Shipping from China to Lautoka
China โ Lautoka ยท via NAN air / Lautoka sea ยท clearance by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service
We move freight cargo from South China into Lautoka through NAN air / Lautoka sea. Lautoka is western port and sugar industry city, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 3โ8 days.
Routing and transit on this lane
Fiji is the hub of the South Pacific and the transshipment point for cargo continuing to Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Kiribati. Direct Asian calls exist but most volume routes via Singapore, Auckland or Brisbane. Biosecurity screening is thorough โ wood packaging and any cargo with soil or plant residue is inspected.
| Air gateways used | NAN (Nadi), SUV (Suva) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 5โ8 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Suva, Lautoka |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 18โ26 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Lautoka | NAN air / Lautoka sea |
| Inland leg to Lautoka | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3โ8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Duty, tax and clearance into Lautoka
Imports into Fiji are cleared by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service. The headline position is: VAT 15%; duty 0โ32%, plus import excise on selected goods. The de-minimis threshold is FJD 400 for personal consignments.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Biosecurity Authority of Fiji clearance; conformity for regulated goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Fiji: Biosecurity clearance is required for wood packaging and agricultural-risk goods. Onward island transshipment adds time and a separate handling cost.
Air, sea or overland into Lautoka?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 5โ8 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 18โ26 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Fiji gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Lautoka and 3โ8 days of clearance.
Pre-shipment checklist for Lautoka
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Check the de-minimis position (FJD 400 for personal consignments) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Put the Lautoka delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Biosecurity Authority of Fiji clearance; conformity for regulated goods.
Mode guides for Lautoka
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Lautoka take?
China to the Fiji gateway is 5โ8 business days by air, 18โ26 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3โ8 days of clearance with Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and a same-day inland leg to Lautoka.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Lautoka?
Fiji Revenue and Customs Service applies: VAT 15%; duty 0โ32%, plus import excise on selected goods. The de-minimis position is FJD 400 for personal consignments. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Lautoka.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Lautoka?
Yes. Delivery to a Lautoka address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, 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.
When is the busiest time on the ChinaโFiji lane?
Space and rates tighten around SepโNov, 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 Lautoka?
Per kilo, yes โ usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 18โ26 calendar days by sea versus 5โ8 business days by air to the Fiji 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.
Which port or airport does cargo for Lautoka clear through?
Cargo for Lautoka is routed via NAN air / Lautoka sea. Sea gateways for Fiji are Suva, Lautoka; air gateways are NAN (Nadi), SUV (Suva). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Other delivery cities in Fiji
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Fiji change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with Fiji Revenue and Customs Service or your broker before you ship.
- Fiji Revenue and Customs Service
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA โ Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965โ970)
- World Bank โ Logistics Performance Index
- ICC โ Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
Page data last reviewed: 10 ๆ 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 โ these guides cover that by commodity.
- Packaging Materials Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Laboratory Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Fabric Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Salon Furniture Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- Sheet Metal Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Compressors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Electrical Cabinets New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Flooring Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- Tableware Furniture & Home Products
- Display Stands Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
Checking the Fiji duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service 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 โ the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
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.
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 Fiji, the Fiji 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 Lautoka. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Bill of Lading Explained (BOL) | Types, Components & Full Beginner Guide | Shipping Document — 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 Fiji
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Fiji clearance requirements →