Air Freight from China to Port Said
China → Port Said · via CAI air / Port Said sea · clearance by Egyptian Customs Authority
We move air freight cargo from South China into Port Said through CAI air / Port Said sea. Port Said is Suez Canal entrance and free zone, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by Egyptian Customs Authority, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 7–15 days.
Routing and transit on this lane
Egypt's Advance Cargo Information system is the decisive requirement on this lane: the importer must obtain an ACID number through Nafeza and the exporter must reference it on the shipping documents before the goods leave China. Cargo arriving without a valid ACID is refused entry. On top of that, GOEIC factory registration is required for many consumer categories and takes months to obtain.
| Air gateways used | CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4–7 business days |
| Gateway serving Port Said | CAI air / Port Said sea |
| Inland leg to Port Said | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7–15 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Import duty and tax position for Port Said
Imports into Egypt are cleared by Egyptian Customs Authority. The headline position is: VAT 14%; duty 0–60% depending on commodity, plus development fees on some categories. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Egypt: ACID/Nafeza registration must be completed pre-shipment — this is the single most common cause of rejected cargo. GOEIC registration of the exporting factory is required for a long list of consumer goods. Letters of credit are required for many commercial imports.
Before you book: Port Said checklist
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Port Said.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Egypt lane.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Port Said take?
China to the Egypt gateway is 4–7 business days. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with Egyptian Customs Authority and a same-day inland leg to Port Said.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Port Said?
Egyptian Customs Authority applies: VAT 14%; duty 0–60% depending on commodity, plus development fees on some categories. 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 Port Said.
What certification do I need for Egypt?
For regulated goods, plan for: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
When is the busiest time on the China–Egypt 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.
What documents does Egyptian Customs Authority require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Which port or airport does cargo for Port Said clear through?
Cargo for Port Said is routed via CAI air / Port Said sea. Sea gateways for Egypt are Alexandria, Damietta, Port Said; air gateways are CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Other delivery cities in Egypt
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Egypt 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 Egyptian Customs Authority or your broker before you ship.
- Egyptian Customs Authority
- Nafeza single window (ACID registration)
- 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)
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.
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Packaging Materials Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Laboratory Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Fabric Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
Checking the Egypt duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Egyptian Customs Authority 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.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
If this is your first shipment into Egypt, the Egypt 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.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Port Said. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
How to find HS Codes and Calculate Import Duty - 5 tips to save on Duties and Tariffs — Sourcing with Kian. 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 Egypt
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Egypt clearance requirements →