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Shipping from China to Suez

China → Suez · via CAI air / Sokhna sea · clearance by Egyptian Customs Authority

Freight forwarding from China to Suez, Egypt — container and air cargo handling
Cargo handling on the China–Suez lane.

For buyers shipping into Suez, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Suez is canal city adjoining the Sokhna port; cargo enters through CAI air / Sokhna sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

Clearance itself is handled by Egyptian Customs Authority, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 7–15 days.

What the routing looks like in practice

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 usedCAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria)
Air transit, China to gateway4–7 business days
Sea gateways usedAlexandria, Damietta, Port Said
Sea transit, China to gateway20–28 calendar days
Gateway serving SuezCAI air / Sokhna sea
Inland leg to SuezSame day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell7–15 days
Peak season to plan aroundSep–Nov

What you will pay on arrival in Egypt

Egyptian Customs Authority assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Suez consignees. Current regime: VAT 14%; duty 0–60% depending on commodity, plus development fees on some categories, with a de-minimis position of 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.

Air cargo build-up used on the China to Suez (Egypt) freight lane
Handling on the CAI air / Sokhna sea routing serving Suez.

Air, sea or overland into Suez?

ModeTransit to gatewayBest suited to
✈️ Air Freight4–7 business daystime-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight20–28 calendar daysvolume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Egypt gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Suez and 7–15 days of clearance.

Pre-shipment checklist for Suez

  • Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
  • Confirm the consignee in Suez can act as importer of record — Egyptian Customs Authority will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
  • Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
  • Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
  • Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Suez.
  • Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.

Mode guides for Suez

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Suez take?

China to the Egypt gateway is 4–7 business days by air, 20–28 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with Egyptian Customs Authority and a same-day inland leg to Suez.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Suez?

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 Suez.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Suez?

Yes. Delivery to a Suez address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Egyptian Customs Authority, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Suez?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.

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.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Suez?

Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.

Other delivery cities in Egypt

All Egypt freight information →

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.

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.

All 60 industry guides →

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.

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.

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 Suez. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Sea Freight Shipping Process for Beginners: Complete Factory-to-Door Guide (Every Step Explained) — Vixnk - English. 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.

Get a rate for Suez

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a rate card: the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we price it properly.

Answer these and you get a real price, not a range. These are the exact figures a carrier needs before it will quote. Fill them in once and we can price your cargo the same day — leave them out and we have to come back and ask, which is what turns an hour into a week.

kg
ctn
Carton sizeoptional
× × cm
m³
ctr
Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.
Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.
Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.
Why these three decide everything

They determine whether your cargo can fly, and on which service. A declared battery changes the price; an undeclared one grounds the shipment at the airport and you pay storage while it sits. Unauthorised brands are seized at customs and the freight is lost with them. Magnetic goods need a field test — routine, but it has to be booked ahead. Telling us now costs a click; telling us later costs the shipment.

Sea or air?*
Tick both and we quote both.
When should it move?optional
Photographs of the goodsoptional
    Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

    See the Egypt route page →

    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 →

    Priced routes to Egypt