Moji, Japan Freight from China: Transit & Customs

For buyers shipping into Moji, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Moji is Kanmon Strait port serving northern Kyushu industry; cargo enters through FUK air / Moji sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

Clearance itself is handled by Japan Customs (税関), and typical dwell at the gateway runs 1–3 days.

How this lane actually runs

Japan is a fast, high-compliance lane: Shanghai and Qingdao to Tokyo or Osaka is 3–6 days by sea and often next-day by air. Clearance itself is quick, but the standards regime is unforgiving — PSE and Giteki marking must be correct before the goods ship, because there is no way to remediate at the border.

Air gateways used	NRT (Narita), HND (Haneda), KIX (Osaka Kansai)
Air transit, China to gateway	1–3 business days
Sea gateways used	Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka
Sea transit, China to gateway	3–6 calendar days
Gateway serving Moji	FUK air / Moji sea
Inland leg to Moji	Same day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	1–3 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Duty, tax and clearance into Moji

Japan Customs (税関) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Moji consignees. Current regime: Consumption tax 10%; duty 0–15% on most manufactured goods, higher on leather, footwear and food, with a de-minimis position of JPY 10,000 customs value (some categories excluded).

Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: PSE mark for electrical appliances; Giteki/MIC certification for radio devices; Food Sanitation Act notification for food-contact items. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.

Restrictions and known friction points for Japan: Electrical products without a valid PSE mark cannot be imported. Radio devices need Giteki certification. Amazon FBA Japan requires an Importer of Record that is not Amazon, so confirm who the IOR will be before booking a DDP move.

Air, sea or overland into Moji?

Mode	Transit to gateway	Best suited to
✈️ Air Freight	1–3 business days	time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight	3–6 calendar days	volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Japan gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Moji and 1–3 days of clearance.

What to sort out before the cargo leaves China

Put the Moji delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Japan duty rate against it yourself.
Get the conformity paperwork moving early: PSE mark for electrical appliances; Giteki/MIC certification for radio devices; Food Sanitation Act notification for food-contact items.
Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
Check the de-minimis position (JPY 10,000 customs value (some categories excluded)) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Moji.

Mode guides for Moji

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Moji take?

China to the Japan gateway is 1–3 business days by air, 3–6 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 1–3 days of clearance with Japan Customs (税関) and a same-day inland leg to Moji.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Moji?

Japan Customs (税関) applies: Consumption tax 10%; duty 0–15% on most manufactured goods, higher on leather, footwear and food. The de-minimis position is JPY 10,000 customs value (some categories excluded). Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Moji.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Moji?

Yes. Delivery to a Moji address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Japan Customs (税関), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfilment centre or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

When is the busiest time on the China–Japan 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 Japan Customs (税関) 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 (PSE mark for electrical appliances; Giteki/MIC certification for radio devices; Food Sanitation Act notification for food-contact items). We prepare and file these as part of the service.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Moji?

Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 3–6 calendar days by sea versus 1–3 business days by air to the Japan 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 Japan

All Japan freight information →

References & official sources

Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Japan 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 Japan Customs (税関) 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 →

Get a rate for Moji

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 → See the Japan route page →

Shipping from China to Moji