Sea Freight from China to Batumi
China → Batumi · via BUS air / Batumi sea · clearance by Georgian Revenue Service
Batumi is Black Sea port and tourism city, and it is served through BUS air / Batumi sea. That combination is what actually sets your delivery date on this lane — the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
On the destination side, Georgian Revenue Service handles clearance; budget 2–6 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
Duty, tax and clearance into Batumi
Georgian Revenue Service assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Batumi consignees. Current regime: VAT 18%; customs duty of 0%, 5% or 12% only — and 0% on most goods under the China–Georgia free trade agreement, with a de-minimis position of GEL 300 for personal parcels.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Technical regulation conformity for regulated goods; certificate of origin to claim FTA preference. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Georgia: The FTA preference requires a correctly issued certificate of origin; without it the standard 0/5/12% tariff applies. Black Sea sailing schedules can be affected by regional shipping conditions.
Routing and transit on this lane
Georgia has had a free trade agreement with China since 2018 — the only one in the Caucasus — so most goods enter duty-free with a valid certificate of origin, leaving only 18% VAT. Poti and Batumi also serve as the Black Sea end of the Middle Corridor for cargo continuing to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
| Sea gateways used | Poti, Batumi, Anaklia (under development) |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 25–35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea |
| Gateway serving Batumi | BUS air / Batumi sea |
| Inland leg to Batumi | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2–6 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Batumi checklist
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Technical regulation conformity for regulated goods; certificate of origin to claim FTA preference.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Put the Batumi delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Confirm the consignee in Batumi can act as importer of record — Georgian Revenue Service 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.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Batumi take?
China to the Georgia gateway is 25–35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea. On top of that, allow 2–6 days of clearance with Georgian Revenue Service and a same-day inland leg to Batumi.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Batumi?
Georgian Revenue Service applies: VAT 18%; customs duty of 0%, 5% or 12% only — and 0% on most goods under the China–Georgia free trade agreement. The de-minimis position is GEL 300 for personal parcels. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Batumi.
What documents does Georgian Revenue Service 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 (Technical regulation conformity for regulated goods; certificate of origin to claim FTA preference). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
When is the busiest time on the China–Georgia 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.
Which port or airport does cargo for Batumi clear through?
Cargo for Batumi is routed via BUS air / Batumi sea. Sea gateways for Georgia are Poti, Batumi, Anaklia (under development); air gateways are TBS (Tbilisi), BUS (Batumi). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Batumi?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 25–35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea by sea versus 3–5 business days by air to the Georgia 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.
Other delivery cities in Georgia
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Georgia 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 Georgian Revenue Service or your broker before you ship.
- Georgian Revenue Service
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
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.
- Kitchenware Furniture & Home Products
- Home Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Inflatable Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Bolts Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Industrial Boilers General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plumbing Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- 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
Checking the Georgia duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Georgian Revenue 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 — 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.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Batumi. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Sea Freight from China: How to import from China to your country via Ocean Shipping — SINO Shipping. 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 Georgia
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Georgia clearance requirements →