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 Malaysia 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.
| 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 → Port Klang Container Shipping
Ocean freight from China to Malaysia on a full-container basis, loading at Shanghai for discharge at Port Klang. Because the rate is per container, the way to lower your cost per unit is to fill the box properly rather than to negotiate the freight — a 40HQ at 85% utilization is almost always cheaper per CBM than a 20GP packed tight. Transit is typically 7–12 days port to port.
Port-to-port means exactly that: the rate ends at the Port Klang terminal gate. Typical dwell at destination runs 2–4 days before the box is available for collection, and that window sits outside the transit figure above. Origin haulage, export declaration, destination clearance, duty and delivery beyond the terminal are all quoted separately, so ask for a door figure if that is what you are comparing against.
Indicative rate. The figures below are benchmarked against current bookings on this lane group. They are a planning reference, not a firm offer — the booking rate is confirmed against the specific sailing when you enquire.
Rate by Container Type
- 20GP — USD 850 per container
- 40HQ — USD 1,650 per container
Discharge for Malaysia on this service is at Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas and Penang. Transit time in the rate table is measured to the port, not to the door: the inland days on top depend on which gateway the box clears through and how far inland the delivery address sits.
If your delivery address is inland rather than at the port, the destination guides are the useful read: Tawau, Lahad Datu, Klang, Kota Kinabalu and Miri each document their clearing gateway, typical inland transit and local customs behavior, none of which is visible in a rate table. See all Malaysia destinations we cover for the other 14.
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Additional Information
What This Rate Covers — and What It Does Not
The Shanghai to Port Klang rate is ocean freight, port to port, for one full container. Origin haulage to Shanghai, export declaration, destination clearance, duty and tax for Malaysia, and delivery beyond the Port Klang terminal all sit outside it and are quoted on request. That split is normal for FCL, and it is why a port-to-port figure should never be compared directly against a door-to-door one.
- Priced per box in USD for 20GP and 40HQ, not per KG or per CBM — utilization is yours to optimize
- Transit 7–12 days port to port port to port on Shanghai to Port Klang, subject to the sailing booked
- Heavy and out-of-gauge cargo is core traffic here: machinery, steel, stone, building materials, project pieces
- Cut-off and free time attach to the specific sailing; demurrage begins the day free time expires
- Reefer, dangerous goods and out-of-gauge are priced case by case rather than from the card
- Clearance at destination is handled by Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM); the consignee must be registered to import
- Destination conformity for Malaysia: SIRIM certification and MCMC label for electrical and radio products; halal certification for food ingredients
Utilization is where the real saving sits on this lane. The rate is per box, so every CBM you leave empty is money already spent — which is why it is worth planning the load before booking rather than after. On the compliance side, Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) assesses against your declaration, so the packing list and the commercial invoice need to agree with each other and with the cargo.
Every shipment needs a commercial invoice and a packing list that agree with each other, plus destination certification where the commodity requires it. The most common cause of delay we see is not the freight at all — it is a declared value or a goods description that does not match what is in the cartons, which turns a routine clearance into an inspection.
Where these numbers come from
We publish these figures so you can budget, but the assessment that binds is the one Royal Malaysian Customs Department makes on your declaration. Where a shipment is large enough that a percentage point matters, check their current tariff guidance rather than ours.
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 Malaysia, the Malaysia 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.
China to Malaysia — Shipping Reference Data
| Main sea gateways | Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Penang |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | MYR 500 (low-value goods sold online are taxed regardless) |
| Import tax & duty regime | Sales tax 5–10% plus 10% low-value-goods tax on online orders under MYR 500; duty 0–30%, largely 0% under ACFTA |
| Local currency | MYR |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 2–4 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | SIRIM certification and MCMC label for electrical and radio products; halal certification for food ingredients |
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 Malaysia. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Container Loading Planner
Maximize every CBM on this route: load your carton list into the 3D container planner, check space and payload utilization, and download the loading plan for your forwarder.
Open Container Planner →Malaysia Sea Freight Checklist
- Reserve loading space 5-7 days before the sailing cut-off for this route during peak season.
- Confirm whether your Malaysia rate is per CBM or per container before comparing quotes.
- Photograph the container number, seal, and loading process for insurance evidence.
- Declare accurate gross weight — VGM misdeclaration delays vessels and triggers fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Sea FCL Port-to-Port from China to Malaysia take?
Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 2–4 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 Malaysia?
Clearance is handled by Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM). The regime is: Sales tax 5–10% plus 10% low-value-goods tax on online orders under MYR 500; duty 0–30%, largely 0% under ACFTA, with a de-minimis position of MYR 500 (low-value goods sold online are taxed regardless). Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
What certification is needed to import into Malaysia?
For regulated goods, plan for: SIRIM certification and MCMC label for electrical and radio products; halal certification for food ingredients. Missing conformity paperwork is the most common clearance hold with Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM), so confirm requirements for your HS code before shipping.
Which ports or airports does this route use into Malaysia?
Sea cargo to Malaysia clears through Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Penang; air freight clears via KUL (Kuala Lumpur), PEN (Penang), BKI (Kota Kinabalu). We route through whichever gateway gives the fastest onward delivery to your address and build it into the DDP price.
In what currency is this route priced and paid?
Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is MYR. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.
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.
Inland Delivery Coverage — Malaysia
We deliver beyond the arrival gateway. Each city below has its own destination guide covering the gateway it clears through, typical inland transit time and the local customs picture.
Note — these are reference guides, not quotes. The city pages describe routing, gateways and clearance for each destination. They do not carry rate tables. For pricing to any city listed here, use the rate table on this page or ask us for a quote.
- Pasir Gudang JHB air / Pasir Gudang sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Bintulu BTU air / Bintulu sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Samalaju BTU air / Samalaju sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Lahad Datu LDU air / Lahad Datu sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Sibu SBW air / Sibu sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Sandakan SDK air / Sandakan sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Tawau TWU air / Tawau sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Kuala Lumpur KUL air / Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Shah Alam KUL air / Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Klang Port Klang sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Johor Bahru Tanjung Pelepas sea / SIN air inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Penang PEN air / Penang Port sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
Shipping Malaysia 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.
- Medical Device Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments
- Personal Protective Equipment Fire, Safety & Traffic Products
- Beauty Equipment Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- Inflatable Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Artificial Flowers Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Retail Products E-commerce & Retail Channels
- Sheet Metal Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Agricultural Drones Agriculture & Livestock Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Automotive Lighting Automotive & Vehicles
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