Sea freight
Sea Freight from China offers cost-effective shipping for large cargo with flexible FCL/LCL options, competitive rates, and seamless logistics. Trust DDPCH for reliable service!
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What is SEA Freight Service?
Sea Freight is one of the oldest and most reliable methods of shipping goods across the world. Dating back centuries, people have used ships and the sea to transport products from one country to another.
In modern times, sea freight involves packing goods into containers, which are then loaded onto large cargo vessels.
A typical cargo ship can carry up to 18,000 containers, making sea freight a highly cost-efficient way to move substantial quantities over long distances. Given its efficiency and extensive reach, sea freight services remain a cornerstone of international trade, ensuring goods are delivered efficiently across oceans.
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Table of Contents
Why Use Sea Freight Service from China?
Still you are not sure that sea freight from China is suitable for your business? Or don’t know when and why must use sea freight from China so you are in right place, here we want tell you why use sea freight from China and we want tell you about some advantage for sea freight service from China, so stay with us:
Cheapest shipping methods from China
If you want compare sea freight with air and road and rail for sure sea freight from China is the cheapest shipping methods for you, because this shipping methods is slow and each container can load huge amount of goods so final shipping cost in sea freight decrease and will be better for you.
So if you want save money on your import business from China don’t wait more, sea freight from China is best option for you
Best option for heavy shipment
In sea freight service you don’t have any limitation for size and weight, we have different type of container with different size that can support any size and weight of shipment, so if your shipment is 1000kg, 5000kg, 10000kg, its not important, you can use sea freight service from China
Cover all city in China
In China we have around 30 major sea port, its mean its not important that your seller in Shenzhen or in Yiwu or Beijing! Finally you can use closest sea port to your seller, so all sea ports in China are easy to access for your shipping request
Low risk during shipping
When we load your shipment inside container your product not move during the transit to your country, so your shipment and product have better safety during the shipping process
I hope you can now decide that sea freight is best option for you, if still have any problem or question about why must use sea freight service please contact DDPCH sales team.
China Sea Freight Rates (Tips)
The main question our customers ask is: “How much is the sea freight rate from China?” 😊
This question is simple, but the answer is not, because the sea freight rate from China depends on many factors like:
- Size and volume of the shipment
- Type of container
- Terms that you use (Incoterms)
- Type of goods
- Destination sea port
- When you book the container
As you can see, many items affect the sea freight rate from China, and normally, because of some problems around the world like COVID-19, war in some countries that affect the sea shipping industry, prices every month are going up and up.
For example, in this table, you can see how the sea freight rate from China for one container changes to some locations in the world in 2025:
| Month | United States (USD) | Europe (USD) | Australia (USD) | Middle East (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2000 | 1800 | 1500 | 1200 |
| February | 2095 | 1885 | 1563 | 1292 |
| March | 2224 | 1990 | 1598 | 1337 |
| April | 2350 | 2055 | 1634 | 1372 |
| May | 2499 | 2113 | 1668 | 1422 |
| June | 2653 | 2180 | 1723 | 1478 |
| July | 2826 | 2275 | 1794 | 1540 |
| August | 3042 | 2370 | 1883 | 1620 |
| September | 3251 | 2469 | 1952 | 1713 |
| October | 3464 | 2578 | 2030 | 1805 |
| November | 3673 | 2693 | 2120 | 1892 |
| December | 3910 | 2815 | 2215 | 2001 |
So, the question is: how can you get the best sea freight quotation from China? Please send us your shipment documents, and we will check the market for you to find the best price for sea freight to your country.
If your target price is around $4,000 for one container, providing accurate information may help us secure a better offer, possibly around $3,600! For the best rates, please be patient and let DDPCH do the work 😊.
How long does sea freight take from China?
Also, sea freight transit time depends on many factors like:
- How many containers you want to ship?
- When you want to ship by sea?
- Type of products
- Destination country
- Destination ports
For example, if you want to ship before Chinese New Year holiday you must expect high prices in the market and wait too much for finding space for booking a container for your sea freight quotation, or for example, transit time from China to USA will be more than sea freight from China to Korea, more distance means more time for sea freight.
