Most sellers may wonder about the accurate shipping time from China and how to mitigate shipping delays to keep everything running smoothly for better inventory management.
Exact international shipping times can be challenging to predict due to many risks in international shipping. But we hope this content below can give you useful and practical shipping time information.
In this blog, we’ll discuss shipping time in the whole shipping stages, factors that affect the timings, and solutions to optimize shipping time from China.
Let’s dive in!
Overview: How long does shipping from China take to FBA?
Shipping goods from China follows a complex procedure, and the scale of China’s territory can impact the time it takes to reach the final destination.
The total shipping time is based on the receiving and processing time, the transit time, the clearance and delivery time, and the time it takes for Amazon FBA to process the goods.
In the following sections, we’ll look at the different stages of shipping times to better understand how to arrange shipping plans.
At FBABEE, we have extensive experience shipping clothes, pet supplies, household items, and many other categories to and from China. What do you want to ship? Feel free to contact our FBA experts for your best shipping solution.
Stage 1: Cargo receiving and processing time from China
Before cargo departs China, it will be picked up from suppliers and sent to our warehouse for consolidation, and then shipped to the departure ports.
1. Picking up from suppliers to our warehouse
Let’s look at the stage in detail:
Usually, we will pick up your products from suppliers for consolidation and packing preparation according to Amazon requirements or your special requirements.
If your suppliers are in Guangdong Province, your products can arrive at our warehouse at Dongguan in 1-2 workdays; suppliers in other provinces of China may take 3-4 days and 5 days for more remote locations like Shandong.
2. Ship to the port of departure
Once your products are ready to ship, we will load and send them to the container yard in 1-2 days. Then, it’s time to wait for cargo loading on the vessel and departure.
Notice: for rail freight to Europe, it takes 6-10 days from Shenzhen to Chongqing to load on the train and depart.
In summary, it usually takes at least 3-15 days to receive and process your cargo for international shipping from China, apart from warehousing time.
Stage 2: Transit time from China to the destination country
At this stage, your cargo will be shipped to the destination by sea, air, express, or rail. The shipping time can vary based on these different shipping methods.
How long is sea shipping from China?
Sea shipping from China port to port may take 20-55 days, according to your chosen destination and shipping service.
In the sea shipping process, the vessel will sail the goods to their destination, following designated routes, once the containers are placed on the vessel.
Some companies, like Matson and ZIM, provide a faster shipping service for more urgent deliveries.
Here are some of the average times it takes for reference:
| Destination | Expedited sea shipping time | General sea shipping time |
| Western USA | 20-25 days | 32-42 days |
| Eastern USA | 28-33 days | 35-45 days |
| UK/EU | 40-45 days | 45-55 days |
| Canada | 28-32 days | 45-55 days |
| Australia | \ | 38-48 days |
| Japan | 12-15 days | 15-20 days |
How long does air shipping take from China?
Air shipping is more efficient than sea shipping, taking 5-15 days from China to your destination. This method may be more beneficial if your warehouse requires urgent shipments.
For air freight from China, your cargo will be transported directly from China’s airport to the destination airport close to the final warehouse, saving lots of the final delivery time.
Generally, air shipping companies provide three types of services for your requirements:
- Economy air shipping: 7-15 days
- Standard air shipping: 5-7 days
- Urgent air shipping: 5 days
The average door-to-door air shipping time to different countries is as follows:
| Destination | Economy air shipping service time | Standard air shipping service time |
| USA | 8-10 days | 4-6 days |
| UK/EU | 8-12 days | 5 days |
| Canada | 12-15 days | 7-9 days |
| Australia | 12-18 days | 8-12 days |
| Japan | 7-10 days | 5-7 days |
How long does express shipping take from China?
Express shipping is the fastest shipping method, taking 4-9 days from China to the globe. Such quick delivery speed primarily benefited from the responsive and organized system of Express shipping couriers, streamlining the whole supply chain.
Similarly to air freight, express shipping also offers different shipping services. Balancing the shipping cost and time, here are the two common express shipping options:
● Standard Express: 7-9 days
● Expedited shipping: 5-7 days
Here is the express shipping time to different locations with some common express shipping companies:
| Destination | Express shipping time | Express shipping companies |
| USA | 7-9 days | UPS, FedEx |
| UK/EU | 7-9 days | DHL, UPS |
| Canada | 7-9 days | DHL, UPS, FedEx, and TNT |
| Australia | 7-9 days | DHL |
| Japan | 5-7 days | DHL |
How long is rail freight time from China?
Rail freight from China to Europe takes 15-20 days from port to port. Cheaper than air freight and faster than sea shipping make rail freight popular for bulk cargo shipping from China.
With rail freight, your cargo will first be loaded on the container in Shenzhen and then transported to Chongqing for loading on the train.
The train will go across Alataw Shankou to Kazakhstan, Russia, Małaszewicze, and finally arrive in Hungary, taking about 10-15 days on the road.
Stage 3: Cargo customs clearance and delivery time
The cargo customs clearance and final delivery procedure is a significant stage in shipping from China.
Take a look at the stage in detail and what the processes involve.
1. Clearance and unloading in the port of destination
In customs clearance, the customs staff will check your paperwork, cargo, and authorization before calculating tariffs. The customs will release your container once you pay all the import fees, and your cargo can be unloaded.
In the US, customers will arrange clearance in 24 hours once your cargo arrives at the port. This duration of customer clearance can last 1-4 days and 10 days or longer if inspected.
