Shipping from China to David
China → David · via PTY air / Balboa sea · clearance by Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá
David is western regional commercial center, and it is served through PTY air / Balboa sea. That combination is what actually sets your delivery date on this lane — allow +1 day for the inland leg on top of clearance.
Clearance itself is handled by Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 2–5 days.
Routing and transit on this lane
The Colón Free Zone is the largest free port in the Americas and the natural staging point for Chinese goods distributed across Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Cargo can sit in the zone duty-free and be re-exported in smaller lots, which is a far more efficient structure than shipping direct to a dozen small markets.
| Air gateways used | PTY (Panama City Tocumen) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4–6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Balboa (Pacific), Colón / Manzanillo (Atlantic) |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 22–30 calendar days |
| Gateway serving David | PTY air / Balboa sea |
| Inland leg to David | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2–5 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Duty, tax and clearance into David
Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for David consignees. Current regime: ITBMS 7%; duty 0–15%, with 0% inside the Colón Free Zone, with a de-minimis position of USD 100 for courier consignments.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Conformity requirements for regulated goods; health registration for food and cosmetics. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Panama: Free Zone re-export and Panamanian domestic import are different regimes — clarify which applies. Canal transit conditions can affect Atlantic-side schedules during low-water periods.
Air, sea or overland into David?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 4–6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 22–30 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Panama gateway and excludes the +1 day inland leg to David and 2–5 days of clearance.
Before you book: David checklist
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Panama duty rate against it yourself.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Budget for the inland leg: +1 day beyond gateway clearance to reach David.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Put the David delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
Mode guides for David
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to David take?
China to the Panama gateway is 4–6 business days by air, 22–30 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 2–5 days of clearance with Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá and a +1 day inland leg to David.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into David?
Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá applies: ITBMS 7%; duty 0–15%, with 0% inside the Colón Free Zone. The de-minimis position is USD 100 for courier consignments. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in David.
Can you deliver door-to-door in David?
Yes. Delivery to a David address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá, 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.
What certification do I need for Panama?
For regulated goods, plan for: Conformity requirements for regulated goods; health registration for food and cosmetics. 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 Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá 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 (Conformity requirements for regulated goods; health registration for food and cosmetics). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for David?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Other delivery cities in Panama
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Panama 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 Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá or your broker before you ship.
- Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
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.
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- 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
Checking the Panama duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá 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 — 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.
If this is your first shipment into Panama, the Panama Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for David. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
How to Calculate CBM in Shipping | Volume vs Weight Explained | CBM Formula & Freight Cost Guide — 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 Panama
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
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