Central Asia

Shipping from China to Poti

China → Poti · via TBS air / Poti sea · clearance by Georgian Revenue Service

Cargo handling on the China–Poti lane.

Poti is the main container port with immediate access, and it is served through TBS air / Poti 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.

Clearance itself is handled by Georgian Revenue Service, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 2–6 days.

How this lane actually runs

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.

Air gateways used	TBS (Tbilisi), BUS (Batumi)
Air transit, China to gateway	3–5 business days
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 Poti	TBS air / Poti sea
Inland leg to Poti	Same day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	2–6 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Import duty and tax position for Poti

Georgian Revenue Service assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Poti 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.

Air cargo build-up used on the China to Poti (Georgia) freight lane — Handling on the TBS air / Poti sea routing serving Poti.

Air, sea or overland into Poti?

Mode	Transit to gateway	Best suited to
✈️ Air Freight	3–5 business days	time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight	25–35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea	volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Georgia gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Poti and 2–6 days of clearance.

Pre-shipment checklist for Poti

Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
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.
Confirm the consignee in Poti can act as importer of record — Georgian Revenue Service will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
Check the de-minimis position (GEL 300 for personal parcels) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.

Mode guides for Poti

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Poti take?

China to the Georgia gateway is 3–5 business days by air, 25–35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea by sea. On top of that, allow 2–6 days of clearance with Georgian Revenue Service and a same-day inland leg to Poti.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Poti?

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 Poti.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Poti?

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.

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.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Poti?

Yes. Delivery to a Poti address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Georgian Revenue 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.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Poti?

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

All Georgia freight information →

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.

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 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.

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.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Poti. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Bills of Lading 101 - What Is a Bill of Lading — Flexport. 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 Poti

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.

What are you shipping?*

Destination*

Weight*

Cartons*

ctn

Carton sizeoptional

× × cm

Total volumeopt

m³

Containeropt

How manyopt

ctr

Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.

Yes No

Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.

Yes No

Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.

Yes No

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?*

Sea freight Air freight

Tick both and we quote both.

When should it move?optional

Not before Not after

Your name

Email*

Phone / WhatsApp

Photographs of the goodsoptional

Add images PNG or JPG · up to 5 · 10 MB each

Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

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 →

Shipping from China to Poti

How this lane actually runs

Import duty and tax position for Poti

Air, sea or overland into Poti?

Pre-shipment checklist for Poti

Mode guides for Poti

Frequently asked questions

Other delivery cities in Georgia

References & official sources

Shipping by industry

Checking the Georgia duty position yourself

Watch: the process behind this route

Get a rate for Poti

Got it — your enquiry is in.

Freight Rates to Georgia

Customs clearance in Georgia

Got it — your enquiry is in.

Best Shipping Options