Cartons Shipping from China
Ocean freight for cartons — container selection and loading plan, packing specification, HS classification and import clearance at destination. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
- Full container, LCL and breakbulk — priced per box, not per kilo
- Loading plan agreed before booking, not improvised at the warehouse
- Classification settled before the vessel sails
For Cartons, the freight quote is the easy part. What matters is that this cargo bulk board where the entire economics are cube efficiency — get that wrong and the rate becomes irrelevant.
The pricing follows from it. The classic volume-limited cargo: a container runs out of space with tonnes of capacity unused. Everything about the price follows density, so the honest lever is not the rate but how much air you are shipping.
A caution particular to this commodity. Warping from uneven moisture. One damp edge on a pallet twists the whole stack and every carton in it runs crooked through an erector.
On the compliance side the recurring item is straightforward to state and easy to leave too late: ISPM 15 heat treatment on all solid wood, and EU deforestation-regulation due diligence. HS classification generally falls in chapter 44 / 48, though the exact heading depends on specification and should be confirmed against your own product before you rely on a duty estimate.
Freight reference — Cartons
| Typical HS chapter | 44 / 48 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Bulk board where the entire economics are cube efficiency |
| How it prices | Volume-limited |
| Usual service | Sea FCL / LCL |
| Main compliance step | ISPM 15 heat treatment on all solid wood, and EU deforestation-regulation due diligence |
| Trade terms available | EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP, DAP or delivered duty-paid |
HS chapters are indicative. The binding classification depends on your exact specification — confirm the heading before relying on a duty estimate.
Packing and protection
Flat, banded, full pallet, wrapped. There is no version of this cargo that survives loose stacking economically.
Loading the container
On loading: Stack to the ceiling and take the height seriously — an unused foot across a 40ft floor is several cubic metres of paid-for air. Interlock the courses so the stack is self-supporting.
Choosing the service
On routing: Ocean, and a high cube wherever the cargo will stack: the extra internal height is close to free against what it adds in usable volume. Air is punishing at this density.
Where it usually goes wrong
Warping from uneven moisture. One damp edge on a pallet twists the whole stack and every carton in it runs crooked through an erector.
Live rates on lanes that carry this cargo
Published per-kilo and per-CBM rates from China, updated from carrier feeds. Rates are lane-based rather than commodity-based, so these apply to cartons as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Clearing cartons at destination
The freight is the easy half. What decides whether this cargo lands on time is the HS heading it is entered under, the certification the destination applies to it, and whether the consignee is registered to import it. We file the entry in 160 markets and settle duty and tax as part of the movement, so the classification we quote is the classification that gets used.
Clearance requirements by market →Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for cartons?
The classic volume-limited cargo: a container runs out of space with tonnes of capacity unused. Everything about the price follows density, so the honest lever is not the rate but how much air you are shipping.
How should cartons be packed for export?
Flat, banded, full pallet, wrapped. There is no version of this cargo that survives loose stacking economically.
Air or sea for cartons?
Ocean, and a high cube wherever the cargo will stack: the extra internal height is close to free against what it adds in usable volume. Air is punishing at this density.
What customs paperwork does cartons need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is ISPM 15 heat treatment on all solid wood, and EU deforestation-regulation due diligence. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 44 / 48, but the exact heading depends on your specification — send the product details and we will confirm the code and the duty position for the destination before you commit.
What goes wrong most often with cartons shipments?
Warping from uneven moisture. One damp edge on a pallet twists the whole stack and every carton in it runs crooked through an erector.
Is there anything specific to cartons we should know?
Board loses a significant share of its stacking strength once it takes up moisture, so a pallet that was stable at origin can collapse in the container. Ship dry, wrap the pallet, and put desiccant in with any long sea crossing.
Can you quote cartons on FOB or CIF rather than duty-paid?
Yes. We quote EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP, DAP and delivered duty-paid on this cargo. The term decides how much of the journey is already inside the price — the trade-terms table on any of our rate pages sets out exactly who carries which cost at each stage.