Current Freight Rates
| Weight | Rate (USD / KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 6.04 |
| 13 KG | USD 5.86 |
| 14 KG | USD 5.71 |
| 15 KG | USD 5.58 |
| 16 KG | USD 5.46 |
| 17 KG | USD 6.18 |
| 18 KG | USD 6.04 |
| 19 KG | USD 5.92 |
| 20 KG | USD 5.81 |
| 21 KG | USD 5.71 |
| 22 KG | USD 5.62 |
| 23 KG | USD 5.84 |
| 30 KG | USD 5.35 |
| 50 KG | USD 4.83 |
| 100 KG | USD 4.28 |
| 150 KG | USD 3.86 |
| 200 KG | USD 3.77 |
| 505 KG | USD 3.49 |
| 850 KG | USD 3.54 |
| 1700 KG | USD 3.62 |
| 2500 KG | USD 3.60 |
| 3400 KG | USD 3.36 |
How these prices are calculated — chargeable weight
Freight is not billed on the number on your bathroom scale. It is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Denser cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on the space it occupies. Whichever is higher is the one you pay — never the lower.
- One cubic metre = 167 kg. That is 1,000,000 cm³ ÷ 6000, the same divisor used for the volumetric check, so both sides of this page agree with each other.
- Per-kilogram channels. The rate is multiplied by chargeable weight, rounded up to the next whole kilogram. A 300 kg consignment that only measures out to a smaller volumetric figure is still charged on its 300 kg actual weight.
- Freight only. These are published freight rates. Duty, tax and customs charges at destination are not a fixed number we can print: they follow your product's HS code, its declared value and the exchange rate applied on the day of entry, so they are confirmed against your actual goods and quoted separately.
- Indicative only — the real price can be higher or lower. Nothing on this page is a quotation or a commitment. What you finally pay depends on what the product is, how it is packed, the chargeable weight, the declared value, the destination duty position and the exchange rate at the time. Send the product details, weight and dimensions and we will price your specific shipment.
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more — see which costs sit with us and which sit with you
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to United States 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
China → United States LA OA – Door Delivery
Sea freight from China to United States, quoted per CBM or per KG, whichever bills higher. This is a commercial freight service for cargo moving in volume, not a parcel channel — the rate card below starts where courier pricing stops making sense.
Cargo on this service moves through Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark and Savannah. The rate covers the leg to the discharge port; inland delivery beyond the quay is costed against the delivery address, not the country. Expect 2–5 days of dwell at destination before release.
This rate is freight only. Import charges for United States are assessed separately on arrival — No federal VAT; duty 0–6.5% by HTS code — and whoever is named as importer of record is liable for them. If you would rather have one all-in number, ask us for the duty-paid version of this lane.
Space on this lane tightens through Aug–Oct, which is peak season for United States. Rates published outside that window are not a reliable guide to what you will pay inside it, so if your order lands in peak, book earlier rather than budgeting from an off-peak figure.
Current Rate Card
- 12+ — USD 11.64 per KG
- 50+ — USD 10.63 per KG
- 101+ — USD 8.10 per KG
Last refreshed 2026-08-06.
Every consignment on this service is measured as well as weighed. Volumetric weight is L×W×H in centimetres divided by 6000 — one cubic metre counted as roughly 166.7 kg — and whichever figure is higher is the one charged. Dense cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on its volume, and repacking to raise density is often the cheapest saving available on a United States shipment.
Typical cargo on this route: restaurant furniture (HS 94 / 39 / 76), where clearance turns on cE on electrical assemblies and fire classification on display materials, pallet (HS 44 / 48) and fasteners (HS 73 / 82 / 83). If yours is on that list the commodity page is worth two minutes — it covers how the goods should leave the factory, how they should sit in the container, and the failure mode we see most often on this kind of freight.
To see this tariff against a real consignment rather than a rate card, the 100 KG, 300 KG and 500 KG pages run it at a fixed weight and show the landed total, including the point where stepping up a bracket lowers your cost per kilo. They are the fastest way to check whether consolidating two orders into one is worth the wait.
We move sea freight cargo for United States through Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark and Savannah. The quoted rate covers the ocean leg to whichever of those the vessel calls at; the difference between them shows up in the trucking cost beyond the quay, which is why it pays to name the delivery city when you ask for a quote rather than just the country.
The table above prices the lane, but most buyers arrive with a consignment already in mind. If yours has a known weight, the 100 KG, 300 KG and 500 KG breakdowns run this tariff against a fixed shipment so you see a landed number rather than a rate per kilo, and the China to United States Sea Freight Cost page sets every channel we run on this lane side by side. For the wider picture including documentation and duty, start from shipping from China to United States.
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Additional Information
What This Rate Covers — and What It Does Not
LCL cargo on this lane bills on the greater of weight and volume, so a dense pallet and a light bulky one of the same size do not cost the same. Past roughly 15 CBM it is worth asking us for an FCL comparison — a full container usually undercuts consolidation at that point, and it removes the co-loading risk that comes with sharing a box.
