Textiles Shipping from China
Ocean freight for textiles — 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
Shipping Textiles from China is a planning problem before it is a price problem. The cargo roll and bolt goods that take the shape of whatever presses into them, and every sensible decision downstream starts there.
It changes how the shipment prices. Weight-limited almost always. Coil and plate carry serious mass in a small footprint, so the payload is exhausted early and the binding constraint becomes floor loading per square metre rather than total gross.
One thing specific to this material. Set-in creases from a bad stow. Four weeks under uneven pressure leaves a line that does not hang out, and the roll is then only good for shorter cuts.
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 — Textiles
| Typical HS chapter | 50–63 / 64 / 42 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Roll and bolt goods that take the shape of whatever presses into them |
| How it prices | Weight-limited |
| Usual service | Sea FCL |
| 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
Rolls on their ends where the cloth permits, cores supported, wrapped against dust and moisture. Bolts flat in even courses with dunnage between, never leaning.
Loading the container
In the box: Support the entire footprint. Anything overhanging its bearers deforms under its own weight across a four-week sailing, and coils must be chocked against rotation: a coil that begins to turn at sea does not stop.
Choosing the service
Which service: Ocean FCL, and worth insisting on a clean, inspected box for coated or mirror-finish material. Rust bloom and condensation staining are cosmetic faults that still get a load rejected.
Where it usually goes wrong
Set-in creases from a bad stow. Four weeks under uneven pressure leaves a line that does not hang out, and the roll is then only good for shorter cuts.
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 textiles as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Clearing textiles 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 textiles?
Weight-limited almost always. Coil and plate carry serious mass in a small footprint, so the payload is exhausted early and the binding constraint becomes floor loading per square metre rather than total gross.
How should textiles be packed for export?
Rolls on their ends where the cloth permits, cores supported, wrapped against dust and moisture. Bolts flat in even courses with dunnage between, never leaning.
Air or sea for textiles?
Ocean FCL, and worth insisting on a clean, inspected box for coated or mirror-finish material. Rust bloom and condensation staining are cosmetic faults that still get a load rejected.
What customs paperwork does textiles 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 textiles shipments?
Set-in creases from a bad stow. Four weeks under uneven pressure leaves a line that does not hang out, and the roll is then only good for shorter cuts.
Is there anything specific to textiles we should know?
Fired ceramic chips at the corner and shows it immediately. Full-height dunnage between pallet rows stops the toppling that causes most of these claims.
Can you quote textiles 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.