🚢 Sea Freight

Sea Freight from China to Cai Mep

China → Cai Mep · via SGN air / Cai Mep sea · clearance by General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan)

Cargo handling on the China–Cai Mep lane.

For buyers shipping into Cai Mep, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Cai Mep is the deep-water port serving southern Vietnam's export belt; cargo enters through SGN air / Cai Mep sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

On the destination side, General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) handles clearance; budget 2–5 days of dwell before the cargo is released.

What the routing looks like in practice

Vietnam is the shortest deep-sea lane out of South China — Shekou to Hai Phong is often 3–5 days. Northern Vietnam is also served overland through the Youyi Guan (Pingxiang) and Mong Cai crossings, which suits LCL and urgent replenishment for the Bac Ninh and Bac Giang electronics cluster.

Sea gateways used	Hai Phong, Cat Lai (Ho Chi Minh City), Cai Mep–Thi Vai
Sea transit, China to gateway	3–7 calendar days
Gateway serving Cai Mep	SGN air / Cai Mep sea
Inland leg to Cai Mep	Same day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	2–5 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Duty, tax and clearance into Cai Mep

General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Cai Mep consignees. Current regime: VAT 8–10%; duty 0–35%, with 0% available on most tariff lines under ACFTA/RCEP with a valid Form E, with a de-minimis position of VND 1,000,000 (roughly USD 40) on express parcels.

Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Form E certificate of origin to claim ACFTA duty relief; MIC/Circular 04 type approval for radio equipment; energy-efficiency labelling for appliances. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.

Restrictions and known friction points for Vietnam: Used machinery is subject to Decision 18/2019 age limits. Cosmetics need a product announcement filed by the consignee. Duty relief under Form E is only granted if the origin document matches the invoice exactly — a very common cause of held shipments.

Container terminal operations used on the China to Cai Mep (Vietnam) freight lane — Handling on the SGN air / Cai Mep sea routing serving Cai Mep.

Before you book: Cai Mep checklist

Check the de-minimis position (VND 1,000,000 (roughly USD 40) on express parcels) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Put the Cai Mep delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Form E certificate of origin to claim ACFTA duty relief; MIC/Circular 04 type approval for radio equipment; energy-efficiency labelling for appliances.
Confirm the consignee in Cai Mep can act as importer of record — General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Cai Mep take?

China to the Vietnam gateway is 3–7 calendar days. On top of that, allow 2–5 days of clearance with General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) and a same-day inland leg to Cai Mep.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Cai Mep?

General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) applies: VAT 8–10%; duty 0–35%, with 0% available on most tariff lines under ACFTA/RCEP with a valid Form E. The de-minimis position is VND 1,000,000 (roughly USD 40) on express parcels. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Cai Mep.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Cai Mep?

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 Hai Phong, Cat Lai (Ho Chi Minh City), Cai Mep–Thi Vai. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.

When is the busiest time on the China–Vietnam lane?

Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, 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.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Cai Mep?

Yes. Delivery to a Cai Mep address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfilment centre or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Cai Mep?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimetres 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 Vietnam

All Vietnam freight information →

References & official sources

Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Vietnam 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 General Department of Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) or your broker before you ship.

Page data last reviewed: 8 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 139 industry guides →

Get a rate for Cai Mep

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.

Request a quote → See the Vietnam route page →

Customs clearance in Vietnam

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

Vietnam clearance requirements →