Asia Pacific

Shipping from China to Tainan

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

Cargo handling on the China–Tainan lane.

Freight from China into Tainan clears through TPE air / Kaohsiung sea. Tainan is semiconductor and science park cluster, 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.

How this lane actually runs

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.

Air gateways used	TPE (Taoyuan), KHH (Kaohsiung)
Air transit, China to gateway	1–2 business days
Sea gateways used	Kaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung
Sea transit, China to gateway	2–4 calendar days
Gateway serving Tainan	TPE air / Kaohsiung sea
Inland leg to Tainan	Same day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	1–3 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Duty, tax and clearance into Tainan

Imports into Taiwan are cleared by Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance. The headline position is: Business tax 5%; duty 0–30% depending on commodity. The de-minimis threshold is 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.

Air cargo build-up used on the China to Tainan (Taiwan) freight lane — Handling on the TPE air / Kaohsiung sea routing serving Tainan.

Air, sea or overland into Tainan?

Mode	Transit to gateway	Best suited to
✈️ Air Freight	1–2 business days	time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight	2–4 calendar days	volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Taiwan gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Tainan and 1–3 days of clearance.

Before you book: Tainan checklist

Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Taiwan duty rate against it yourself.
Check the de-minimis position (TWD 2,000, and only twice in any six-month window per consignee) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Confirm the consignee in Tainan can act as importer of record — Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Tainan.

Mode guides for Tainan

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Tainan take?

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

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Tainan?

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 Tainan.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Tainan?

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.

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.

What certification do I need for Taiwan?

For regulated goods, plan for: BSMI commodity inspection mark for electrical and consumer goods; NCC approval for radio devices. 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.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Tainan?

Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 2–4 calendar days by sea versus 1–2 business days by air to the Taiwan 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 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.

If this is your first shipment into Taiwan, the Taiwan 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 Tainan. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Ocean Freight 101 - What Is LCL Ocean Freight — 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 Tainan

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.

What are you shipping?*

Destination*

Weight*

Cartons*

ctn

Carton sizeoptional

× × cm

Total volumeopt

m³

Containeropt

How manyopt

ctr

Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.

Yes No

Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.

Yes No

Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.

Yes No

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?*

Sea freight Air freight

Tick both and we quote both.

When should it move?optional

Not before Not after

Your name

Email*

Phone / WhatsApp

Photographs of the goodsoptional

Add images PNG or JPG · up to 5 · 10 MB each

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 →

Shipping from China to Tainan

How this lane actually runs

Duty, tax and clearance into Tainan

Air, sea or overland into Tainan?

Before you book: Tainan checklist

Mode guides for Tainan

Frequently asked questions

Other delivery cities in Taiwan

References & official sources

Shipping by industry

Checking the Taiwan duty position yourself

Watch: the process behind this route

Get a rate for Tainan

Got it — your enquiry is in.

Freight Rates to Taiwan

Customs clearance in Taiwan

Priced routes to Taiwan

Got it — your enquiry is in.

Best Shipping Options