- General commercial cargo. Battery, magnetic, liquid and powder content must be declared at booking, not on arrival
- Rates are quoted against the current sailing or departure; peak-season surcharges apply where the carrier levies them
- Routing on this lane is via Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark and Savannah — inland delivery beyond that point is quoted against the delivery address
- Clearance at destination is handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- United States de-minimis: USD 800 — commercial consignments sit above it and are dutiable in full
- Destination conformity: FCC for radio devices; FDA Prior Notice for food/supplements
On the duty side, the applicable regime is: No federal VAT; duty 0–6.5% by HTS code. Those are planning references rather than a ruling: the rate that binds is the one assessed against your declared HS code at the moment of entry, and classification is where most landed-cost surprises actually originate.
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
Treat the landed-cost numbers here as a planning baseline. U.S. Customs and Border Protection sets the rate that actually gets charged, assessed against your HS classification at the moment of clearance, so their own guidance is worth reading before a large 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.
China to United States — Shipping Reference Data
| Main sea gateways | Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark, Savannah |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | USD 800 |
| Import tax & duty regime | No federal VAT; duty 0–6.5% by HTS code |
| Local currency | USD |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 2–5 days |
| Peak / busy season | Aug–Oct |
| Conformity & certification | FCC for radio devices; FDA Prior Notice for food/supplements |
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 United States. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Container Loading Planner
Wondering whether your cargo fills a 20GP or needs a 40HQ for this United States route? The 3D container planner simulates cartons, crates, pallets, and even mixed box sizes in one container.
Open Container Planner →United States Sea Freight Checklist
- Ask whether the quote includes destination port charges in United States or only ocean freight.
- Verify the receiver's customs import capability in United States for DDP terms before booking.
- Check pallet vs floor-loading: floor loading typically fits 8-12% more cartons per container.
- Photograph the container number, seal, and loading process for insurance evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does LA OA – Parcel Delivery from China to United States take?
Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 2–5 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 United States?
Clearance is handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The regime is: No federal VAT; duty 0–6.5% by HTS code, with a de-minimis position of USD 800. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
When does capacity tighten on the China–United States lane?
Space and rates tighten around Aug–Oct, 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 USD. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.
Can you ship special cargo (batteries, branded goods) to United States?
Yes — battery goods by sea follow UN3480/UN3481 rules with an MSDS; we prepare the dangerous-goods paperwork as part of DDP into Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark, Savannah. Surcharges apply.
How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000, so one cubic metre counts as about 166.7 kg) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above. A 300 kg consignment measuring out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg.
Historical Price Records
All price updates are recorded here. Use the weekly tabs to browse older entries.
| Date | 12+ | 50+ | 101+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-30Latest | USD 6.04 | USD 4.83 | USD 3.90 |
| 2026-09-30 | USD 6.04 | USD 4.83 | USD 3.90 |
| 2026-09-30 | USD 6.04 | USD 4.83 | USD 3.90 |
| 2026-09-17 | USD 6.03 | USD 4.82 | USD 3.89 |
| 2026-09-15 | USD 6.02 | USD 4.81 | USD 3.88 |
| 2026-09-15 | USD 5.88 | USD 4.67 | USD 3.76 |
| 2026-09-07 | USD 5.32 | USD 4.12 | USD 3.20 |
| 2026-08-31 | USD 5.32 | USD 4.12 | USD 3.20 |
| 2026-08-19 | USD 5.31 | USD 4.10 | USD 3.19 |
| 2026-08-18 | USD 5.32 | USD 4.12 | USD 3.20 |
| 2026-08-17 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.82 |
| 2026-08-17 | USD 3.98 | USD 2.77 | USD 1.86 |
| 2026-08-17 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.82 |
| 2026-08-06 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.81 |
| 2026-08-03 | USD 3.94 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.82 |
| 2026-07-30 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.81 |
| 2026-07-20 | USD 3.96 | USD 2.75 | USD 1.84 |
| 2026-07-17 | USD 3.94 | USD 2.74 | USD 1.83 |
| 2026-07-14 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.72 | USD 1.81 |
| 2026-07-07 | USD 3.91 | USD 2.70 | USD 1.79 |
| 2026-07-03 | USD 3.92 | USD 2.71 | USD 1.80 |
| 2026-07-02 | USD 3.91 | USD 2.70 | USD 1.79 |
| 2026-06-30 | USD 3.91 | USD 2.71 | USD 1.80 |
| 2026-06-23 | USD 3.90 | USD 2.70 | USD 1.79 |
| 2026-06-15 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.82 |
| 2026-06-08 | USD 3.93 | USD 2.73 | USD 1.82 |
| 2026-05-14 | USD 3.89 | USD 2.68 | USD 1.77 |
| 2025-12-29 | USD 3.88 | USD 2.68 | USD 1.77 |
Price Trend
Shipping United States 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.
- Industrial Boilers General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plumbing Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- Engineering Plastics Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Illuminated Signs Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Products Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Cartons Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products