minimum.
• Origin charges (CFS receiving, CN export clearance): $80 to $150 per shipment.
• Destination charges (deconsolidation, ISF, CFS handling): $150 to $300.
• Break-even point: above ~15 CBM, a 20′ FCL at $2,500 normally beats LCL.

Compare door-to-door LCL and FCL quotes through ExFreight ocean freight.

How much does it cost to ship a 40-foot container from China to the USA?

A 40′ or 40′ high-cube container from China to the US West Coast runs $2,500 to $4,500 port-to-port, and $3,200 to $6,000 to the East Coast. A 20′ container runs $1,500 to $3,100 to the West Coast and $2,400 to $4,300 to the East Coast. Those are ocean freight only: budget another $700 to $1,500 for origin charges, destination terminal handling, customs brokerage and inland delivery before the container reaches your door.

Three things move that number more than anything else:

• Coast. West Coast is 12 to 17 days and materially cheaper. East Coast is 27 to 35 days via Panama or the Cape. If transit is flexible, routing to Los Angeles or Long Beach is the single biggest lever on container cost.
• Season. Rates roughly double from late July to early October and again in the four weeks before Chinese New Year. Booking three to four weeks ahead of those windows is worth more than any rate negotiation.
• Container utilisation. A 40′ HC holds up to 67 CBM. Shipping it at 60% fill means paying full container price for partial volume, and below roughly 15 CBM the same cargo is cheaper as LCL.

What makes up the cost: charge by charge

An ocean quote that looks cheap usually hides charges that appear later. These are the lines that make up a real landed cost on this lane.

Origin charges in China

Export customs clearance, CFS receiving for LCL, terminal handling at the load port, and documentation. On LCL these run $80 to $150 per shipment. On FCL they are usually bundled into a FOB quote, which is exactly why buying FOB China rather than EXW keeps them visible.

Base ocean rate and surcharges

The base rate is what carriers publish per container or per CBM. On top of it sit the bunker adjustment factor (fuel), peak season surcharge during the August to October and pre-Chinese New Year windows, and any congestion surcharge when a gateway backs up. Surcharges move independently of the base rate, so two quotes with the same base can land very differently.

Destination charges in the USA

Terminal handling at the discharge port, deconsolidation and CFS handling on LCL ($150 to $300), chassis and drayage, and the delivery leg to your warehouse or Amazon fulfilment centre.

Customs brokerage, bond and filings

Entry filing, ISF 10+2 transmission, and a customs bond, which is mandatory for any commercial entry over $2,500. A continuous bond usually pays for itself from about four entries a year.

Duties, tariffs and government fees

Base duty by HTS code, Section 301 tariffs on China-origin goods, Merchandise Processing Fee at 0.3464% of value (minimum $32.71, maximum $634.62) and Harbor Maintenance Fee at 0.125% on ocean entries. On many China-origin categories the tariff line is larger than the freight line, which is why HTS classification deserves as much attention as rate shopping.

Cargo insurance

All-risk insurance costs 0.3% to 0.8% of cargo value. Without it, carrier liability is capped at roughly $500 per bill of lading or 19 SDR per kilo, which on a full container is close to no cover at all.

Demurrage and detention

The charges nobody quotes and everyone eventually pays. Free time at destination is typically 4 to 5 days; after that, demurrage accrues per container per day. Having customs cleared before vessel arrival is what keeps this line at zero.

Air freight from China to USA

Air freight makes sense when cargo value exceeds about $15 per kg, when stockouts cost more than the air premium, or when product has a short shelf life. Common lanes: Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) and Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX) into Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD) and Atlanta (ATL).

• All-in rate: $3.50 to $7.00 per kg including fuel and security surcharges.
• Chargeable weight: greater of actual kg or volumetric (L x W x H cm / 6,000).
• Transit: 3 to 5 days to West Coast, 4 to 7 days to East Coast or inland.
• Sea/Air hybrid via Dubai or Incheon: $2.50 to $4.50 per kg, 9 to 14 days, useful when ocean is too slow and full air is too expensive.

