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🚢 Sea Freight

China to Philippines Sea Freight

Door-to-door transit 25-45 calendar days. Duty and final delivery are inside the published rate.

Container vessel and terminal operations on the Nansha to Manila South ocean freight lane
Sea freight — China to Philippines

Sea Freight from China to Philippines runs 25-45 calendar days door to door, clearing through the destination customs authority. Duty, customs handling and final delivery are inside the quoted rate. Send weight and dimensions for a firm figure on your cargo.

Transit time
25-45 calendar days
Destination
Philippines
Customs authority
the destination customs authority
Duty-free threshold
PHP 10,000

Published channel rate for planning. The final quote depends on chargeable weight, cargo class and HS code.

Current Freight Rates

Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.

Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What

The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Philippines 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 — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
  • Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
  • Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.
Responsibility for each shipment stage under each Incoterms rule
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 — Loading on truck Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FCA Free Carrier Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FAS Free Alongside Ship Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FOB Free On Board Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CFR Cost and Freight Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Seller Seller — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CPT Carriage Paid To Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Seller Seller — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAP Delivered At Place Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DDP Delivered Duty Paid Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Seller Seller — Import customs clearance Seller Seller — 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 Incoterms® 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 — 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 → Manila South Container Shipping

Port-to-port FCL from Nansha to Manila South, Philippines. We book the whole box — the right structure once volume passes roughly 15 CBM, or when the cargo is heavy, oversized or awkward to consolidate.

Live allocation. The figures below come from a current carrier rate sheet with a named sailing behind them. Spot allocations move week to week — reconfirm before the cut-off.

Rate by Container Type

  • 20GP — USD 40.00 per container
  • 40HQ — USD 80.00 per container

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Additional Information

What the Rate Covers

Ocean freight, port to port. Origin haulage to Nansha, export declaration, destination clearance, duty and VAT and delivery beyond the terminal are quoted separately.

  • One full container: 20GP / 40HQ. Priced per box in USD, not per KG or CBM
  • Heavy and out-of-gauge cargo is our core traffic — machinery, steel, stone, building materials, project pieces
  • Cut-off and free time are tied to the specific sailing; demurrage starts when free time expires
  • Reefer, DG and out-of-gauge priced case by case

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 Philippine Bureau of Customs 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 Philippines, the Philippines 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 Philippines — Shipping Reference Data

Main sea gatewaysManila (MICT and South Harbor), Cebu, Davao
Destination customs authorityBureau of Customs (BOC)
De-minimis / duty-free thresholdPHP 10,000
Import tax & duty regimeVAT 12%; duty 0–30%, with ACFTA preference available on a Form E
Local currencyPHP
Typical clearance / dwell time4–9 days
Peak / busy seasonSep–Nov
Conformity & certificationBPS Import Commodity Clearance for regulated products; FDA license for food, cosmetics and devices; NTC for radio equipment

Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — 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 Philippines. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.

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3D Container Loading Planner

Sea freight to Philippines prices by CBM or container — 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 →

Philippines Sea Freight Checklist

  • Reserve loading space 5-7 days before the sailing cut-off for this route during peak season.
  • Declare accurate gross weight — VGM misdeclaration delays vessels and triggers fines.
  • Check pallet vs floor-loading: floor loading typically fits 8-12% more cartons per container.
  • Ask whether the quote includes destination port charges in Philippines or only ocean freight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Sea FCL Port-to-Port (Spot) from China to Philippines take?

Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 4–9 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 Philippines?

Clearance is handled by Bureau of Customs (BOC). The regime is: VAT 12%; duty 0–30%, with ACFTA preference available on a Form E, with a de-minimis position of PHP 10,000. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.

How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) and charge the greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above.

Can you ship special cargo (batteries, branded goods) to Philippines?

Yes — battery goods by sea follow UN3480/UN3481 rules with an MSDS; we prepare the dangerous-goods paperwork as part of DDP into Manila (MICT and South Harbor), Cebu, Davao. Surcharges apply.

What certification is needed to import into Philippines?

For regulated goods, plan for: BPS Import Commodity Clearance for regulated products; FDA license for food, cosmetics and devices; NTC for radio equipment. Missing conformity paperwork is the most common clearance hold with Bureau of Customs (BOC), so confirm requirements for your HS code before shipping.

What documents are required for customs clearance in Philippines?

Bureau of Customs (BOC) typically requires a commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading/air waybill, a certificate of origin (may lower duty), and any product certification (BPS Import Commodity Clearance for regulated products; FDA license for food, cosmetics and devices; NTC for radio equipment). We file these under DDP.

Shipping Philippines cargo by industry

This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — 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.

All 139 industry guides →

Contact Us

Ready to ship? Our team responds within one business day. We also handle sourcing and purchasing.

Customs clearance in Philippines

Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

Philippines clearance requirements →

Destination guide

Gateways, inland legs and clearance context for Philippines — background rather than pricing.

Philippines destination guide →