Shipping from China to USA looks simple on a quote sheet. Choosing a method starts with three questions: how your goods will be cleared, who will pay the duty, and how predictable delivery needs to be. The rules have changed. The US duty-free allowance for low-value parcels, known as de minimis, no longer covers goods from China, so check that any cost plan built on older guides includes duty.
This carrier-neutral guide compares the four practical ways to move goods from China to the United States, explains transit time and cost, and sets out the duty position as of November 2026 from official US sources.
What Are the Main Ways of Shipping from China to USA?
This guide covers four common routes. Choose between them by parcel size, order value and delivery speed.
| Method | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Express courier | Product samples, small parcels and urgent shipments |
| Postal or e-commerce line | Small single parcels |
| Air freight | Urgent commercial cargo, high-value goods and time-sensitive shipments |
| Sea freight (LCL or FCL) | Heavy cargo, bulk orders and container loads |
Express couriers such as DHL, FedEx and UPS suit small shipments that need speed and simplicity. In the Freightos estimates below, air express is the fastest mode; compare its price with the other options before you book.
Use postal and e-commerce lines for small single parcels. Ask a line operator where it collects parcels, how it moves them to the US, who clears them and which US carrier handles the last mile. For background on two providers, see this explainer on what YunExpress is and this overview of 4PX shipping.
Air freight and sea freight are cargo services for cartons, pallets or containers. Most importers work with a licensed customs broker who handles the US entry and talks to CBP for them, so ask who will file yours. Sea freight comes as LCL, where you share space with other importers, or FCL, where you book a whole container.
The video below, from the MyWifeQuitHerJob ecommerce channel, walks through express, air freight, sea freight and postal options for both large shipments and small parcels. It was recorded in 2022, before the duty changes described later in this guide, so treat its prices and customs details as dated.
How Long Does Shipping from China to the US Take?
Published transit times vary from guide to guide. Check which part of the journey each figure covers. Freightos gives rules of thumb in normal conditions of about 1 to 2 weeks for regular post, 3 days for air express, 8 to 10 days for air freight, and 30 to 40 days for ocean freight. Other forwarders quote 3 to 7 days for air cargo and 15 to 35 days for sea freight.
Check where the clock starts and stops in each figure. This guide splits a shipment into five stages: pickup and export handling in China, the main flight or voyage, arrival and US customs clearance, transfer to a domestic carrier, and final delivery. A figure for days at sea alone leaves out the stages on either side.
These factors decide where a shipment will fall in its range:
- Consolidation. LCL cargo is grouped with other shipments at origin and separated again at destination, which one forwarder says can add a few days compared with a full container.
- Port and coast. The West Coast is a shorter sea route than the East Coast, which needs the Panama Canal or a rail or truck leg.
- Customs inspections. Ask your broker how an exam would affect timing.
- Peak seasons. Ask your forwarder about capacity before Chinese New Year and the holiday shipping peak.
For dropshipping orders on postal or e-commerce lines, treat any quoted window as a range, not a promise. Show customers the range at checkout and add a buffer for clearance.
What Drives the Cost of Shipping from China to the USA?
An old price list is a weak guide. Look at what makes up the bill.
Chargeable weight. Express and air shipments that are light for their size might be charged on dimensional (volume) weight rather than actual weight, so bulky products can pay for space.
Volume and container use. Sea freight is quoted per cubic meter for LCL and per container for FCL. With FCL you pay for the whole container whether or not you fill it.
Surcharges. Ask whether fuel, peak-season and remote-area surcharges are included. For sea freight, ask about terminal handling, documentation and port fees.
Duties and import fees. Customs duty is based on the value of your goods and the rate for the product's tariff classification. Formal entries also carry a Merchandise Processing Fee based on the declared value.
Brokerage and final delivery. Include customs brokerage, bonds, warehouse handling and last-mile delivery in your total.
Ask each provider for the same thing in a quote: price per kilogram or per cubic meter, all surcharges, whether duty is included, and where the price stops. Check whether a low quote ends at the port or excludes clearance.
Do You Pay Duties on Goods from China in 2026?
Yes. As of November 2026, goods shipped from China to the United States no longer qualify for duty-free de minimis entry because of low value. The timeline from official sources is:
- August 29, 2025. A presidential order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from all countries took effect. Goods from China and Hong Kong had already lost it in May 2025.
- February 20, 2026. A further executive order continued the suspension for goods from all countries.
- June 24, 2026. CBP published interim final rules that suspend the de minimis exemption indefinitely for all modes other than mail, with a separate rule creating a new postal informal entry process for mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less.
- January 20, 2027. CBP moved the mandatory date for the new mail entry process (Entry Type 13) from October 22, 2026, to January 20, 2027.
- July 1, 2027. A 2025 law repeals the de minimis exemption for commercial shipments by statute from this date.
On top of normal duty rates, many Chinese products also carry Section 301 tariffs. In October 2026 the US Trade Representative published a notice continuing these tariffs, which range from 7.5 percent to 25 percent across four product lists.
For your shipments, this means every parcel needs a correct product description, an HS code, a country of origin and a true declared value, and someone in the chain must pay the duty. Tariff actions can change. Check the current rate for your HS code in the US tariff schedule when you set prices.