- For LCL (less than container load) in sea shipping, your cargo will be unloaded from the container in the destination port, placed on the truck, or picked up by UPS to the transfer center.
- For FCL (full container load) shipments, you can make delivery appointments to Amazon warehouses directly. During dull seasons, this process is generally quicker than LCL.
For rail freight to Europe, your cargo will go through customs clearance in Hungary and then unload for transfer to the UK, France, or other countries, taking roughly 3-5 days.
2. Delivery time to the final destination
At this stage, your cargo will be shipped from the port or transfer center to its final destination.
There are 2 common ways of final delivery, express service or by truck. It will take 5-20 days to the Amazon warehouse by truck and 3-9 days by express.
In total, you can expect 7-14 days of final delivery time from customs clearance to your Amazon warehouse.
Stage 4: Amazon FBA processing time
Once Amazon receives your cargo, the shipping process reaches its final stage. For LTL and FCL shipping to Amazon, you need to schedule delivery appointments before sending to Amazon, which can take 1-3 weeks, depending on the dull or peak season.
The Amazon FBA processing time is around 2-6 days. Usually, Amazon follows the steps below to process your cargo:
1. The warehouse workers will scan the barcode on your cargo for check-in.
2. Amazon will email you a confirmation to let you know the shipment is received.
3. The staff will scan the barcode of your products, updating your inventory.
However, the processing time may vary from 1 week to 2 months depending on the peak and dull seasons. Since there may be insufficient staff to process such many products, it will take longer processing time in peak seasons.
Factors that affect shipping time from China and how to optimize
Understanding the intricacies of shipping durations is important for Amazon sellers, which is particularly relevant when shipping products from China, as various factors can influence shipping times.
Let’s explore those factors here.
5 Factors that Affect Shipping Time From China
1. Distance between the Origin and the Destination
If your products are stocked far from the port, they could take longer to reach the port of departure and subsequently to the warehouse if the port is far from the final destination.
2. Shipping methods you choose
The choice of sea shipping may be economical, but it’s the slowest. If time is of the essence, air freight or express could be the better options. Rail freight is a balanced choice between time and cost but is available only for shipments to Europe.
3. Stuck in customs
Customs inspection or detentions can significantly delay the arrival of your cargo to its destination.
4. Bad weather
Both sea shipping and air freight are often affected by adverse weather conditions. Bad weather can cause shipping delays. On the other hand, rail freight tends to be less vulnerable to weather delays.
5. Holiday impacts
Chinese holidays, peak seasons, and device launch events by companies like Apple can all cause delays and price surges due to increased demand and insufficient carrier stuff.
4 Practical Tips to Optimize Shipping Time from China
Given the potential factors that can cause disruption, you may wonder how you can optimize shipping times from China.
Here are four practical tips to make shipping from China as efficient as possible:
1. Find a trusted professional freight forwarder – Leveraging the expertise of a freight forwarder can streamline the supply chain logistics, improving shipping efficiency and mitigating the risk of delays.
2. Prepare accurate paperwork and documents – Accurate and complete documentation is often pivotal to avoid any delays at customs.
3. Plan ahead – Anticipate peak season and plan accordingly with forecasting techniques. Effective planning can help you avoid the bulk of shipping delays. Strategize accordingly to control elements you have the power to defend against avoidable delays.
4. Optimize shipping methods – Considering a mix of different shipping methods, based on the nature of the cargo and urgency, can be a strategic approach to balancing cost and time.
By understanding these key elements and implementing strategic actions, Amazon sellers can optimize their shipping time from China and navigate the complexities of international shipping more efficiently.
FAQs about shipping time from China to Amazon
The fastest shipping from China is typically express shipping. This shipment method is efficient and ideal for urgent deliveries, the restocking of inventory, or for time-sensitive requirements of test orders.
However, this option is the most expensive shipment method from China and is not recommended for standard deliveries.
The average shipping time from China to the US generally takes 2-8 weeks. Shipping method, distance between origin and destination, or bad weather may affect shipping time.
The following table provides the estimated shipping time for port-to-port and door-to-door shipping from China to the US.
| Port to port | Door to door | |
| LCL | 20-42 days | 25-52 days |
| FCL | 20-42 days | 28-55 days |
| Air freight | 1-5 days | 12-15 days |
| Express | \ | 7-9 days |
The average shipping time from China to the UK/EU takes 3-10 weeks, depending on several factors, like weather conditions and customer clearance.
Use the following table to estimate shipping time from China to the UK/EU by each shipping method.
| Port-to-port | Door-to-door | |
| LCL | 40-55 days | 45-65 days |
| FCL | 40-55 days | 48-70 days |
| Rail freight | 15-25 days | 30-45 days |
| Air freight | 1-5 days | 5-15 days |
| Express | \ | 7-9 days |
Typically, shipping from China to Canada takes 2-10 weeks, depending on the shipping method, delays in customs clearance, and weather conditions.
The following table provides estimated shipping time for each shipping method from China to Canada port-to-port and door-to-door.
| Port-to-port | Door-to-door | |
| LCL | 28-55 days | 35-62 days |
| FCL | 28-55 days | 38-65 days |
| Air Freight | 1-5 days | 12-15 days |
| Express | \ | 7-9 days |
Conclusion
In summary, we’ve looked at the required time of 4 shipping stages from China, factors that affect the shipping time, and practical tips to make the shipping as efficient as possible.
Hopefully, this blog has informed you how long shipping from China takes and helps you better arrange shipping plans.
To streamline the shipping process, get a free quote for your best shipping solution today with FBABEE.
