HK General Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.17 |
| 100-299 | USD 75.56 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.22 |
| 500+ | USD 117.08 |
Middle East
✈️ Air Freight
🚢 Sea Freight
China to UAE Shipping Guide
Gateways, customs procedure, duty position and realistic door-to-door timings for cargo moving from China into UAE.
Freight from China to UAE moves by sea through Jebel Ali (Dubai) and by air through DXB / DWC (Dubai). Customs is administered by Federal Customs Authority (UAE), and arriving cargo typically sits 2–5 days at the gateway before release.
- Air freight
- from USD 75.6/kg, 5-10 days
- Customs authority
- Federal Customs Authority (UAE)
- Duty-free threshold
- AED 300
Rates last updated 2025-12-29. Figures are published channel prices for planning; the final quote depends on chargeable weight, cargo class and HS code.
Freight Options and Indicative Rates — UAE
🟢 Updated 2025-12-29| Service | Mode | Rate (USD/KG) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value HK General Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 75.6 | Get Quote → |
| HK General Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 75.8 | Get Quote → |
| HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.0 | Get Quote → |
| HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.3 | Get Quote → |
| HK Battery Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.8 | Get Quote → |
chinaoceanfreight.com
Track your shipment
Enter your tracking number below
Powered by 17TRACK — supports 2,000+ carriers worldwide
Full Weight-Tier Rate Cards
Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to UAE. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
HK General Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Other Zones| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.44 |
| 100-299 | USD 75.83 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.50 |
| 500+ | USD 117.36 |
HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.58 |
| 100-299 | USD 75.97 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.64 |
| 500+ | USD 117.50 |
HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Other Zones| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.86 |
| 100-299 | USD 76.25 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.92 |
| 500+ | USD 117.78 |
HK Battery Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 35.42 |
| 100-299 | USD 76.81 |
| 300-499 | USD 118.47 |
| 500+ | USD 118.33 |
✈️ Air Freight Options
HK General Cargo Duty Paid
USD 75.6/KG
HK General Cargo Duty Paid
USD 75.8/KG
HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid
USD 76.0/KG
🚢 Sea Freight Options
Sea Freight – General Cargo
USD 150.7/KG
Sea Freight – Brand Cargo
USD 203.5/KG
Sea Freight – Battery Cargo
USD 256.3/KG
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to UAE 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.
Price Trend — UAE
Historical freight rates from China to UAE. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
China to UAE — Shipping Reference Data
Reference figures that shape cost and transit on the China-UAE route:
| Main sea gateways | Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Federal Customs Authority (UAE) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | AED 300 |
| Import tax & duty regime | VAT 5%; standard customs duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones) |
| Local currency | AED |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 2–5 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | ESMA / ECAS conformity for regulated electronics |
| Main air gateways | DXB / DWC (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), SHJ (Sharjah) |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
Commercial Freight — Mid Volume
At 100 KG, you're in the commercial freight category — large enough for competitive rates but still within the range where air freight often beats sea freight on cost per delivery cycle. This weight is common for electronics, clothing, and general merchandise restocking shipments going to UAE.
- Air freight channels offer volume discounts from 100 KG
- Sea freight LCL (shared container) becomes viable above 150 KG
- Most channels require volumetric weight check (L×W×H÷6000)
- Rail freight viable for European destinations at this weight
🧰 Free 3D Loading Tools
Shipping to UAE by air or sea? Plan cartons and container loading in 3D before requesting a quote.
3D Carton Packing Calculator
Air rates to UAE bill by chargeable weight — simulate your carton fill in 3D (including mixed products in one box) and cut dimensional-weight waste before you book.
Open Packing Tool →3D Container Loading Planner
Squeeze more out of every CBM to UAE: load your carton list in 3D, verify space and payload utilization, and export the loading plan.
Open Container Planner →Which Shipping Method is Best?
Recommended
Air Freight
Recommended
Sea Freight
Rail Freight
Transit Times — China to UAE
| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to UAE door |
| Sea Freight LCL | 30–50 calendar days | Shared container to UAE port + delivery |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, high cost for this weight |
What Affects the Shipping Cost to UAE?
- Actual vs. volumetric weight — carriers charge whichever is higher (L×W×H÷6000 for air)
- Cargo type surcharge — batteries, liquids, and branded goods carry additional fees
- Peak season surcharges — Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (Oct) add 15–30%
- Destination area — UAE may have remote area surcharges for certain postal codes
- Declared value — customs duties are calculated on CIF value
Customs & Documentation for UAE
- De minimis threshold — shipments below local tax threshold may clear duty-free
- Required documents: commercial invoice, packing list, and accurate HS codes
- DDP service includes all import duties — you pay one total price with no surprises
- Battery and liquid goods require additional certification documents
Frequently Asked Questions
How does shipping from China to UAE work?
Cargo leaves South China by air, sea or rail and enters UAE through Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah (sea) or DXB / DWC (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), SHJ (Sharjah) (air). Federal Customs Authority (UAE) assesses duty and tax on arrival, with typical dwell of 2–5 days before release. Air runs 5–10 days door to door, sea 25–45 days.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into UAE?
Imports into UAE are assessed by Federal Customs Authority (UAE). The applicable regime is: VAT 5%; standard customs duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones). The duty-free / de-minimis position is AED 300. Under our DDP service these charges are pre-paid and included in the per-KG price, so there is nothing to settle on arrival.
What is DDP shipping to UAE and what does it include?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) to UAE means one all-inclusive price covering freight, the duty/tax due to Federal Customs Authority (UAE), and last-mile delivery to your door. The AED 300 de-minimis position is handled for you, and there are no surprise charges at destination.
What is the minimum shipment size for shipping to UAE?
Minimums to UAE vary by channel: air DDP from about 21 KG (some from 12 KG), sea LCL from roughly 1 CBM, and express courier for single parcels. Below 21 KG, express is usually the most economical way into UAE.
What documents are required for customs clearance in UAE?
Federal Customs Authority (UAE) typically requires: (1) commercial invoice with HS codes and declared value; (2) packing list with weights and dimensions; (3) bill of lading or air waybill; (4) certificate of origin (may lower duty); and (5) any product-specific certification (ESMA / ECAS conformity for regulated electronics). Under DDP we prepare and file these for you.
Is air or sea freight better for 100 KG to UAE?
For 100 KG to UAE, air is usually better on total landed cost despite a higher per-KG rate, because the 30–45 day ocean transit (plus 2–5 days dwell) raises inventory cost. Air also unlocks volume discounts above 100 KG.
Which ports and airports handle China shipments to UAE?
Sea freight to UAE typically routes through Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah, while air freight clears via DXB / DWC (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), SHJ (Sharjah). We pick the gateway with the best onward delivery time to your final address and price it into the DDP rate.
When is the busy season for shipping to UAE?
Capacity to UAE tightens around Sep–Nov, on top of the China-side surcharge windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Booking 1–2 weeks earlier during these windows protects both space and rate.
Shipping to UAE by industry
Rates above are lane rates and apply to general cargo. Packing specification, HS classification and the clearance step that matters are all commodity-specific — these guides cover them industry by industry.
- Solar Inverter New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Energy Storage System New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Construction Hardware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- 5G Equipment Telecom, Computing & Data Centre
- Headphones Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Footwear Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Medical Furniture Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments
Customs clearance in Uae
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Uae clearance requirements →