For the variables that drive air rates (chargeable weight, fuel surcharge, density), see how air freight charges are calculated. Get instant air rates through ExFreight air freight.

Express courier from China to USA

Express via DHL, FedEx and UPS handles small parcels door-to-door with customs clearance bundled in:

• DHL Express: 1 to 3 business days, strongest origin coverage in southern China.
• FedEx International Priority and UPS Worldwide Express: 1 to 3 business days.
• Cost: $5 to $10 per kg, with billable minimums that punish parcels under 1 kg.
• Best for: samples, urgent restocks, high-value items under 200 kg total.

US Customs, ISF and import duties

Every commercial shipment clears US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Documents and filings required:

• Commercial invoice from the supplier with Incoterm, HTS code suggestion, value and country of origin.
• Packing list with carton count, weight and dimensions.
• Bill of Lading (BOL) for ocean or Air Waybill (AWB) for air.
• ISF 10+2 (Importer Security Filing) transmitted to CBP at least 24 hours before vessel loading at the China port. Late or wrong ISF = $5,000 per violation.
• HTS classification (10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule code) drives the duty rate.
• Customs bond (single-entry or continuous) required for any commercial entry over $2,500.

Duties, tariffs and fees on China-origin goods

• Base duty: HTS-driven, typically 0% to 25%.
• Section 301 China tariffs: 7.5% to 25% on List 1 to 4 goods, with 2024 to 2026 hikes pushing EVs, batteries, semiconductors and steel to 25% to 100%.
• De minimis ($800): removed for China-origin shipments in 2025. Low-value B2C parcels from China now pay duty plus Section 301 regardless of value.
• Antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) apply to specific HTS codes (steel, aluminum, furniture, solar, tires) and can exceed 100%.
• Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF): 0.3464% of cargo value, minimum $32.71 and maximum $634.62 per entry.
• Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF): 0.125% of cargo value on ocean entries only.

Once cargo is in the US, follow it on tracking shipments from China to the USA.

Choosing FCL vs LCL vs air: the decision rule

• Under 2 CBM and under 200 kg, value over $15/kg: air or express.
• 2 to 15 CBM: LCL ocean at $40 to $80 per CBM.
• 15 CBM or more, or over 10 metric tons: FCL 20′.
• 26 CBM or more, or filling a 40′: FCL 40′ / 40′ HC for the lowest per-unit cost.
• Need 9 to 14 day transit at half the air price: Sea/Air hybrid.

Step by step: moving a shipment from Shanghai to Los Angeles

1. Agree the Incoterm with the supplier. FOB Shanghai puts the container under your control from the load port and makes every downstream charge visible.
2. Get the cargo spec. Carton count, gross weight, total CBM, HTS code and commercial value. Everything downstream prices off these four numbers.
3. Quote and book. Compare FCL against LCL at the real volume, not the estimate. Booking closes roughly a week before cutoff in peak season.
4. Supplier delivers to the port or CFS. Cargo is received, weighed and, on LCL, consolidated with other shippers.
5. ISF 10+2 filed. Must reach CBP at least 24 hours before the vessel loads in Shanghai. This is the hard deadline on the whole process: missing it is $5,000 per violation.
6. Export clearance and vessel loading. The bill of lading is issued once the container is on board.
7. Ocean transit. Shanghai to Los Angeles or Long Beach is 12 to 16 days port-to-port.
8. US customs entry. Filed against your bond before arrival so the container is released on discharge rather than sitting in demurrage.
9. Discharge, drayage and delivery. Container is pulled from the terminal and delivered to your warehouse, a deconsolidation facility, or an Amazon fulfilment centre with a booked appointment.

Every one of those steps is handled inside a single booking on the China to USA freight forwarding lane.

