You've found your supplier. You've negotiated a price. Now you need to get your goods from China to your country. Choosing the wrong shipping method can eat your entire profit margin โ€” or worse, delay your shipment by months.

Here's how to choose, based on 20 years of shipping from Guangzhou.

Option 1: Sea Freight

Sea freight moves 90% of global trade. It's the cheapest per-unit option and the only practical choice for large or heavy shipments.

Cost: A 20ft container from Guangzhou to major ports: $800-2,500 (varies by destination and season). LCL (Less than Container Load โ€” sharing a container): $50-150 per cubic meter.

Transit time: 15-35 days to most destinations. Add 3-5 days for customs clearance at destination.

Best for: Orders over 2 cubic meters, heavy items (furniture, machinery), non-urgent shipments, anything where cost matters more than speed.

Watch out for: Port congestion (adds 1-3 weeks), customs inspections, Chinese New Year shutdown (plan 6 weeks ahead), and hidden fees (documentation, terminal handling, customs broker).

Option 2: Air Freight

Faster than sea, cheaper than express. Good middle ground for medium-weight, time-sensitive shipments.

Cost: $3-8 per kg from Guangzhou. A 100kg shipment typically costs $300-800.

Transit time: 3-7 days door to door.

Best for: Orders 50-500kg, high-value items (electronics), seasonal products with deadlines, samples that need to arrive fast.

Option 3: Express Courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS)

Fastest and most convenient. Door-to-door with full tracking.

Cost: $5-12 per kg. Discounted rates available for regular shippers.

Transit time: 2-5 days worldwide.

Best for: Small orders under 50kg, samples, urgent shipments, e-commerce fulfillment.

How We Handle Shipping

We manage the entire shipping process for you โ€” booking containers, preparing documentation (bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin), customs clearance at both ends, and delivery to your door. You send us your requirements, we handle everything else.

One of our biggest advantages: we have VIP status at Nansha Port, one of China's largest seaports. This means priority booking and faster processing for our clients' containers.

Need a shipping quote for your order? Contact us with your product details โ†’