Guides to shipping from China
Each guide answers one question about shipping from China. We wrote them from the work we do each day in Shenzhen.
All guides
How long does shipping from China take?
Shipping times from China by method: express 2 to 5 working days, air freight 5 to 10 days, special lines 7 to 12 days, post 10 to 20 days, and sea freight by route.
Express shipping from China: couriers, costs and volume weight
How express shipping from China works: the couriers, how volume weight sets the price, the surcharges to expect, and when a special line costs less.
China Post vs EMS vs DHL: which one to use
China Post, EMS and DHL compared by weight limit, speed, tracking and customs, with a fourth option for parcels that can wait a week.
China Post small packet: size limits, tracking and customs
The rules for China Post small packets: 2 kg weight limit, size limits, what you can send, how tracking works and who pays the duty.
What you can and cannot ship from China
Shipping restrictions from China: goods that cannot ship, the rules for batteries, liquids and powders, and the import rules of the US, the EU, the UK and Australia.
Shipping labels and customs forms for parcels from China
What a shipping label from China must show, how to write the address and the goods description, and which customs form each shipping method needs.
Shipping insurance from China: what a carrier pays and what it does not
Carrier liability pays by weight, not by value. See the legal limits for air, sea and road freight, what general average means, and how to make a claim.
How to track a package from China
How to read a tracking number from China, why tracking stops when a parcel lands, what each status means, and when to act.
Why shipments from China arrive late, and how to prevent it
The five causes of shipping delays from China: customs, holidays, missing documents, restricted goods and the last mile. What to do about each one.
Customs clearance for goods from China
How customs clearance works when you import from China: export clearance, the documents, HS codes, import duty and tax, and the difference between DDP and DAP.
Shipping zones from China: how carriers price by destination
What a shipping zone is, why each carrier draws its own, how remote area surcharges work, and how to get the right price for a destination.
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