Pallet Shipping from China
Ocean freight for pallet — 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
Pallet shipping from China is straightforward once the cargo is understood: this is freight that timber platforms that carry regulatory risk out of proportion to their value, and the routing follows from that.
It changes how the shipment prices. 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.
One thing specific to this material. Missing or illegible ISPM 15 marks. It is the commonest reason a whole container is held, and the pallet is usually the cheapest thing inside it.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: ISPM 15 heat treatment on all solid wood, and EU deforestation-regulation due diligence. Classification sits in chapter 44 / 48; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Pallet
| Typical HS chapter | 44 / 48 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Timber platforms that carry regulatory risk out of proportion to their value |
| 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
ISPM 15 heat treated and stamped, stacked and banded in uniform blocks. The stamp is the product; untreated timber is refused at the border regardless of the goods on top of it.
Loading the container
In the box: 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
Which service: 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
Missing or illegible ISPM 15 marks. It is the commonest reason a whole container is held, and the pallet is usually the cheapest thing inside it.
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 pallet as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Clearing pallet 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 pallet?
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 pallet be packed for export?
ISPM 15 heat treated and stamped, stacked and banded in uniform blocks. The stamp is the product; untreated timber is refused at the border regardless of the goods on top of it.
Air or sea for pallet?
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 pallet 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 pallet shipments?
Missing or illegible ISPM 15 marks. It is the commonest reason a whole container is held, and the pallet is usually the cheapest thing inside it.
Is there anything specific to pallet we should know?
Solid wood packing and solid wood product are treated differently at the border, but both need ISPM 15 treatment and a legible stamp. An unstamped pallet will have the whole consignment fumigated at your cost.
Can you quote pallet 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.