Shipping from China to Beirut
China โ Beirut ยท via BEY air / Beirut sea ยท clearance by Lebanese Customs Administration
We move freight cargo from South China into Beirut through BEY air / Beirut sea. Beirut is capital and the main import gateway, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
The clearing authority is Lebanese Customs Administration. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 5โ12 days, and it lengthens in SepโNov.
Import duty and tax position for Beirut
Imports into Lebanon are cleared by Lebanese Customs Administration. The headline position is: VAT 11%; customs duty 0โ70% depending on commodity. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: LIBNOR conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Lebanon: Banking and foreign-currency constraints affect duty payment and DDP feasibility. Confirm the payment mechanism before booking. Arabic labeling required for consumer goods.
What the routing looks like in practice
Beirut handles most of Lebanon's import volume, with Tripoli taking a growing share since 2020. The practical constraint on this lane is financial rather than logistical โ banking restrictions make duty settlement and supplier payment the slowest part of the process, which directly limits what can be structured as true DDP.
| Air gateways used | BEY (Beirut Rafic Hariri) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4โ6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Beirut, Tripoli (Lebanon) |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 24โ32 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Beirut | BEY air / Beirut sea |
| Inland leg to Beirut | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 5โ12 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Confirm the consignee in Beirut can act as importer of record โ Lebanese Customs Administration will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: LIBNOR conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during SepโNov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Lebanon duty rate against it yourself.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Air, sea or overland into Beirut?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 4โ6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 24โ32 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Lebanon gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Beirut and 5โ12 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Beirut
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Beirut take?
China to the Lebanon gateway is 4โ6 business days by air, 24โ32 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 5โ12 days of clearance with Lebanese Customs Administration and a same-day inland leg to Beirut.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Beirut?
Lebanese Customs Administration applies: VAT 11%; customs duty 0โ70% depending on commodity. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Beirut.
Which port or airport does cargo for Beirut clear through?
Cargo for Beirut is routed via BEY air / Beirut sea. Sea gateways for Lebanon are Beirut, Tripoli (Lebanon); air gateways are BEY (Beirut Rafic Hariri). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Beirut?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via BEY (Beirut Rafic Hariri). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
What certification do I need for Lebanon?
For regulated goods, plan for: LIBNOR conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products. 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 Lebanese Customs Administration 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 (LIBNOR conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Other delivery cities in Lebanon
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Lebanon 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 Lebanese Customs Administration or your broker before you ship.
- Lebanese Customs
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- ICC โ Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- 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.
- 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
- Electrical Cabinets New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Flooring Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- Tableware Furniture & Home Products
Checking the Lebanon duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Lebanese Customs Administration 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.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name โ 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 Lebanon actually works โ documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments โ the U.S. ITA guide to Lebanon 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 Beirut. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Bill of Lading Explained (BOL) | Types, Components & Full Beginner Guide | Shipping Document — 10 Min For Supply Chain. 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 Lebanon
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Lebanon clearance requirements →