Shipping from China to Gampaha
China โ Gampaha ยท via CMB air / Colombo sea ยท clearance by Sri Lanka Customs
We move freight cargo from South China into Gampaha through CMB air / Colombo sea. Gampaha is industrial belt north of Colombo, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
The clearing authority is Sri Lanka Customs. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 3โ7 days, and it lengthens in SepโNov.
How this lane actually runs
Colombo is one of the best-connected transshipment ports in the Indian Ocean, so direct South China sailings are frequent and reliable. Import control licensing has been used repeatedly as a foreign-exchange management tool, so the restricted list should be checked at the time of booking rather than assumed.
| Air gateways used | CMB (Colombo Bandaranaike) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3โ5 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Colombo, Hambantota, Trincomalee |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 10โ16 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Gampaha | CMB air / Colombo sea |
| Inland leg to Gampaha | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3โ7 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Import duty and tax position for Gampaha
Imports into Sri Lanka are cleared by Sri Lanka Customs. The headline position is: VAT 18%; customs duty plus PAL (ports and airports levy) 10% and CESS on selected goods. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: SLSI conformity for regulated goods; import control license for restricted categories. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Sri Lanka: Import control licenses apply to a shifting list of non-essential goods. CESS and PAL can add materially to the landed cost on consumer items. Confirm the current license position for your HS code before shipping.
Air, sea or overland into Gampaha?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 3โ5 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 10โ16 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Sri Lanka gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Gampaha and 3โ7 days of clearance.
Pre-shipment checklist for Gampaha
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure โ it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during SepโNov, when space on this lane tightens.
Mode guides for Gampaha
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Gampaha take?
China to the Sri Lanka gateway is 3โ5 business days by air, 10โ16 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3โ7 days of clearance with Sri Lanka Customs and a same-day inland leg to Gampaha.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Gampaha?
Sri Lanka Customs applies: VAT 18%; customs duty plus PAL (ports and airports levy) 10% and CESS on selected goods. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Gampaha.
What documents does Sri Lanka Customs 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 (SLSI conformity for regulated goods; import control license for restricted categories). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
When is the busiest time on the ChinaโSri Lanka lane?
Space and rates tighten around SepโNov, 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 certification do I need for Sri Lanka?
For regulated goods, plan for: SLSI conformity for regulated goods; import control license for restricted categories. 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.
Which port or airport does cargo for Gampaha clear through?
Cargo for Gampaha is routed via CMB air / Colombo sea. Sea gateways for Sri Lanka are Colombo, Hambantota, Trincomalee; air gateways are CMB (Colombo Bandaranaike). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Other delivery cities in Sri Lanka
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka Customs or your broker before you ship.
- Sri Lanka Customs
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- 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.
- 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
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
Checking the Sri Lanka duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Sri Lanka Customs 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.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
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.
If this is your first shipment into Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka 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 Gampaha. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
LCL vs FCL | Difference Between Full Container Load & Less than Container Load | Which is better ? — 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 Sri Lanka
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Sri Lanka clearance requirements →