Shipping Time from China to US

How long to ship from China to US? What is the average shipping time from China to US? Find out how many days to ship from China to USA here.

Table of contents：

Shipping Time from China to US

Sea Freight Transit Times from China to US

How to Ship from China to USA

Shipping Time from China to US

Wondering how long to ship from China to US? You need to know how much cargo, choose FCL or LCL, which port you need to ship from, which port you need to shipping to USA, which shipping carriers you need, Let's start with major ports in US.

US West Coast ports: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tacoma.

US East Coast ports: Portland, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Charlestown, Baltimore, Houston, Wilmington, New Orleans, Miami, Jacksonville.

Shipping from China to USA, the route to the East Coast and West Coast is different. To the west coast of the United States, shipping is through the Pacific Ocean, it takes about 13-16 days, if the shipper carrier is different, the price is also different, so there are long and short time. To the U.S. East Coast is through the Pacific Ocean, then through the Panama Canal, and finally to the East Coast, the time is about 25-28 days. Can also be shipped to the West Coast, and then through the inland transportation to the East Coast, commonly known as MLB, the time is about 21-23 days, just to be more expensive than the sea.

Let's take shipping from Shenzhen for example, shipping to US West Coast ports about 14-20 days, and shipping US East Coast ports about 30 days, so you better figure out the specific from the transport to where.

Shenzhen to Los Angeles shipping time, FCL ocean freight as an example, shipping carriers HPL, KLNE, CMA, NYK about 13 days voyage, APL, WHL, OOCL, COSCO, PIL  about 15 days, MSC about 17 days.

Shenzhen to New York shipping time, FCL sea freight as an example, shipping carriers KLINE, COSCO, NYK, OOCL, HPL, EMC, APL about 28 days voyage, HMM, MSK, ZIM, MSC about 30 days voyage.

Of course, the same shipping carrier, different sailing time, the time limit will also be a day or two difference. For example, if the sailing to Los Angeles (LA) is on Saturday, it will take 14 days to arrive. If the ship sails on Sunday, it will arrive in 11 days. To Oakland (OAK), also a Sunday sailing, it will take 15 days to arrive.