When Does DDP Shipping Make Sense?
Under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the shipper or the logistics provider pays duties and import fees, and the buyer receives the parcel with nothing more to pay.
DDP makes sense when you sell directly to US consumers, because the buyer has nothing more to pay on delivery.
DDP is only as safe as the declaration behind it. Check these points in any all-inclusive DDP price:
- Importer of record. Ask who is named as the importer and who answers to CBP if the entry is questioned.
- Declared value. If a price seems too low, ask how the goods are valued and what happens if customs reassesses the entry.
- HS codes. Confirm the provider uses codes that match your products, not a generic code.
- Holds and exams. Ask what happens, and who pays, if a parcel is inspected or refused.
For business-to-business shipments, consider other terms if the US buyer has a customs broker and wants to control the entry.
Which Shipping Method Fits Your Shipment?
| Shipment profile | Usually the best fit | Reason to consider |
|---|---|---|
| One light parcel per order to a consumer | Postal or e-commerce line, DDP | Built for single parcels, with duty handled |
| Urgent sample or high-value small item | Express courier | Fastest mode in published estimates |
| A few hundred kilograms of restock | Air freight | Faster than sea in published estimates |
| Several cubic meters that are not urgent | Sea freight LCL | Quoted per cubic meter |
| Enough goods to fill most of a container | Sea freight FCL | Quoted per container |
You can also combine methods: a first batch by air to start selling, then restocks by sea once demand is clear.
If you sell online and want shorter delivery windows without managing freight yourself, a fast shipping dropshipping service can combine order processing in China with a dedicated shipping line.
What Paperwork Prevents Customs Holds?
Missing or wrong information can lead to customs holds. Prepare these items for each shipment leaving China:
- Commercial invoice with a clear product description, quantity, unit value, total value and currency.
- Packing list that matches the cartons, weights and dimensions.
- HS code and country of origin for every product line.
- Bill of lading or air waybill issued by the carrier.
- Customs bond and broker for formal entries; formal entry generally applies above $2,500.
- Importer Security Filing (ISF) for ocean shipments, which forwarders note must be filed at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded in China.
- Agency requirements for regulated products such as food, cosmetics and electronics.
Make the data match across documents: describe each product the same way on the invoice and the packing list. For e-commerce parcels, record each SKU's HS code, origin and value before it ships.
How Can You Reduce Delays and Surprise Charges?
You cannot control port congestion or a random inspection. You can limit the damage.
Plan with ranges. Promise delivery windows based on the long end of the range, not the fastest case. Do not advertise delivery times shorter than the route's published range.
Book early around peaks. Ask your forwarder about space and prices before Chinese New Year and the US holiday season, and consider moving cargo earlier.
Know who owns the problem. Agree in advance who tracks a stalled shipment and who talks to customs, so the carrier, broker and forwarder do not each point to another.
Use end-to-end tracking. Choose services whose tracking numbers carry over to the US carrier, so customers can follow the parcel after it arrives.
Model the full landed cost. Add freight, surcharges, duty, fees and final delivery for each product before you set the retail price. Review it whenever tariff rules change.
Check partners with real data. Ask a new partner for recent transit records on your route and a contact for exceptions.
Conclusion
Shipping from China to USA offers four main choices: express for urgent parcels, postal or e-commerce lines for single orders, air freight for fast restocks, and sea freight for volume. Compare each on speed, cost structure and clearance path. In 2026, also plan for customs changes: low-value parcels no longer enter duty-free, Section 301 tariffs remain on many Chinese goods, and the postal entry rules change again in January 2027. Treat product data and a clear owner for clearance as seriously as the freight rate.
RuntoDropship is a dropshipping agent in China that supports online sellers with factory sourcing, pre-dispatch quality control, order processing and shipping arrangements. We do not claim one route is right for every product. The right route depends on your goods, order volume and customer promise. If you want help choosing and running a China-to-US shipping setup for your store, talk to the RuntoDropship team with your product list, typical order size and target delivery window.
FAQ
How much does it cost to ship from China to the USA?
For a single small parcel, get quotes from both a postal or e-commerce line and an express courier. For cartons and pallets, ask for a quote based on chargeable weight or volume. Whatever the size, ask for the price to your door including duty, because a low freight rate can hide clearance costs.
Has China resumed shipping to the US?
Yes. Forwarders such as Freightos continue to publish lead times for post, air express, air freight and ocean freight from China to the USA. What changed in 2025 and 2026 is the customs treatment of low-value parcels, which no longer enter duty-free.
Do I pay tariffs if I order from China?
If you buy as a consumer from a Chinese store or marketplace, ask whether duty is included in the checkout price or will be collected before delivery. Check the checkout page or the seller's shipping policy for words such as "duties included" before you order.
Are shipments from China being delayed?
Some can be. If tracking has not moved for several days after arrival in the US, ask the shipper for the US carrier's tracking number and whether customs has requested information.
Can I ship goods from China to the USA?
Yes, but CBP lists restricted merchandise among its import requirements. Ask your logistics provider which of your products it can carry before you order inventory.