But as your reference we will tell you average transit time from China to these destinations in general situations:
- From China to the United States: approximately 12 days to 33 days
- From China to Europe: approximately 25 days to 30 days
- From China to Australia: approximately 11 days to 30 days
- From China to the Middle East: approximately 15 days to 25 days
If you still want to know the transit time from China to your country, please contact us 😊
10 largest ports in China
Now we want speak about one of topics that you maybe don’t have too much information about it , now we want introduce you 10 largest ports in China that better know before any buying goods from Chinese supplier , if you know this 10 ports you can start your sea freight process more protetional , so let’s speak about this 10 sea port:
| Port Name | Location | Container Throughput (TEU) | Cargo Volume (Million Tons) | Main Trading Partners | Top Exports | Top Imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Shanghai | Shanghai | 43.5 million | 514 | USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, UK, Germany | Cars, integrated circuits, computers, phones | Processors, iron ore concentrate, gold, cars |
| Port of Shenzhen | Guangdong | 27.7 million | 194.9 | USA, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | Electronics, computers, mobile phones | Equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals |
| Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan | Zhejiang | 31.1 million | 1120 | EU, USA, ASEAN | Crude oil, steel, fertilizers | Crude oil, aluminum, frozen products |
| Port of Guangzhou | Guangdong | 24.2 million | 600 | USA, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | Tea, silk, paper, copper, gold | Equipment, chemicals, manufactured goods |
| Port of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 19.6 million | 258.5 | Taiwan, USA, Singapore, Korea, Japan | Cement, blank media, oscilloscopes | Equipment, manufactured goods, fuels |
| Port of Qingdao | Shandong | 18.26 million | 600 | ASEAN, USA, EU | Grains, steel, fertilizers | Equipment, chemicals, manufactured goods |
| Port of Tianjin | Tianjin | 15.97 million | 428.7 | USA, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam | Telephones, processors, bicycles | Soybeans, aircraft, iron ore |
| Port of Dalian | Liaoning | 9.77 million | 455 | Japan, EU, Saudi Arabia, USA, ASEAN | Coal | Equipment, chemicals, manufactured goods |
| Port of Xiamen | Fujian | 10.7 million | 218 | ASEAN, USA, EU | Tea, salt, graphite powder | Wheat, cement, coal, steel, sugar |
| Port of Yingkou | Liaoning | 6.5 million | 21 | Japan, Korea, USA, EU | Container transfers | Grains, coal, steel, vehicles |
How to Choose the Best Sea port for sea freight from China?
Answer is easy: choose the sea port that is close to your seller, factory, or seller warehouse in China. This way, you can save significantly on internal transit from the seller’s warehouse or factory to the sea port. For example, if you want to send a 20ft container from a factory near Shanghai to a sea port like Shenzhen, you might pay around 500 to 800 USD!
Why not use Shanghai Sea port instead for booking your container and sea freight? This way, you only need to pay 200 USD 😊. Now you can see why having more knowledge about sea ports can help you save money in your business.
Type of China shipping container!
If you want to be professional on sea freight from China and ocean freight from China, you must learn about the type of container for shipping from China.
- Do you know how many types of containers?
- Do you know the size of container?
- Do you know in each container how many kg you can load?
If you don’t know, read this part of this article. Here we will give you all details about the container that you may use for sea freight from China to your country. Understanding Sea Freight Rates, Major Ports in China, and Transit Times for Sea Freight will help you manage sea freight shipping costs efficiently.
| Container Type | External Dimensions (L x W x H) | Internal Dimensions (L x W x H) | Door Opening (W x H) | Tare Weight | Payload (Net Weight) | Max Gross Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 6090mm x 2440mm x 2590mm | 6010mm x 2340mm x 2390mm | 2280mm x 2310mm | 2050 kg | 28430 kg | 30480 kg |
| 20ft High Cube | 6090mm x 2440mm x 2900mm | 6010mm x 2340mm x 2690mm | 2280mm x 2580mm | 2230 kg | 28250 kg | 30480 kg |
| 40ft | 12180mm x 2440mm x 2590mm | 12110mm x 2340mm x 2390mm | 2280mm x 2310mm | 3750 kg | 26730 kg | 30400 kg |
| 40ft High Cube | 12180mm x 2440mm x 2900mm | 12110mm x 2340mm x 2690mm | 2280mm x 2580mm | 3890 kg | 26590 kg | 30480 kg |
Which one? FCL or LCL
Do you know the meaning of FCL or LCL? If you don’t know, don’t worry, I will explain what FCL and LCL are.
