The trade between China and Turkey has constantly been growing since 2000 when the bilateral trade volume exceeded USD 1 billion for the first time. China is Turkey’s second-largest trade partner. The main exported goods from China to Turkey are broadcasting equipment, computers, and non-retail synthetic filament yarn. As there are many shipping methods and destinations to move your goods from China to Turkey, in this article, we would like to focus specifically on shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul.
Shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul
Sea freight from Shanghai to Istanbul
Ocean freight is known for its low price and bigger capacity compared to airfreight standards. Therefore, it is the most common way of transportation in international trade. If environmental issues are significant to you, you will be happy to discover that it is also the most ecological way of shipping over long distances. However, if you want your goods to be delivered fast, consider choosing airfreight.
Transportation via sea freight from Shanghai to Istanbul takes 4 to 6 weeks. Due to the long transit time, you should also remember that you cannot transport goods with a short expiry date, like food, pharmaceuticals, or flower seeds.
To ship goods by sea, you can choose the FCL or LCL method. The FCL (Full Container Load) means using a whole container for yourself. LCL (Less Container Load) means sharing the container with a few different importers/exporters. It is most profitable if you want to transport a small number of goods, which would not be enough for the FCL method.
Major ports in Shanghai and Istanbul
When it comes to shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul, the two principal ports for those countries are the Port of Shanghai and the Port of Istanbul.
The port of Shanghai is not only the biggest but also the busiest in the world, with its 125 docks, 19 terminals, and a throughput of 40 m TEU every year. It is also the only port in China that accepts IMO import cargo of goods.
For Istanbul, your goods can be shipped to the Port of Istanbul, the major port of this city. The port of Istanbul operates cargo/dry bulks, ro-ro, containers, and general cargoes. With its cargo volume of about 60 million tons, you will not have a problem shipping any type of goods.
Airfreight from Shanghai to Istanbul
Air transport is the alternative option for shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul. Although it is the fastest option, it is also the most expensive one. Because of its high rates, airfreight is not the most popular way of transport. Not only will you pay much more but also you can ship only a specific amount of goods – a maximum of 2-3 pallets. However, if you are planning to transport things with a short-expiry date (food, flowers, etc.) or want your goods to be delivered as fast as they can be, choosing airfreight would be the best option. Your goods should be shipped in one week, which is much faster and safer than sea freight.
For the airports in Shanghai and Istanbul, you have only one option for each one of those cities. Shanghai has Pudong International Airport (PVG), the second-largest airport in China. The main international airport in Istanbul is Istanbul Airport (IST).
Multimodal transportation from Shanghai to Istanbul
Although there is a rail link between China and Turkey, there is no direct link specifically between Shanghai and Istanbul. That is why you can only count on sea freight and air freight. You should consider multimodal transport if you want to transport your goods via rail freight. Multimodal shipping involves transporting goods using at least two modes of transportation, like road and rail freight. In our previous article, you can check which Chinese and Turkish cities are connected by rail link.
Cost of shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul
Before choosing the method of transport, consider checking offers from different freight forwarders. You can compare them on ShipHub, where you just need to fill out the form and choose the best quote for you.
Shipping from Shanghai to Istanbul – to sum up
- China is Turkey’s second-largest trade partner.
- The main goods exported from China to Turkey are broadcasting equipment, computers, and non-retail synthetic filament yarn.
- You can ship your goods from China to Turkey by sea or air freight. There is a rail link between those two countries, but unfortunately, there is no direct link between Shanghai and Istanbul.
- Sea freight is the cheaper option. You have two shipping methods: LCL or FCL. Your goods will be shipped from the Port of Shanghai to the Port of Istanbul.
- Airfreight is the most expensive way of transport but also the fastest one. Your goods will be shipped from Shanghai – Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Istanbul Airport (IST).
- Before choosing the final shipping method, check ShipHub to compare offers from a few different forwarders.
- Check our other article on shipping from China to Turkey.