How long does sea freight from China take?

Port to port, 14–22 days to the US West Coast, 28–38 days to the East Coast, 30–40 days to Europe and the UK, 16–25 days to the Middle East, 12–20 days to Australia and 5–10 days within Southeast Asia. Add a few days at each end for pickup, customs and delivery. Our coverage page lists the typical ranges per lane.

What is ISF and do I need it?

Importer Security Filing is a US Customs requirement for ocean cargo. It must be filed at least 24 hours before loading at the origin port. We file it as part of every US-bound ocean booking.

Can you deliver straight to Amazon?

Yes. We deliver FCL and LCL cargo to Amazon fulfillment centres with the pallet and carton labelling they require, and we hold overflow nearby when your inventory limits do not allow everything in at once.

Services / Ocean Freight

Ocean Freight

Cost-effective sea freight for volume cargo — full or shared containers.

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Move large volumes economically by sea. We book full-container-load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments from the Chinese ports to North America, Europe and the UK, the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia, and handle the documentation end to end.

Options

FCL Your goods fill a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high-cube container. Sealed at the factory, opened at the destination.

LCL Your cargo shares a container with other shippers. You pay per cubic metre, so it suits anything from one pallet to half a box.

Express sea Faster sailings on the China → US West Coast lane (Matson-type services) when a week matters but air is too dear.

Reefer and special equipment Temperature-controlled, open-top and flat-rack containers for perishables and out-of-gauge pieces.

What's included

FCL (Full Container Load) — 20ft, 40ft & 40ft HC for goods that fill a container
LCL (Less than Container Load) — share a container and pay only for the space you use
Port-to-port and full door-to-door options
Consolidation and deconsolidation at origin and destination
Bills of lading, ISF filing and export documentation handled for you

Best for: high-volume, non-urgent cargo where cost per unit matters most.

How it works

1 You send the route, cargo dimensions, weight and ready date; we quote FCL and LCL side by side.
2 We book the sailing, arrange pickup from the factory and the export declaration at origin.
3 Cargo is loaded or consolidated at the origin port and sails; you get the vessel and ETA under your shipping code.
4 We file the import entry (and ISF for the US) before arrival so the box clears on the first pass.
5 The container or your LCL cargo is delivered to your door, warehouse or fulfillment centre.

Documents

You provide

Commercial invoice
Packing list with cartons, weights and dimensions
Importer of record details (EORI, EIN or ABN)
Product certificates where the goods need them

We prepare and file

Booking confirmation and shipping instructions
Bill of lading (master and house)
ISF “10+2” filing for the US
Export and import declarations
Arrival notice and delivery order

What drives the price

Volume in cubic metres (LCL) or container size (FCL)
Trade lane and the season: peak surcharges from August to October
Port-to-port or door-to-door, and the inland distance at both ends
Incoterm: FOB cargo includes less than EXW, and DDP includes duties and taxes
Special equipment, dangerous goods or out-of-gauge handling

Every quote itemises these, so you can see what moves the number.

Typical transit times

Typical transit times by trade lane and mode
Trade lane	Sea	Air	Road

Indicative port-to-port and cross-border ranges. Customs, sailing schedules, congestion and weather move them. Exact timing is confirmed on every quote.

Industries that use this

Questions

As a rule of thumb, LCL stops being cheaper somewhere between 13 and 15 cubic metres, which is roughly half a 20ft container. Above that, FCL usually wins on price and always wins on handling, because the box is sealed at the factory.