Helpful and Friendly staff
Shipping from China to UK with us
We don’t expect you to be an expert in the field of importing goods from China, that’s what we’re here for. Our Customers vary but they tend to fall into a couple of main categories which are: New Importers and Experienced Importers and FCL and LCL (full container loads / Less than container loads) importers.
We can explain and guide you through any stage of shipping from China but one important element is for you to know what ‘Incoterms’ your supplier is offering (so that you can tell us). The Incoterms determine who is responsible for the freight during certain stages of the transit and who pays for what element of the transit too (if you are already feeling confused, give us a call and we can put your mind at rest).
Import tax & duty from China to UK
When importing from China, importers must pay VAT on top of the total sum of the Customs Value and the Import Duty.
The Customs Value is the total cost of the products, the cost of shipping to the UK and any import duty.
You can roughly calculate your duties here: https://www.simplyduty.com
Shipping costs from China to UK
China has many of the world’s busiest ports and some of these are actually very close to each other however there can be a big difference in price due to factors such as the size of the port and if it has a direct line to the UK (some ships dock at Hong Kong to consolidate loads which can add costs and time). Whilst the prices of Sea freight can fluctuate greatly we have tried to indicate the freight costs below for you.
Please also note that the costs below are for the freight only, there are other fees for handling and documentation that apply and these can add up too (any questions please feel free to call or fill out our form and we can call you back).
Shanghai Port
The Port of Shanghai is the busiest port in the world and was named the ‘best connected port in the world’ by UNCTAD in 2019. Due to the scale of the port, it’s high efficiency and its connectedness to the rest of the world goods leaving China here are likely to have low freight costs.
Sailing time:30 days approx
20” container cost: £ 850 (delivered to UK Port)
40” container cost: £ 1500(delivered to UK Port)
Port of Shenzen
The Port of Shenzen is north of Hong Kong and the second busiest port in China (and third in the world). The Port of Shenzen is actually a collective name given to several ports that sit along 260 kilometers of Guangdong province’s coastline. Shipping goods from here will usually be very cost effective.
Sailing time: 28 days approx
20” container cost: £ 800 (delivered to UK Port)
40” container cost: £ 1500(delivered to UK Port)
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port
The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is the third busiest port in China and fourth in the world.
Sailing time: 30 days approx
20” container cost: £ 850 (delivered to UK Port)
40” container cost: £ 1500 (delivered to UK Port)
Guangzhou Port
The Port of Guangzhou is the fourth busiest container port in China and fifth in the world and is still growing. Guangzhou has strong ties with the port of Rotterdam and many other major European ports.
Sailing time: 30 days approx
20” container cost: £ 850 (delivered to UK Port)
40” container cost: £ 1500 (delivered to UK Port)
Qingdao Port
The Port of Qingdao is the fifth busiest port in China and eighth in the world and has strong ties to Europe.
Sailing time: 35 days approx
20” container cost: £ 850 (delivered to UK Port)
40” container cost: £ 1500 (delivered to UK Port)
The other major ports that your goods are likely to depart from are: Hong Kong, Tianjin, Dalian, Xiamen and Yingkou.
With thanks to: https://www.porttechnology.org/news/what-are-the-top-ports-in-china/
How long does it take to ship from China to UK?
Typical shipping times from individual ports are noted above.
Air freight from China to UK
Although it’s much less common we can give you options for Air freight if you need goods rapidly.