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Asia Pacific

Shipping from China to Tokyo

China → Tokyo · via NRT/HND air / Tokyo sea · clearance by Japan Customs (税関)

Freight forwarding from China to Tokyo, Japan — container and air cargo handling
Cargo handling on the China–Tokyo lane.

Tokyo is the largest consumer and distribution market in Japan, and it is served through NRT/HND air / Tokyo 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.

The clearing authority is Japan Customs (税関). Historical dwell on this gateway is around 1–3 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.

Import duty and tax position for Tokyo

Japan Customs (税関) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Tokyo 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.

What the routing looks like in practice

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 usedNRT (Narita), HND (Haneda), KIX (Osaka Kansai)
Air transit, China to gateway1–3 business days
Sea gateways usedTokyo, Yokohama, Osaka
Sea transit, China to gateway3–6 calendar days
Gateway serving TokyoNRT/HND air / Tokyo sea
Inland leg to TokyoSame day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell1–3 days
Peak season to plan aroundSep–Nov
Air cargo build-up used on the China to Tokyo (Japan) freight lane
Handling on the NRT/HND air / Tokyo sea routing serving Tokyo.

Pre-shipment checklist for Tokyo

  • Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Japan duty rate against it yourself.
  • Put the Tokyo delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
  • Confirm the consignee in Tokyo can act as importer of record — Japan Customs (税関) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
  • Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
  • Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
  • Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Tokyo.

Air, sea or overland into Tokyo?

ModeTransit to gatewayBest suited to
✈️ Air Freight1–3 business daystime-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight3–6 calendar daysvolume 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 Tokyo and 1–3 days of clearance.

Mode guides for Tokyo

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Tokyo 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 Tokyo.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Tokyo?

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 Tokyo.

Which port or airport does cargo for Tokyo clear through?

Cargo for Tokyo is routed via NRT/HND air / Tokyo sea. Sea gateways for Japan are Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka; air gateways are NRT (Narita), HND (Haneda), KIX (Osaka Kansai). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Tokyo?

Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via NRT (Narita), HND (Haneda), KIX (Osaka Kansai). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.

What certification do I need for Japan?

For regulated goods, plan for: PSE mark for electrical appliances; Giteki/MIC certification for radio devices; Food Sanitation Act notification for food-contact items. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.

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.

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: 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 Japan duty position yourself

Treat the landed-cost numbers here as a planning baseline. Japan Customs sets the rate that actually gets charged, assessed against your HS classification at the moment of clearance, so their own guidance is worth reading before a large 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.

For a wider view of how importing into Japan actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Japan customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Tokyo. 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 Tokyo

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.

kg
ctn
Carton sizeoptional
× × cm
m³
ctr
Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.
Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.
Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.
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?*
Tick both and we quote both.
When should it move?optional
Photographs of the goodsoptional
    Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

    See the Japan route page →

    Customs clearance in Japan

    Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

    Japan clearance requirements →

    Priced routes to Japan