Common mistakes that cost importers money

• Undervaluing the commercial invoice: triggers CBP audit, retroactive duty plus penalties up to 4x the loss of revenue.
• Wrong or missing HTS code: causes wrong duty rate, exam holds, and Section 301 surprises. Get a binding ruling for high-volume SKUs.
• Wrong Incoterm: buying CIF or DDP from the supplier hands them control of the freight markup. FOB Shanghai, FOB Ningbo or FOB Shenzhen lets the importer book and audit the freight.
• Skipping ISF or filing after the 24-hour cutoff: $5,000 per violation, plus cargo holds.
• No cargo insurance: carrier liability is capped at ~$500 per BOL or 19 SDR per kg. All-risk insurance is 0.3% to 0.8% of value.
• Amazon FBA prep mistakes: missing FNSKU labels, oversized cartons (over 50 lb without team-lift), pallet labels in the wrong format, no PO appointment. Each error triggers FBA refusal or unplanned-service fees.
• Booking peak season last-minute: rates double from late July to early October and again pre-Chinese New Year.

How to lower China to USA shipping costs

1. Negotiate FOB China port with the supplier, not CIF or DDP.
2. Consolidate multiple PO/factories into one LCL or FCL booking.
3. Optimize cartons to reduce volumetric weight (critical on air and express).
4. Ship to West Coast (LA/LB) when transit is flexible: 12 to 16 days versus 28 to 35 days East Coast at much lower rates.
5. Avoid Chinese New Year and Q4 peak windows; book 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
6. Use a digital forwarder that compares carriers in one quote instead of pinging 5 brokers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship a container from China to the USA?

A 20′ container runs $1,500 to $3,200 and a 40′ runs $2,500 to $5,000 port-to-port, depending on coast and season. West Coast gateways are cheaper than East Coast on the same cargo. Add $700 to $1,500 for origin charges, destination handling, brokerage and inland delivery to reach a door-to-door figure.

Is it cheaper to ship LCL or FCL from China?

Below roughly 15 CBM, LCL is cheaper at $40 to $80 per CBM. Above that, a 20′ FCL at around $2,500 beats LCL on per-unit cost and carries less damage and handling risk, because the container is not opened and reworked at a consolidation facility.

How much are import duties from China to the USA?

Base duty is set by the 10-digit HTS code and typically runs 0% to 25%. On China-origin goods, Section 301 tariffs add 7.5% to 25%, and 2024 to 2026 increases push electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductors and steel to between 25% and 100%. Antidumping and countervailing duties on specific codes can exceed 100% on their own.

Does the $800 de minimis still apply to shipments from China?

No. De minimis treatment was removed for China-origin shipments in 2025. Low-value business-to-consumer parcels from China now pay duty plus any applicable Section 301 tariff regardless of value, which changed the economics of direct-to-consumer fulfilment out of China.

What is ISF 10+2 and what happens if it is late?

The Importer Security Filing is a set of data elements transmitted to US Customs at least 24 hours before the vessel loads at the Chinese port. Filing late, or filing wrong data, carries a $5,000 penalty per violation and usually a cargo hold on arrival.

Do I need a customs bond to import from China?

Yes, for any commercial entry over $2,500. You can buy a single-entry bond per shipment or a continuous bond that covers a year of entries. Above roughly four shipments a year the continuous bond is cheaper.

What is the cheapest way to ship from China to the USA?

Ocean LCL for anything between 2 and 15 CBM, and ocean FCL above that. The larger savings usually come from decisions around the freight rather than the rate itself: buying FOB instead of CIF, consolidating multiple suppliers into one booking, routing to the West Coast, and booking outside the peak and Chinese New Year windows.

Should I buy FOB or CIF from my Chinese supplier?

FOB. Under CIF or DDP the supplier books the freight and prices the margin into a line you cannot audit. FOB Shanghai, FOB Ningbo or FOB Shenzhen hands you control of carrier selection, routing and every destination charge.

Ship from China to the USA with ExFreight

ExFreight quotes ocean FCL, ocean LCL, air freight and express from China to every major US port and inland point in seconds. Bookings include ISF 10+2 filing, US customs brokerage, door-to-door delivery, Amazon FBA appointment scheduling, real-time tracking and optional all-risk cargo insurance. Get an instant China to USA quote. Get an instant quote on the China to USA freight forwarding lane.