Central Asia

Shipping from China to Rustavi

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

Cargo handling on the China–Rustavi lane.

For buyers shipping into Rustavi, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Rustavi is metallurgy and manufacturing center; cargo enters through TBS air / Poti sea, and allow +1 day for the inland leg on top of clearance.

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

What the routing looks like in practice

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 Rustavi	TBS air / Poti sea
Inland leg to Rustavi	+1 day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	2–6 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Duty, tax and clearance into Rustavi

Georgian Revenue Service assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Rustavi 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 Rustavi (Georgia) freight lane — Handling on the TBS air / Poti sea routing serving Rustavi.

Air, sea or overland into Rustavi?

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 +1 day inland leg to Rustavi and 2–6 days of clearance.

Before you book: Rustavi checklist

Check the de-minimis position (GEL 300 for personal parcels) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
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.
Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Budget for the inland leg: +1 day beyond gateway clearance to reach Rustavi.
Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Technical regulation conformity for regulated goods; certificate of origin to claim FTA preference.

Mode guides for Rustavi

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Rustavi 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 +1 day inland leg to Rustavi.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Rustavi?

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 Rustavi.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Rustavi?

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 +1 day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.

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.

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.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Rustavi?

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.

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: 8 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 139 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 Rustavi. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Ocean Freight 101 - What Is LCL Ocean Freight — 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 Rustavi

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.

Request a quote →

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 →