Shipping to China, whether personal parcels, samples, spare parts, commercial goods or personal effects, involves more than the freight cost. You also need to consider the type of goods, transport mode, documents, customs clearance and China’s import requirements.
KTC Global Logistics ships goods from Thailand to China by air, sea and road, and can assess door-to-door, door-to-port and port-to-port services according to the type of goods and the conditions of each shipment.
Preparing complete information before asking for a quote helps choose the right route, estimate costs more accurately and reduce problems during import into China.
1. What are the ways to ship to China?
Choose how to ship to China based on the type of goods, quantity, weight, size, urgency and destination city, because China is large and inland transport costs can vary greatly by province.
Air freight to China
Suits parcels, samples, spare parts or goods that need to arrive quickly. Air freight is calculated on actual weight and volumetric weight, or chargeable weight.
If the goods contain batteries, liquids, chemicals or are dangerous goods, give the details before asking for a quote, because airlines and airports may have extra requirements.
Sea freight to China
Suits large volumes, heavy goods or non-urgent shipments. You can choose:
- LCL for less than a container load
- FCL for a full container, such as 20’GP or 40’HC
China has many major ports, such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Tianjin, so choose the port of discharge based on the actual delivery address, not just the cheapest freight rate.
Road freight from Thailand to China
Road freight is another option for some goods and suits cross-border jobs that need flexibility between origin and destination.
The service and route may differ by origin city, destination city, border crossing, type of goods and customs conditions.
2. Door to door, door to port and port to port: what is the difference?
Door to door
The provider handles everything from pickup at origin in Thailand to the consignee’s premises in China, within the agreed scope.
Note: door to door does not automatically mean the price includes import taxes, duties and all destination charges. Check clearly whether the term is DAP, DDP or another arrangement.
Door to port
The provider collects the goods at origin and ships them to the destination port or airport in China. The importer or the consignee’s agent then takes over.
Port to port
Suits companies that already have a team or agents handling formalities at origin and destination. The provider is responsible for the transport leg between ports or airports as agreed.
3. Information to prepare before asking for a China shipping quote
For an accurate price estimate, prepare the following:
- Product name and description
- Number of pieces, cartons or pallets
- Dimensions (width × length × height) of each package
- Weight per package and total weight
- Value of the goods
- HS code, if available
- Pickup address in Thailand
- Delivery address in China
- Destination city or province
- Cargo ready date
- Preferred transport mode
- Incoterms for commercial goods
- Product photos, if the goods need to be checked
Saying only “I have goods to send to China, how much is it?” is not enough, because freight can vary greatly by destination city, volume, weight and type of goods.
4. Documents used for shipping to China
The documents needed depend on the type of goods, type of import and transport mode.
For commercial goods, the common basic documents are:
Commercial invoice
Shows the seller, buyer, product name, quantity, value, currency and terms of sale.
Packing list
Shows the number of packages, weight, dimensions and packing details.
Transport documents
- Bill of lading for sea freight
- Air waybill for air freight
- Related cross-border documents for road freight
Some goods may need extra certificates, licences, registrations or documents from the regulating agency.
China Customs separates its procedures for goods entering and leaving the country, cargo inspection, food imports, plant and animal quarantine and other goods, so the documents used can differ by type of goods.
5. Which goods need special checks?
Before you ship to China, check whether the goods are general goods, controlled goods or goods that need further checks by the relevant agency.
Examples of goods to check before shipping:
- Food and beverages
- Meat products
- Plants, seeds and agricultural products
- Medicines and health products
- Cosmetics
- Chemicals
- Batteries
- Dangerous goods
- Certain electronic goods
- Used machinery
Can I send food to China?
It depends on the type of food, ingredients, place of production, purpose of import and the requirements of Chinese authorities.
For commercial food imports, do not assume “it has a certificate, so it can be shipped”, because some products have requirements on overseas manufacturers, sanitary inspection, quarantine or extra registration.
More information is available from the
General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China
6. The shipping process to China
Step 1: Send the product details
Send complete details of the goods, quantity, size, weight, photos, value and the origin and destination information.
Step 2: Check the HS code and requirements
Check whether the goods are general, controlled or need extra permits or documents.
Step 3: Choose the transport mode
Compare air freight, sea freight or cross-border truck by weight, volume, cost and urgency.
Step 4: Quotation
Check which costs the quotation already includes, such as:
- Pickup charge
- Export customs clearance
- Freight
- Origin charges
- Destination charges
- Import clearance
- Inland transport within China
- Import duties and taxes
Step 5: Booking and pickup
Once the service is confirmed, the booking is made, the goods are picked up and export documents prepared.
Step 6: Import clearance
When the goods reach China, the importer or agent files the data with customs together with the supporting documents for the type of goods.
During customs clearance, goods may be selected for a document check or physical inspection, so a fixed release date should not be promised for every shipment.
Step 7: Delivery
After import clearance, the goods are delivered to the consignee according to the agreed service terms.
7. How many days does shipping to China take?
The time to ship to China cannot be set as one number of days for every shipment, because it depends on many factors, such as:
- Transport mode
- Origin and destination cities
- Flight or sailing schedule
- Cross-border route
- Customs clearance
- Type of goods
- Cargo inspection
- Document completeness
- Public holidays in Thailand and China
For a transit time you can actually plan with, check the route and schedule of the shipment before confirming the booking.
Frequently asked questions about shipping to China
Can I send a personal parcel to China?
Yes, in many cases, but the type of goods, quantity, value and China’s import requirements must be checked first, especially for food, medicines, cosmetics and goods containing batteries.
Can I send food to China?
Some food can be imported, but requirements differ by type of product and type of import. For commercial shipments, always check China’s requirements before shipping.
Can I ship to China door to door?
It can be arranged in many cases, but check which parts of customs, taxes, fees and inland transport in China the quotation includes.
Can I get a quote without an HS code?
You can send the product details and photos for an initial freight estimate, but the HS code matters for checking taxes, duties and import requirements.
Is cargo insurance available?
You can ask about cargo insurance depending on the type of goods, value and transport mode. Check the sum insured, cover conditions and exclusions before shipping.
Should I ship to China by air, sea or road?
No method is best for every shipment. For urgent, smaller goods, air may suit better. For heavy or large volumes, sea may be better value. Road may suit some routes that need more flexibility.
Want a quote for shipping to China?
For KTC Global Logistics to assess the right transport mode and costs, prepare:
- Product name and description
- Quantity
- Dimensions
- Weight
- Value of the goods
- Pickup address in Thailand
- Delivery address in China
- Cargo ready date
- Product photos
- HS code, if available
Planning to ship goods to China?
Contact KTC Global Logistics and our team will check your cargo details, route and a suitable transport option before you confirm the shipment. Contact us
