Shipping from China to USA

This is for you, US importers.

Please note the content below is just a supplementary to the sea freight page.

Courier/Air shipping to the US

 

Goods shipped by courier, express, or other similar service usually are expedited through customs by a customs broker hired by that commercial service and then delivered seamlessly to your door.

All you have to do is pay for the duty/tax may incur and sign for the package when it arrives. In most cases delivery is quick and reliable. When there’s a problem, there is a tracking number that can help resolve the matter.

When the shipment is < 1 cbm (=1 Cubic Meter =35 Cubic Foot), or 200 Kilogram (= 200 kg = 440 lbs), courier shipping such as FedEx/UPS is the best option for most cases.

It can be samples, or trial orders at the beginning.

You may have account with FedEx or UPS, but except you can enjoy the extremely better discount, we suggest let us handle such delivery for you.

1. We can use internal courier for pick up from the seller, compared that FedEx/UPS needs their own workers and trucks for pick up. There are various Chinese couriers around, which have better pickup fee.

2. Our account has better discount since the large quantity shipments we had and have been sending with them.

It’s the same as you place orders directly in FedEx/UPS, but with lower cost.

Sea shipping to the US

Sea freight can be economical, and the best way to handle large bulky purchases.

Licenses/Permits

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not require any customs license/permit when importing, only if you are a U.S. citizen.

CBP entry forms do ask for your importer number: this is either your IRS business registration number, or if your business is not registered with the IRS or you do not have a business, your social security number will be sufficient.

But you may also need a license from local or state authorities to do business.

Specific items such as: food products, plant, animal, dairy, prescription medications, toys may need additional certificate (e.g., FDA, EPA, DOT, CPSC, FTC) from other agencies.

Prior to importing and shipping, you can contact the CBP office nearby for enquiry. A complete directory of the various Ports of Entry: https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports

Top Ports

West Coast: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma
East Coast: New York & New Jersey, Savannah
Gulf Coast: Houston, Miami

If you are in or near such city, chances are big that the freight cost can be a little cheaper while the transit time can be a little shorter.

Generally, you don’t need to pay much attention on where’s your nearer ocean port. The developed rail and trucking network across the whole country make transport easier to any places in the US.

Duty/Tax

If the value is less than $800, none duty/tax at all.

If above, you can add the seller quote + our freight quote + duty/tax below for the total landed cost.

1. Determine the HTS Code.
2. Check the duty rate: http://hts.usitc.gov/
* In Column 1. This is only an estimate for what the duty amount on an item might be, only CBP can make a final determination about what is owed.
3. Other taxes or fees.

• Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF): 0.125% of the value
• Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF): 0.3464% of the value, min $25, max $485

The duty/tax is based on the value of the merchandise being imported, not including duty, freight, and insurance charges.

Attention: The textiles have an average duty rate 16%, which is higher than most products. Obviously the textile sector is a key component of the U.S. economy.

Customs Bond

Prior to shipping, importers will need to have a customs bond on file prior to their shipment’s departure. This is for ISF 10+2.
If the value is less than $2,500, then they can import under an informal entry and without a bond, but this process would require them to manually submit paperwork, which is not recommend.

There are two types – single entry and continuous entry.

Single entry bonds are for a one-time use, and can be purchased for around $100 – $200.

Continuous entry bonds cover all your shipments over a whole year. It’s about $350 – $500.

As you can see, if you import more than 3 times a year, an annual bond will be better cose-effective.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the bond in place. We can get it for you with your POA:

• If the importer is an individual using social security number, we need a driver’s license copy and birthdate on the POA.
• If the importer is using a corporation using IRS number, we need a document that authenticates a valid IRS number and address (e.g. correspondence letter from IRS or SS4 or W9). Proof tax filling as copy. Also social security card.

 

FCL/LCL

 

Weight Limit

American freight has strict restrictions on HS and weight. Different HS means different freight charges. And the container weight cannot be heavier than 17 ton for a 20GP, 19 ton for a 40GP. So pay more attention on goods of metal, tile, stone products.

Billable LCL

Dimensional weight for normal LCL sea freight is 1000kg/cbm, but it’s special in
United States, which is 363kg/cbm.

1. If the goods density is bigger than 363kg/m³, choose weight number as the chargeable weight;

2. If the goods density is smaller than 363kg/m³, choose volume number as the
chargeable weight.

Example.

Note: Known LCL ocean rate is $80 per cbm from Shanghai to New York, calculate the dimensional weight rate is $0.22 per kg (80/363).

Item	Weight	Volume	Density	Compare With Standard Density	Freight Cost
A	1000 kg	1 cbm	1000kg/cbm	＞363kg/cbm	220=1000*0.22(by weight)
B	1000 kg	2 cbm	500kg/cbm,	＞363kg/cbm	220=1000*0.22(by weight)
C	1000 kg	3 cbm	333kg/cbm	＜363kg/cbm	240=3*80(by volume)
D,	1000 kg	4 cbm	250kg/cbm	＜363kg/cbm	320=4*80(by volume)

 

Transit Time

Shipping to the east coastshould take roughly 25-30 days; to the west coast this is closer to 15~18 days. These are only rough guides and do not account for delays, the transit duration will also be dependent on the carriers used.

Besides, 1-3 weeks may be needed for the internal delivery in the U.S. after arrived at port of entry.


You can learn more about air transport, ocean transport, express transport