Current Freight Rates
Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.
Trade Terms Explained โ Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more โ see which costs sit with us and which sit with you
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Malaysia is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.
- Seller โ Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
- Buyer โ Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
- Negotiable โ Not fixed by the rule โ agree it in the contract.
| Term | 1 Loading on truck | 2 Export customs declaration | 3 Carriage to port of export | 4 Unloading at port of export | 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft | 6 Main carriage | 7 Cargo insurance | 8 Unloading at port of import | 9 Loading on truck at import | 10 Carriage to destination | 11 Import customs clearance | 12 Import duties & taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck | Buyer Buyer โ Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer โ Main carriage | Buyer Buyer โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| FCA Free Carrier | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer โ Main carriage | Buyer Buyer โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer โ Main carriage | Buyer Buyer โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| FOB Free On Board | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer โ Main carriage | Buyer Buyer โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Buyer Buyer โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Seller Seller โ Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable โ Cargo insurance | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Seller Seller โ Cargo insurance | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable โ Cargo insurance | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer โ Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| DAP Delivered At Place | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable โ Cargo insurance | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller โ Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer โ Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer โ Import duties & taxes |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck | Seller Seller โ Export customs declaration | Seller Seller โ Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller โ Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller โ Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable โ Cargo insurance | Seller Seller โ Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller โ Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller โ Carriage to destination | Seller Seller โ Import customs clearance | Seller Seller โ Import duties & taxes |
EXW Ex Works
Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.
FCA Free Carrier
Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.
FAS Free Alongside Ship
Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.
FOB Free On Board
Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.
CFR Cost and Freight
Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight
As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).
CPT Carriage Paid To
Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid
As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)
Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incotermsยฎ 2020.
DAP Delivered At Place
Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.
DDP Delivered Duty Paid
Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.
Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes โ the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.
Service Details
Nansha → Kuching Container Shipping
Full-container sea freight from China to Malaysia, Nansha to Kuching. A whole box is the right structure once your volume passes roughly 15 CBM, or as soon as the cargo is heavy, oversized or awkward to consolidate with anyone else's โ below that threshold LCL usually wins on cost, above it FCL wins on both cost per CBM and handling risk. Transit runs 9โ15 days port to port port to port.
Port-to-port means exactly that: the rate ends at the Kuching terminal gate. Typical dwell at destination runs 2โ4 days before the box is available for collection, and that window sits outside the transit figure above. Origin haulage, export declaration, destination clearance, duty and delivery beyond the terminal are all quoted separately, so ask for a door figure if that is what you are comparing against.
Indicative rate. The figures below are benchmarked against current bookings on this lane group. They are a planning reference, not a firm offer โ the booking rate is confirmed against the specific sailing when you enquire.
Rate by Container Type
- 20GP โ USD 1,250 per container
- 40HQ โ USD 2,450 per container
Rates on this lane are per kilogram of chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual gross weight and LรWรH รท 6000. One cubic metre of cargo is treated as about 166.7 kg, so anything lighter than that per cubic metre is billed on the space it occupies rather than on the scale reading. Knowing which side of that line your cargo falls on changes the quote more than any negotiation will.
The consignments that move regularly on this service into Malaysia are dominated by illuminated signs (HS 94 / 39 / 76), where clearance turns on cE on electrical assemblies and fire classification on display materials, pallet (HS 44 / 48) and fasteners (HS 73 / 82 / 83). We publish a handling brief for each, because the difference between a clean clearance and a two-week hold is almost always documentation prepared before the cargo leaves the factory rather than anything that happens in transit.
Ocean cargo on this lane discharges at Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas and Penang. Which one your container routes through is decided by the sailing we book rather than by you, and it moves the inland leg far more than it moves the ocean rate, so if your consignee sits closer to one of them say so at booking and we will bias the routing that way.
Delivery does not stop at the gateway. We run inland to Miri, Lahad Datu, Pasir Gudang, Seremban and Penang among others, and each of those has its own destination guide covering the port or airport it clears through, the realistic inland transit to add on top of the figures above, and the local clearance quirks worth knowing before you ship: see all Malaysia destinations we cover, 19 in total.
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Additional Information
Booking Conditions and Destination Requirements
What you are buying on Nansha to Kuching is the ocean leg and nothing else: the box on the vessel, from quay to quay. Pre-carriage in China, clearance into Malaysia, duty and tax, and the final delivery run beyond Kuching are each priced separately. Ask for the door figure if you want to compare this against a DDP quote, because the two are not the same number.