FCL
FCL stands for Full Container Load. It means you book an entire shipping container for your goods.
For example, if you need to ship a large volume of products, like 10,000 boxes of shoes, you use FCL to fill and ship a whole container dedicated to your items. The container won’t be shared with anyone else. In FCL, you do not share your container with other customers when shipping from China to your country.
LCL
LCL stands for Less than Container Load. It means your goods share space in a shipping container with other people’s items.
If you only need to ship 30 boxes of shoes, which are not enough to fill a whole container, you use LCL. Your shipment will be combined with other small shipments to fill the container, and you share the shipping cost.
When to use FCL or LCL?
It depends. Based on our experience, if your shipment is more than 10 CBM, it’s better to use FCL because the final sea freight rate will be cheaper. But if your shipment is around 2000 kg or 2 CBM, use LCL 😊.
Main Documents for sea shipping from China
When you want to ship your package from China to your country by sea freight service, you must prepare some documents. Preparing these documents helps make the shipping process easier and safer for yourself. Here, we will tell you all the documents that you need:
- Packing List – Provided by the seller
- Proforma Invoice – Provided by the seller
- Certificate of Origin (CO) – Provided by the seller
- MSDS or DGM Report – Provided by the seller
We suggest you, before contacting us at DDPCH, prepare all these documents and get them from your seller. Please make sure all documents contain real data and not fake information.
Chinese Freight Forwarder Advantage
Still don’t know why it’s better to use a Chinese freight forwarder like DDPCH? Let us explain. Working with a Chinese freight forwarder offers several advantages:
Better Sea Freight Rate
A local freight forwarder like DDPCH in China can provide a better sea freight rate to your country. This is because we have strong relationships with all major shipping lines in China and book a large number of containers each month, allowing us to secure competitive prices.
Easy Communication with Your Seller
If you buy products from a Chinese seller, your seller will likely work better with a local freight forwarder like DDPCH. We speak the same language and understand each other, making communication smooth and efficient 😊.
Now, you can see why choosing a local freight forwarder for your sea freight service from China is a smart move.
Use DDPCH for sea freight from, or no?
Choosing DDPCH for sea freight from China is a strategic and cost-effective choice for your business. As a local Chinese freight forwarder, DDPCH secures highly competitive rates due to strong partnerships with major shipping lines and high-volume container bookings. This advantage translates to significant savings on shipping costs, making your imports more economical and efficient.
Beyond cost savings, DDPCH ensures seamless communication with Chinese sellers. Speaking the same language and understanding cultural nuances, they facilitate smooth coordination and minimize the risk of misunderstandings. Additionally, DDPCH prioritizes the security of your goods by ensuring containers are loaded properly, reducing movement during transit and safeguarding your products. For a reliable and efficient sea freight experience, reach out to our DDPCH sales team today!
Any questions find here
You can ask us any questions about shipping from China!
Sea freight is a method of transporting goods in containers via cargo ships. It’s preferred for large shipments because it’s cost-efficient and reliable over long distances.
Sea freight is the cheapest method of shipping from China. Containers carry large volumes, which spreads the cost across more goods, making it more affordable compared to air or road.
Shipping times depend on the destination: 12 to 33 days to the USA, 25 to 30 days to Europe, and 15 to 25 days to the Middle East
Top sea ports in China are Port of Shanghai, Port of Shenzhen, Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, Port of Guangzhou, and Port of Qingdao.
FCL (Full Container Load) is for large shipments, while LCL (Less than Container Load) is for smaller ones. Use FCL if your load exceeds 10 CBM for better cost savings.
Rates depend on shipment size, container type, Incoterms, destination port, and even market conditions like global crises.
Essential documents include a packing list, proforma invoice, certificate of origin, and, if applicable, an MSDS report for hazardous goods
DDPCH offers better rates and efficient communication with Chinese sellers, thanks to local expertise and strong connections with shipping lines.
A standard 20ft container can hold up to 28,430 kg, while a 40ft container has a payload capacity of 26,730 kg, ensuring flexibility for large or heavy shipments.
Ship from China now!
Contact us today & get the best shipping rate from China! 📦🚀
