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🚢 Sea Freight

Sea Freight from China to Kaohsiung

China → Kaohsiung · via KHH air / Kaohsiung sea · clearance by Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance

Sea Freight from China to Kaohsiung, Taiwan — cargo handling at the departure terminal
Cargo handling on the China–Kaohsiung lane.

For buyers shipping into Kaohsiung, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Kaohsiung is the island's main container port; cargo enters through KHH air / Kaohsiung sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

The clearing authority is Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 1–3 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.

Duty, tax and clearance into Kaohsiung

Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Kaohsiung consignees. Current regime: Business tax 5%; duty 0–30% depending on commodity, with a de-minimis position of TWD 2,000, and only twice in any six-month window per consignee.

Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: BSMI commodity inspection mark for electrical and consumer goods; NCC approval for radio devices. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.

Restrictions and known friction points for Taiwan: Certain mainland-origin goods remain on Taiwan's restricted import list — check the commodity classification before booking. BSMI inspection applies to a wide range of consumer electronics and children's products.

Routing and transit on this lane

Taiwan is effectively an overnight air lane and a two-to-four-day sea lane from South China. The frequency-based de-minimis rule matters more than the value threshold: a consignee who receives more than two low-value parcels in six months loses the exemption entirely, which catches repeat e-commerce buyers.

Sea gateways usedKaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung
Sea transit, China to gateway2–4 calendar days
Gateway serving KaohsiungKHH air / Kaohsiung sea
Inland leg to KaohsiungSame day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell1–3 days
Peak season to plan aroundSep–Nov
Container terminal operations used on the China to Kaohsiung (Taiwan) freight lane
Handling on the KHH air / Kaohsiung sea routing serving Kaohsiung.

What to sort out before the cargo leaves China

  • Confirm the consignee in Kaohsiung can act as importer of record — Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
  • Get the conformity paperwork moving early: BSMI commodity inspection mark for electrical and consumer goods; NCC approval for radio devices.
  • Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
  • Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
  • Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
  • Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Taiwan duty rate against it yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Kaohsiung take?

China to the Taiwan gateway is 2–4 calendar days. On top of that, allow 1–3 days of clearance with Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance and a same-day inland leg to Kaohsiung.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Kaohsiung?

Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance applies: Business tax 5%; duty 0–30% depending on commodity. The de-minimis position is TWD 2,000, and only twice in any six-month window per consignee. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Kaohsiung.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Kaohsiung?

Yes. Battery cargo by sea moves under UN3480/UN3481 with an MSDS, and the dangerous-goods documentation is prepared as part of the booking into Kaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Kaohsiung?

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.

Which port or airport does cargo for Kaohsiung clear through?

Cargo for Kaohsiung is routed via KHH air / Kaohsiung sea. Sea gateways for Taiwan are Kaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung; air gateways are TPE (Taoyuan), KHH (Kaohsiung). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.

What documents does Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance 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 (BSMI commodity inspection mark for electrical and consumer goods; NCC approval for radio devices). We prepare and file these as part of the service.

Other delivery cities in Taiwan

All Taiwan freight information →

References & official sources

Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Taiwan 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 Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance 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 Taiwan duty position yourself

Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance 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.

For a wider view of how importing into Taiwan actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Taiwan 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 Kaohsiung. 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 Kaohsiung

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 Taiwan route page →

    Customs clearance in Taiwan

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

    Taiwan clearance requirements →

    Priced routes to Taiwan