Average shipping time from China to US by Sea

· Guangzhou to Los Angeles – 26 days LCL

· Guangzhou to Miami – 38 days LCL

· Dalian to Los Angeles – 26 days LCL

· Huangpu to Miami or Charleston – 40 days LCL

· Huangpu to Los Angeles – 35 days LCL

· Huangpu to New York – 40 days LCL and FCL

· Jiangmen to Charleston – 42 days LCL

· Jiangmen to Los Angeles – 27 days LCL

· Jiangmen to Miami – 44 days LCL

· Ningbo to Chicago – 22 days LCL, 29 days FCL

· Ningbo to Houston – 34 days LCL, 36 days FCL

· Ningbo to Los Angeles – 17 days LCL, 13 days FCL

· Ningbo to New York – 23 days LCL, 35 days FCL

· Ningbo to Seattle – 17 days LCL, 23 days FCL

· Shanghai to Atlanta – 29 days LCL, 34 days FCL

· Shanghai to Boston – 35 days LCL, 37 days FCL

· Shanghai to Charleston – 34 days LCL, 37 days FCL

· Shanghai to Chicago – 28 days LCL, 37 days FCL

· Shanghai to Houston – 33 days LCL, 39 days FCL

· Shanghai to Los Angeles – 22 days LCL and FCL

· Shanghai to Miami – 46 days LCL, 38 days FCL

· Shanghai to New York – 37 days LCL, 38 days FCL

· Shanghai to Seattle – 24 days LCL

· Shenzhen to Charleston – 40 days LCL

· Shenzhen to Chicago – 30 days LCL

· Shenzhen to Los Angeles – 23 days LCL, 19 days FCL

· Shenzhen to Miami – 44 days LCL

· Shenzhen to New York – 38 days LCL, 36 days FCL

· Shenzhen to San Francisco – 25 days LCL

· Qingdao to Atlanta – 39 days LCL, 35 days FCL

· Qingdao to Chicago – 25 days LCL, 24 days FCL

· Qingdao to Houston – 37 days LCL, 36 days FCL

· Qingdao to Los Angeles – 24 days LCL

· Qingdao to New York – 40 days LCL, 36 days FCL

· Qingdao to Seattle – 20 days LCL

· Tianjin to Houston – 35 days LCL

· Tianjin to Miami – 42 days LCL

· Tianjin to Seattle – 35 days LCL, 36 days FCL

· Xiamen to Los Angeles – 20 days LCL

· Xiamen to New York – 34 days LCL

· Fuzhou to Houston – 23 days FCL

· Fuzhou to Los Angeles – 20 days FCL

· Lianyungang to Boston, Savannah or Oakland – 36 days FCL

· Ningbo to Oakland, Long Beach, Norfolk, Savannah, or Baltimore – 36 days FCL

· Shanghai to Baltimore – 36 days FCL

· Shanghai to Savannah – 29 days FCL

· Shanghai to Long Beach – 25 days FCL

· Shanghai to Tacoma – 36 days FCL

· Shekou to Los Angeles – 23 days FCL

· Shekou to New York – 36 days FCL

· Qingdao to Charleston – 35 days FCL

· Qingdao to Long Beach – 19 days FCL

· Qingdao to Oakland – 24 days FCL

· Xiamen to Charleston, Houston, Oakland, or Savannah – 36 days FCL

Sea Freight Transit Times from China to US

Let's take shipping from Shanghai, China to Los Angeles as an example. The actual port-to-port transit time from Shanghai, China to Long Beach/Los Angeles, California is about 13 days. For example, if your shipment is a container ship departing from Shanghai on August 1, it is expected to arrive at the Port of Los Angeles on August 14. This is an example of port-to-port transit time. When shipping as cargo, you need to take into account the time required for customs clearance on the Chinese side of the export and the time required for loading into consolidation containers, etc. In addition, once the ship arrives at the U.S. port of destination, it takes several days to remove the container from the ship, deliver the container to the cargo terminal, and then unload the cargo from the container.

* Typically, the deadline for loading cargo into consolidation containers is 5 days prior to the actual departure date of the ship from the U.S.

* Customs clearance and export authorization from Customs must be completed at least a few days prior to the date of loading the shipment into the consolidation container. Fewer days are required for full container shipments.

* When you ship goods from anywhere in the world to the U.S., you must file an ISF. ISF stands for Importers Security Filing, a relatively new rule that went into effect in 2009. Each importer must electronically submit details of the shipper, consignee, manufacture of the goods, HS code, etc. Filing must be completed 72 hours prior to vessel departure.

* Several shipping lines offer consolidation services to major ports in China with a typical weekly schedule.

When these factors are taken into account, the estimated transit time from the time the cargo is delivered to the Chinese port facility to the time it arrives at the U.S. port of Los Angeles will be very approximately 21 to 30 days.

There are full container shipments directly to ports such as New Orleans, Baltimore or New York, and when you use the services of a consolidator to ship a small amount of cargo as part of a consolidation, the cargo will arrive in Long Beach/Los Angeles and will then be shipped by rail or truck to other destinations in the United States. (Some consolidators in China may have direct consolidation to cities such as Seattle, San Francisco or New York)

The average transit times from the vessel arrival in the port of Los Angeles to other cities:

A - 7 days - San Diego, Oakland/San Francisco

B - 8 days - Austin, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix

C - 10 days - Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas, Portland (Oregon), Houston, Chicago, Detroit

D - 13 days - Milwaukee, Columbus, Minneapolis, Cleveland, New York, Seattle

E - 15 days - Boston, Raleigh, Baltimore, Kansas City, Boston

F - 17 days - New Orleans, Mobile, Memphis

G - 19 days - Miami, Tampa, Orlando

 

How to Ship from China to USA

The process of shipping by sea is not as difficult as you might think. You can follow these steps to ship from China to US.

Before choosing sea freight you need to know

1. Confirm shipping cost with agents in USA. Ask them to break down the quotes by US local charges.

2. Also ask your China vendors to check the China freight rates for you so you can compare prices and haggle with the US agents if necessary.

3. If your China vendors gives you FOB price, they will need to comply with China local charges.

4. If your China vendors gives you an EXW price, you will also need your agent to help you pay the China local charges.

5. After find the best option and make a shipment booking (15 days in advance from your desired shipment date is recommended).

During China Shipping

6. The shipping company will release the containers 7 days before the shipment date. Here's an example, if the shipment date is January 15, then you can ask the shippers to start loading the container from January 8.

7. Complete the China customs declaration before the CY cut.

8. Containers destined for the U.S. will also require an ISF 10+2. Ask your shipping agen to complete this for you on time (the deadline is usually similar to the CY cut).

During USA Shipping

9. The shipment is on board and arrives in the U.S. within 20-40 days.

10. U.S. customs clearance. 

11. Final U.S. inland shipping to your destination.