Shipping guides
China to USA shipping guides
Everything we explain to new customers before their first shipment, written down. Start with the question you have.
Services
Ocean freight
FCL and LCL ocean freight from Shenzhen, Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao to every major US port. Door-to-door DDP pricing with customs and duties included.
Read the guide ServicesAir freight
Air freight and express from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong to any US address in 5–9 days, with customs clearance and duties included.
Read the guide ServicesDDP shipping
How DDP shipping from China to the USA works, what it covers, how it compares with FOB and EXW, and what to check before you book an all-in price.
Read the guide ServicesAmazon FBA shipping
Ship from Chinese suppliers straight into Amazon FBA warehouses. Labelling, pallet prep, delivery appointments and DDP pricing, by sea or air.
Read the guideShipping by product
Furniture
How to ship furniture from China to the USA: container choice, packing to prevent damage, anti-dumping duties, flat-pack versus assembled, and delivery.
Read the guide Shipping by productE-bikes & battery products
Shipping e-bikes, scooters, power banks and other lithium-battery products from China to the USA: dangerous goods rules, UN38.3, labels and certification.
Read the guide Shipping by productClothing & textiles
Importing apparel and textiles from China: HTS classification by fibre, duty, FTC labelling rules, forced-labour (UFLPA) checks and shipping options.
Read the guidePlanning & compliance
Shipping cost
Every charge in the cost of shipping from China to the USA — freight, port fees, duties, Section 301 tariffs, delivery — and practical ways to bring it down.
Read the guide Planning & complianceTransit times
How long shipping from China to the USA takes by ocean, air and express, what causes delays, and how to plan around peak season and Chinese New Year.
Read the guide Planning & complianceUS customs clearance
How US customs clearance works for goods from China: ISF, entries, bonds, HTS codes, Section 301 tariffs, origin marking and agency rules.
Read the guide Planning & complianceHow to import from China
Step-by-step guide to importing from China to the USA: suppliers, Incoterms, HTS codes, shipping, customs, duties and delivery, in the order they happen.
Read the guide Planning & complianceIncoterms explained
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP and DDP compared for importers buying from China: who pays for what, where risk transfers, and which term to ask your supplier for.
Read the guide Planning & complianceHTS codes & tariffs
How to find the right HTS code for products from China, work out duty and Section 301 tariffs, and avoid the classification mistakes that cost importers money.
Read the guide Planning & complianceShipping documents
The documents you need to import from China to the USA — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, ISF, customs entry — and what each must contain.
Read the guide Planning & complianceCargo insurance
Why carrier liability won't cover a lost container, how cargo insurance and general average work, and what all-risk cover means for shipments from China.
Read the guide Planning & complianceContainer sizes
Internal dimensions, door openings, volume and weight limits for 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube containers, and how many pallets actually fit.
Read the guide Free toolCBM calculator
Free calculator: work out cubic metres, gross weight, air and express chargeable weight, and which container your cartons need. Metric or imperial.
Open the calculator Planning & complianceFreight glossary
Plain-English definitions of the freight and customs terms you'll meet importing from China: bill of lading, CFS, demurrage, ISF, telex release and more.
Read the guide Planning & complianceChoosing a forwarder
What to check before you hand a shipment to a China–USA freight forwarder: registrations, who is importer of record, all-in quotes and red flags.
Read the guide Planning & complianceChinese New Year 2027
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February. When factories close, when to book, and the shipping deadlines to plan around for goods from China.
Read the guide Planning & complianceShipping from Alibaba
How to ship goods bought on Alibaba or 1688 to the USA: supplier quotes, using your own forwarder versus the supplier's, and what to ask for before you pay.
Read the guideTrade lanes
Shenzhen → Los Angeles
Ocean and air freight from Shenzhen to Los Angeles and Long Beach: transit times, ports, routing and DDP delivery across Southern California and beyond.
Read the guide Trade laneShanghai → New York
Ocean and air freight from Shanghai to New York and New Jersey: all-water versus West Coast rail routing, transit times, and delivery across the Northeast.
Read the guide Trade laneGuangzhou → Chicago
Freight from Guangzhou and South China to Chicago by ocean and rail or by air. How intermodal routing works, transit times, and delivery across the Midwest.
Read the guide Trade laneChina → Houston
Ocean and air freight from China to Houston: all-water versus West Coast routing, Port Houston terminals, transit times and delivery across Texas.
Read the guide Trade laneChina → Savannah
Ocean freight from China to the Port of Savannah: routing, Garden City Terminal, transit times and delivery to Atlanta and the Southeast.
Read the guideSend us a packing list. Get a real number back.
For businesses of any size — no account to open, no minimum volume. Tell us what is moving and where it needs to land, and we will price the whole journey.
Get a quote
Request a quote by email, WhatsApp or WeChat
Send us your shipment details and a coordinator replies with an all-in price within one working day.
Business customers only. Kelway works with companies — importers, brands, retailers, distributors and Amazon sellers. We don't handle personal shipments, gifts or household moves.
Coordinators cover China and US business hours. Quotes answered within one working day.
What to include
- Your company name
- Product description, and the HTS code if you know it
- Number of cartons, carton size and weight — or total CBM and weight
- Supplier’s city in China
- US delivery ZIP code, and whether it’s a warehouse, store or Amazon FBA
- When the goods will be ready
Not sure of the volume? Work it out with the CBM calculator.
Sheridan, WY 82801
Nancheng District, Dongguan, Guangdong