Shipping from China to Tbilisi
China โ Tbilisi ยท via TBS air / Poti sea ยท clearance by Georgian Revenue Service
Tbilisi is capital and the country's main market, and it is served through TBS air / Poti sea. That combination is what actually sets your delivery date on this lane โ allow +1 day for the inland leg on top of clearance.
The clearing authority is Georgian Revenue Service. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 2โ6 days, and it lengthens in SepโNov.
What the routing looks like in practice
Georgia has had a free trade agreement with China since 2018 โ the only one in the Caucasus โ 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 | 3โ5 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Poti, Batumi, Anaklia (under development) |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 25โ35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea |
| Gateway serving Tbilisi | TBS air / Poti sea |
| Inland leg to Tbilisi | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2โ6 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Duty, tax and clearance into Tbilisi
Georgian Revenue Service assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Tbilisi consignees. Current regime: VAT 18%; customs duty of 0%, 5% or 12% only โ and 0% on most goods under the ChinaโGeorgia 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, sea or overland into Tbilisi?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 3โ5 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 25โ35 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 Tbilisi and 2โ6 days of clearance.
Before you book: Tbilisi checklist
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Georgia duty rate against it yourself.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Put the Tbilisi delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Technical regulation conformity for regulated goods; certificate of origin to claim FTA preference.
Mode guides for Tbilisi
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Tbilisi take?
China to the Georgia gateway is 3โ5 business days by air, 25โ35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea by sea. On top of that, allow 2โ6 days of clearance with Georgian Revenue Service and a +1 day inland leg to Tbilisi.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Tbilisi?
Georgian Revenue Service applies: VAT 18%; customs duty of 0%, 5% or 12% only โ and 0% on most goods under the ChinaโGeorgia 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 Tbilisi.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Tbilisi?
Yes. Delivery to a Tbilisi address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Georgian Revenue Service, and the +1 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 Tbilisi?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight โ length ร width ร height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air โ and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Tbilisi?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via TBS (Tbilisi), BUS (Batumi). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Tbilisi?
Per kilo, yes โ usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 25โ35 calendar days via Suez to the Black Sea by sea versus 3โ5 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.
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 โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with Georgian Revenue Service or your broker before you ship.
- Georgian Revenue Service
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC โ ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO โ Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
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.
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- 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
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 Tbilisi. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
What Is CBM? Sea Freight Volume Explained (Calculate Shipping Cost Fast!) — DDPCHAIN. 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 โ plus who files the entry.
Georgia clearance requirements →