Fabric Shipping from China
Ocean freight for fabric — 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
We move Fabric out of China as ordinary export freight — booked, packed and cleared to the same standard as any other commodity, but planned around the fact that it piece goods sold by the metre, damaged in ways that shorten every cut.
It changes how the shipment prices. Volume-limited, and one of the few cargoes where the packing method genuinely changes the cube: vacuum or compression packing can take a third out of the volume, and a third out of the volume is a third off an ocean rate.
One thing specific to this material. Water staining along one edge. Even minor condensation wicks into the roll end and the stain runs deep enough to lose several metres from every piece.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: OEKO-TEX or REACH evidence, and origin documents for preferential duty. Classification sits in chapter 50–63 / 64 / 42; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Fabric
| Typical HS chapter | 50–63 / 64 / 42 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Piece goods sold by the metre, damaged in ways that shorten every cut |
| How it prices | Volume-limited |
| Usual service | Sea FCL, air in season |
| Main compliance step | OEKO-TEX or REACH evidence, and origin documents for preferential duty |
| 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
Full rolls wrapped individually, ends capped, cores intact. A crushed core makes the whole roll unrollable on a spreading table regardless of the condition of the cloth.
Loading the container
In the box: Solid, even stacking with dunnage between courses. Textiles take the shape of whatever presses into them across four weeks, and a crease set at sea does not always hang out.
Choosing the service
Which service: Ocean for the volume; air only for a season that is already late, where the airfreight is cheaper than the markdown.
Where it usually goes wrong
Water staining along one edge. Even minor condensation wicks into the roll end and the stain runs deep enough to lose several metres from every piece.
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 fabric as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Clearing fabric 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 fabric?
Volume-limited, and one of the few cargoes where the packing method genuinely changes the cube: vacuum or compression packing can take a third out of the volume, and a third out of the volume is a third off an ocean rate.
How should fabric be packed for export?
Full rolls wrapped individually, ends capped, cores intact. A crushed core makes the whole roll unrollable on a spreading table regardless of the condition of the cloth.
Air or sea for fabric?
Ocean for the volume; air only for a season that is already late, where the airfreight is cheaper than the markdown.
What customs paperwork does fabric need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is OEKO-TEX or REACH evidence, and origin documents for preferential duty. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 50–63 / 64 / 42, 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 fabric shipments?
Water staining along one edge. Even minor condensation wicks into the roll end and the stain runs deep enough to lose several metres from every piece.
Is there anything specific to fabric we should know?
Textiles absorb and hold moisture, then mildew. Line the container walls, add desiccant proportioned to the load, and never stuff bales still warm from a press.
Can you quote fabric 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.