Learn the drivers, or ask for your number
Mode, where the cargo starts and ends, how large it is, and the week you book all change the price. Ocean, a shared container, and air are different jobs. Duty is a separate line, and only when you ask for it to be included. The table below names those categories. The dollar amount is the written quote for your cargo. We do not keep a public rate card, and we will not paste another forwarder’s table here and call it ours. If figures ever appear on this site, they will be dated and labeled as examples.
Ask for that written quote when the cargo facts are in hand. If a weight or a ready date is still open,see which blanks you can mark unknown. The lane those charges belong to is China to USA shipping.
Cost categories
A usable quote names which of these categories are included. It does not hide them inside a single unexplained total.
| Category | What it usually covers | Where the number lives |
|---|---|---|
| International freight | The ocean or air main carriage | Written quote |
| Origin charges | Pickup, export handling, and documents in China, when the quote includes them | Written quote |
| Destination charges | Terminal handling and U.S. delivery, when the quote includes them | Written quote |
| Duties and taxes | Import duty and related taxes, only if the quote says they are included | Written quote |
| Fuel and peak add-ons | Fuel, PSS, GRI, or similar carrier extras when they apply to that booking | Written quote |
Ocean versus air, without a dollar figure
Ocean is priced per container for FCL, or on a volume-and-weight rule for LCL. Air is priced on chargeable weight. Ocean is the usual lower-cost path for heavier commercial cargo. Air is the usual higher-cost path you buy for speed. Send the same dimensions if you want both versions. See ocean freight andair freight.
FCL versus LCL
FCL puts the container cost, and the origin and destination charges tied to that box, on one shipment. LCL spreads the box and then adds warehouse handling. A few pallets often start as an LCL question. A near-full box often starts as an FCL question. In between, ask for both. We will not print a cubic-meter line and call it a rule.
How DDP changes the quote
Freight and duty are different bills. A DAP-style quote can cover delivery and leave duty with the buyer. A DDP-style quote is meant to include duties and taxes as well as delivery. The quote has to say which version you are looking at. We do not calculate duty on this page. The boundary is onDDP shipping from China to the USA.
Surcharges, defined and not priced
Peak season surcharge (PSS) is an extra some carriers apply when space is tight. General rate increase (GRI) is a carrier announcement that its base rate is changing. Fuel, sometimes called bunker on the ocean side, moves with that carrier formula. Any of them can be on a booking or absent from it. The quote for your ready date is where they show up, if they show up.
Send this to get a usable quote
- Supplier city, pickup address, or China port
- U.S. city and ZIP, or an FBA warehouse code if Amazon has assigned one
- What the goods are, plus a commercial invoice and a packing list if you already have them
- HS code if you already know it (this list is not classification advice)
- Carton or pallet count
- Dimensions and weight, if you have them
- When the cargo will be ready
- Incoterms preference if you already know it (DDP, DAP, or not sure)
- Special handling: batteries, liquids, wood packaging, a residential stop, or a liftgate
FAQ
Why is there no price on this page?
A China-to-USA freight number depends on the cargo, the lane, the ready date, and the space a carrier will sell that week. Publishing a dollar figure here would go stale. Shibida does not run a public rate index. The usable number is the written quote.
What charges make up a China to USA shipping quote?
Most quotes are built from international freight, origin charges in China, destination charges in the United States, and any fuel or peak-season add-on the carrier is applying. Duties and taxes appear when the quote is scoped to include them, such as a DDP request. The quote lists which of those categories are in the number.
Is ocean always cheaper than air?
Ocean is usually the lower cost per kilo for cartons and pallets, and air is usually higher because you are buying a faster booking. That is a pattern, not a promise for your cargo. A light carton can bill on dimensional weight by air, and a small LCL lot can pick up warehouse charges that change the comparison. Ask us to price the mode you are actually considering.
When does duty show up on the quote?
Duty and taxes are a separate category from freight. They are included when you ask for DDP, or when the quote otherwise says they are included. Under DAP they are usually the buyer responsibility. We do not estimate duty on this page. Classification, value, and origin decide the amount, and that work happens in the quote, not here.
What is a peak season surcharge?
A peak season surcharge (PSS) is an extra some carriers apply when space is tight. A general rate increase (GRI) is a carrier announcement that its base rate is changing. Fuel adjustments move with the carrier formula. Whether any of them hit your booking depends on the sailing or the flight. This page does not list the amounts.
What should I send to get a usable shipping quote?
Send the China origin, the U.S. city and ZIP or FBA code, what the goods are, carton or pallet count, dimensions and weight if you know them, ocean or air if you have a preference, DDP or DAP if you already know the term, and the ready date. Write unknown where a fact is missing. Use the quote form.