- Priced per box in USD for 20GP and 40HQ, not per KG or per CBM โ utilization is yours to optimize
- Transit 9โ15 days port to port port to port on Nansha to Kuching, subject to the sailing booked
- Heavy and out-of-gauge cargo is core traffic here: machinery, steel, stone, building materials, project pieces
- Cut-off and free time attach to the specific sailing; demurrage begins the day free time expires
- Reefer, dangerous goods and out-of-gauge are priced case by case rather than from the card
- Clearance at destination is handled by Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM); the consignee must be registered to import
- Destination conformity for Malaysia: SIRIM certification and MCMC label for electrical and radio products; halal certification for food ingredients
Two things decide whether an FCL booking runs cleanly. The first is container choice: a 40HQ carries roughly 76 CBM against a 20GP's 33, so where the cargo cubes out rather than weighs out, the bigger box is usually cheaper per unit even though it costs more per booking. The second is documentation โ the packing list has to match what is physically inside, because Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) inspects against the declaration rather than against intent.
Paperwork closes more shipments into Malaysia late than freight does. Invoice, packing list and any certificate of origin have to describe the same goods at the same value, and the description has to be specific enough to classify โ 'electronic parts' is not a description, it is an invitation to be examined.
Where these numbers come from
Every duty and tax figure quoted on this page is our working estimate for planning, not a ruling. The binding rate for your consignment is whatever Royal Malaysian Customs Department applies against your declared HS code on the day of entry, and their published guidance is the source to check before you commit stock.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
If this is your first shipment into Malaysia, the Malaysia Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
China to Malaysia โ Shipping Reference Data
| Main sea gateways | Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Penang |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | MYR 500 (low-value goods sold online are taxed regardless) |
| Import tax & duty regime | Sales tax 5โ10% plus 10% low-value-goods tax on online orders under MYR 500; duty 0โ30%, largely 0% under ACFTA |
| Local currency | MYR |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 2โ4 days |
| Peak / busy season | SepโNov |
| Conformity & certification | SIRIM certification and MCMC label for electrical and radio products; halal certification for food ingredients |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings โ confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
Free 3D Loading Tools for This Sea Route
This page covers a Sea freight service from China to Malaysia. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Container Loading Planner
Sea freight to Malaysia prices by CBM or container โ plan your 20GP/40GP/40HQ loading in 3D, compare utilization, and see exactly how many cartons fit before you commit to a booking.
Open Container Planner โMalaysia Sea Freight Checklist
- Reserve loading space 5-7 days before the sailing cut-off for this route during peak season.
- Ask whether the quote includes destination port charges in Malaysia or only ocean freight.
- Check pallet vs floor-loading: floor loading typically fits 8-12% more cartons per container.
- Declare accurate gross weight โ VGM misdeclaration delays vessels and triggers fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Sea FCL Port-to-Port from China to Malaysia take?
Sea freight on this route runs about 25โ45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 2โ4 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into Malaysia?
Clearance is handled by Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM). The regime is: Sales tax 5โ10% plus 10% low-value-goods tax on online orders under MYR 500; duty 0โ30%, largely 0% under ACFTA, with a de-minimis position of MYR 500 (low-value goods sold online are taxed regardless). Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
What does DDP shipping to Malaysia include on this route?
DDP means we quote the freight, the customs entry with Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and last-mile delivery in Malaysia together, so you settle once. The duty and tax portion depends on your product's HS code, declared value and the exchange rate at entry, so it is confirmed against your actual goods โ the figures on this page are indicative and can move either way.
Can you ship special cargo (batteries, branded goods) to Malaysia?
Yes โ battery goods by sea follow UN3480/UN3481 rules with an MSDS; we prepare the dangerous-goods paperwork as part of DDP into Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Penang. Surcharges apply.
When does capacity tighten on the ChinaโMalaysia lane?
Space and rates tighten around SepโNov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Book 1โ2 weeks earlier in these periods.
How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000, so one cubic metre counts as about 166.7 kg) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above. A 300 kg consignment measuring out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg.
Inland Delivery Coverage โ Malaysia
We deliver beyond the arrival gateway. Each city below has its own destination guide covering the gateway it clears through, typical inland transit time and the local customs picture.
Note โ these are reference guides, not quotes. The city pages describe routing, gateways and clearance for each destination. They do not carry rate tables. For pricing to any city listed here, use the rate table on this page or ask us for a quote.
- Pasir Gudang JHB air / Pasir Gudang sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Bintulu BTU air / Bintulu sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Samalaju BTU air / Samalaju sea inland +1 day Guide only โ no rates
- Lahad Datu LDU air / Lahad Datu sea inland +1 day Guide only โ no rates
- Sibu SBW air / Sibu sea inland +1 day Guide only โ no rates
- Sandakan SDK air / Sandakan sea inland +1 day Guide only โ no rates
- Tawau TWU air / Tawau sea inland +1 day Guide only โ no rates
- Kuala Lumpur KUL air / Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Shah Alam KUL air / Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Klang Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Johor Bahru Tanjung Pelepas sea / SIN air inland same day Guide only โ no rates
- Penang PEN air / Penang Port sea inland same day Guide only โ no rates
Shipping Malaysia cargo by industry
This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity โ how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Cartons Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Flexible Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Decor Furniture & Home Products
- Technical Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Outdoor Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
