If you buy from China or other countries abroad, you cannot avoid international shipping. It can be challenging, especially in terms of pricing. We have broken down shipping costs from China to the US.
What are the shipping costs from China to the US?
Many factors influence shipping costs from China to the United States. Below are some of them.
Shipping mode
There are many shipping methods, and each is priced differently. When shipping from China to the US, the available options are sea freight and air freight.
- Sea freight is typically the most cost-effective method for large shipments. The downside is that it has a longer transit time, often taking several weeks.
- Air freight is faster than sea freight, as you can ship by air in days. However, it is the most expensive shipping mode and is ideal for smaller, high-value shipments.
Shipment weight and volume
Shipping costs depend on the weight and volume of your shipment. Generally, the bigger and heavier the shipment, the higher the shipping costs.
Customs duties and taxes
Goods sourced from China to the US are subject to customs duties and taxes. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) determines these values based on the goods’ HS code.
Shipping time
Express services are expected to be more expensive, but sometimes they are necessary, such as for time-sensitive loads.
Shipping rates and surcharges
Shipping rates are one thing, but there are also many surcharges, such as:
- fuel surcharges
- peak season surcharges
- security surcharges
- port fees
- etc.
If you factor them all in, the overall shipping is, of course, higher.
Current events that shape the shipping industry
Current events also influence shipping costs and transit times. Some of them are:
- Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, with only four commodity vessels crossing on September 3 versus a 10-day average of around 15, keeping oil and LNG supply chains under pressure and sustaining higher freight, insurance and disruption risks.
- Commercial ships in the Black Sea are fitting improvised anti-drone defences as attacks on vessels and port infrastructure intensify, increasing war-risk premiums, delays and uncertainty for tanker and grain shipments.
- Jordan’s Aqaba port is benefiting from the disruption in Hormuz, with transit cargo volumes up 155.1% in the first half of 2026 as Iraq-bound containers are rerouted from Gulf ports, shifting freight toward longer sea-and-road logistics chains.
- The Panama Canal is cutting daily transit slots to 34 from September 4 and 32 from September 15 because of worsening El Niño-related water shortages, raising the risk of queues, expensive priority auctions and diversions around the Cape of Good Hope.
- Asian wheat buyers are switching from delayed Black Sea cargoes to supplies from Australia and Argentina, redirecting dry-bulk trade toward longer routes and increasing transport costs and demand for bulk-carrier capacity.
You should stay up to date with current events to proceed accordingly with your sourcing business and minimize losses.
Shipping costs from China to the US – updated September 2026
Here are the trends of shipping costs from China to the US and other directions:
- 5% on the China – West Coast of the US route
- -4.9% on the China – Europe route
- 1.1% on the China – East Coast of the US route
- 4% on the China – Southeast route
- 6% on the China – South America route
| Type | Route | Container or kg | Transit time (days) | Shipping cost |
| FCL Sea | Tianjin – Colombo | 20’DV | 40-45 | USD 3,600 – 4,100 |
| FCL Sea | Jiujiang – Ostów Mazowiecka | 40’HC | 40-50 | USD 3,600 – 4,000 |
| LCL Sea | Xiamen – Dobruška | 3390 kg | 45-55 | USD 1,830 – 2,000 |
| LCL Sea | Wuxi – Gdynia | 970 kg | 45-55 | USD 500 – 600 |
| Air | Hefei – Melbourne | 225 kg | 3-7 | USD 1,000 – 1,300 |
| FCL Rail | Yangzhou – Kawęczyn | 40’HC | 20-25 | USD 9,500 – 10,800 |
| LCL Rail | Foshan – Warsaw | 1235 kg | 15-20 | USD 1,200 – 1,600 |
Don’t miss out and ship now before they rise again.
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