Shipping from China to Cambodia
China → Cambodia · clearance by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE)
We move freight cargo from South China into Cambodia through PNH air / Phnom Penh river port. Cambodia is served through Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river), which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
On the destination side, General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) handles clearance; budget 3–7 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
What the routing looks like in practice
Sihanoukville takes direct South China calls, while Phnom Penh is reachable by river barge from Cai Mep in Vietnam — often the cheaper option for LCL. Land trucking through the Bavet crossing from Ho Chi Minh City is a practical third route for urgent cargo that does not justify air.
| Air gateways used | PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3–5 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river) |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 6–10 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Cambodia | PNH air / Phnom Penh river port |
| Inland leg to Cambodia | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–7 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Delivery cities in Cambodia
Principal delivery points: Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, Battambang, Kandal. Pick a city for the gateway it uses and the inland leg beyond clearance.
Duty, tax and clearance into Cambodia
Imports into Cambodia are cleared by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE). The headline position is: VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: CamControl inspection for regulated goods; Form E for duty preference. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Cambodia: Garment and footwear inputs move under specific duty-exemption schemes tied to the factory license, so the consignee's status changes the landed cost materially. Used goods and secondhand electronics face restrictions.
Air, sea or overland into Cambodia?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 3–5 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 6–10 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Cambodia gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Cambodia and 3–7 days of clearance.
Before you book: Cambodia checklist
- Confirm the consignee in Cambodia can act as importer of record — General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Put the Cambodia delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Cambodia take?
China to the Cambodia gateway is 3–5 business days by air, 6–10 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3–7 days of clearance with General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) and a same-day inland leg to Cambodia.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Cambodia?
General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) applies: VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Cambodia.
Which port or airport does cargo for Cambodia clear through?
Cargo for Cambodia is routed via PNH air / Phnom Penh river port. Sea gateways for Cambodia are Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river); air gateways are PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Cambodia?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
When is the busiest time on the China–Cambodia lane?
Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Cambodia?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 6–10 calendar days by sea versus 3–5 business days by air to the Cambodia gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Cambodia change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) or your broker before you ship.
- General Department of Customs and Excise
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
Page data last reviewed: 10 月 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Engineering Plastics Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Illuminated Signs Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Products Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- 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
Checking the Cambodia duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
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.
For a wider view of how importing into Cambodia actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Cambodia customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Cambodia. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
LCL vs FCL | Difference Between Full Container Load & Less than Container Load | Which is better ? — 10 Min For Supply Chain. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Cambodia
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Cambodia clearance requirements →