Shipping from China to Drammen
China โ Drammen ยท via OSL air / Drammen sea ยท clearance by Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten)
We move freight cargo from South China into Drammen through OSL air / Drammen sea. Drammen is logistics and vehicle import hub, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten), and typical dwell at the gateway runs 2โ5 days.
Import duty and tax position for Drammen
Imports into Norway are cleared by Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten). The headline position is: VAT 25%; customs duty 0% on most industrial goods, with protection on textiles and food. The de-minimis threshold is VOEC scheme applies to goods under NOK 3,000 sold to consumers.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: CE marking under EEA rules; VOEC registration for B2C sellers. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Norway: Being outside the EU customs union means a full import declaration even for goods that already cleared elsewhere in Europe. VAT at 25% dominates landed cost. B2C sellers should be VOEC-registered.
Routing and transit on this lane
Norway is inside the EEA single market but outside the EU customs union, so goods clear separately even when they arrive through Rotterdam or Hamburg. Most sea cargo is feedered from a continental hub rather than shipped direct, which is why realistic sea transit runs longer than to Germany or the Netherlands.
| Air gateways used | OSL (Oslo Gardermoen), BGO (Bergen) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4โ6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Oslo, Bergen, Larvik |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 32โ42 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Drammen | OSL air / Drammen sea |
| Inland leg to Drammen | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2โ5 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Before you book: Drammen checklist
- Confirm the consignee in Drammen can act as importer of record โ Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure โ it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: CE marking under EEA rules; VOEC registration for B2C sellers.
- Check the de-minimis position (VOEC scheme applies to goods under NOK 3,000 sold to consumers) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Norway duty rate against it yourself.
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Drammen.
Air, sea or overland into Drammen?
| 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 | 32โ42 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Norway gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Drammen and 2โ5 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Drammen
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Drammen take?
China to the Norway gateway is 4โ6 business days by air, 32โ42 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 2โ5 days of clearance with Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) and a same-day inland leg to Drammen.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Drammen?
Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) applies: VAT 25%; customs duty 0% on most industrial goods, with protection on textiles and food. The de-minimis position is VOEC scheme applies to goods under NOK 3,000 sold to consumers. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Drammen.
What documents does Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) 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 (CE marking under EEA rules; VOEC registration for B2C sellers). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Drammen?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via OSL (Oslo Gardermoen), BGO (Bergen). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Drammen?
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.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Drammen?
Per kilo, yes โ usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 32โ42 calendar days by sea versus 4โ6 business days by air to the Norway 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 Norway
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Norway 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 Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) or your broker before you ship.
- Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten)
- VOEC scheme โ Norwegian Tax Administration
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- WCO โ Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA โ Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965โ970)
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.
- 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
- Display Stands Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Umbrellas Consumer Goods & Gifts
Checking the Norway duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) 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.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
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 Drammen. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
FCL vs LCL Shipping: When to Switch (Break-Even Point Explained) — Max Antonov. 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 Norway
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Norway clearance requirements →