🚢 Sea Freight

China to 20GP Rates Sea Freight

Door-to-door transit 25-45 calendar days. Duty and final delivery are inside the published rate.

Sea freight — China to Germany

Sea Freight from China to 20GP Rates runs 25-45 calendar days door to door, clearing through the destination customs authority. Duty, customs handling and final delivery are inside the quoted rate. Send weight and dimensions for a firm figure on your cargo.

Transit time: 25-45 calendar days
Destination: 20GP Rates, Germany
Customs authority: the destination customs authority
Duty-free threshold: EUR 150

Published channel rate for planning. The final quote depends on chargeable weight, cargo class and HS code.

📋 Contents

💰 Current Freight Rates

Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.

Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What

The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Germany is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.

Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.

Responsibility for each shipment stage under each Incoterms rule
Term	1 Loading on truck	2 Export customs declaration	3 Carriage to port of export	4 Unloading at port of export	5 Loading on vessel / aircraft	6 Main carriage	7 Cargo insurance	8 Unloading at port of import	9 Loading on truck at import	10 Carriage to destination	11 Import customs clearance	12 Import duties & taxes
EXW Ex Works	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck	Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FCA Free Carrier	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FAS Free Alongside Ship	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FOB Free On Board	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CFR Cost and Freight	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Seller Seller — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CPT Carriage Paid To	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Seller Seller — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAP Delivered At Place	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DDP Delivered Duty Paid	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Seller Seller — Import customs clearance	Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes

EXW Ex Works

Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.

FCA Free Carrier

Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.

FAS Free Alongside Ship

Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.

FOB Free On Board

Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.

CFR Cost and Freight

Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.

CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight

As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).

CPT Carriage Paid To

Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.

CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid

As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.

DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)

Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.

DAP Delivered At Place

Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.

DDP Delivered Duty Paid

Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.

Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.

📋 Service Details

Shanghai → Bremerhaven Container Shipping

Port-to-port FCL from Shanghai to Bremerhaven, Germany. We book the whole box — the right structure once volume passes roughly 15 CBM, or when the cargo is heavy, oversized or awkward to consolidate. Transit is typically 30–40 days port to port.

Full-container rate quoted on request. We do not hold a standing FCL allocation price on this sailing. We do run a live Sea DDP service into this market, priced per KG, and under a full container that is usually the cheaper structure anyway — the current figure is shown on our Germany route page and in the rate checker above. Send the commodity, volume and required ETD and we will price both side by side.

Rate by Container Type

20GP — quoted on request for the current sailing
40HQ — quoted on request for the current sailing

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ℹ️ Additional Information

What the Rate Covers

Ocean freight, port to port. Origin haulage to Shanghai, export declaration, destination clearance, duty and VAT and delivery beyond the terminal are quoted separately.

One full container: 20GP / 40HQ. Priced per box in USD, not per KG or CBM
Heavy and out-of-gauge cargo is our core traffic — machinery, steel, stone, building materials, project pieces
Cut-off and free time are tied to the specific sailing; demurrage starts when free time expires
Reefer, DG and out-of-gauge priced case by case

📊 China to Germany — Shipping Reference Data

Main sea gateways	Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven
Destination customs authority	German Customs (Zoll)
De-minimis / duty-free threshold	EUR 150
Import tax & duty regime	Import VAT 19%; duty 0–12% by TARIC
Local currency	EUR
Typical clearance / dwell time	3–6 days
Peak / busy season	Sep–Nov
Conformity & certification	CE marking + EU IOSS for B2C

Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.

🧰 Free 3D Loading Tools for This Sea Route

This page covers a Sea freight service from China to Germany. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.

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3D Container Loading Planner

Wondering whether your cargo fills a 20GP or needs a 40HQ for this Germany route? The 3D container planner simulates cartons, crates, pallets, and even mixed box sizes in one container.

Open Container Planner →

✅ Germany Sea Freight Checklist

Reserve loading space 5-7 days before the sailing cut-off for this route during peak season.
Declare accurate gross weight — VGM misdeclaration delays vessels and triggers fines.
Check pallet vs floor-loading: floor loading typically fits 8-12% more cartons per container.
Confirm whether your Germany rate is per CBM or per container before comparing quotes.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Sea FCL Port-to-Port from China to Germany take?

Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 3–6 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.

What duties and taxes apply when importing into Germany?

Clearance is handled by German Customs (Zoll). The regime is: Import VAT 19%; duty 0–12% by TARIC, with a de-minimis position of EUR 150. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.

When does capacity tighten on the China–Germany lane?

Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Book 1–2 weeks earlier in these periods.

In what currency is this route priced and paid?

Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is EUR. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.

What does DDP shipping to Germany include on this route?

DDP means one price covering freight, the duty/tax owed to German Customs (Zoll), and last-mile delivery to your door in Germany. There are no surprise charges at destination.

How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) and charge the greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above.

Shipping Germany cargo by industry

This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.

All 139 industry guides →

📞 Contact Us

Ready to ship? Our team responds within one business day. We also handle sourcing and purchasing.

Customs clearance in Germany

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

Germany clearance requirements →