The most tiring aspect of engaging in an import/export function is freight forwarding. Well, who wants to keep stressing about the completion of documents, choosing the right FCL, and doing a lot more stuff, without having an inch of knowledge about it. You don’t need to worry as there are multiple China Freight Forwarder companies, that will make this task easier for you. In simple terms, a freight forwarder is a company, that executes all the operational activities while sending goods from one place to another.  

No matter which mode of transportation you are looking for, a freight forwarder simplifies the process of shipping from Chinese hubs like Shanghai to Oakland and various other destinations in the US. A freight forwarder allows you to transfer goods easily while complying with all the legal requirements. Most of the Chinese freight forwarding companies offer various other services such as warehousing, container booking, cost bargaining, making the entire shipment, etc. Check out this guide to know more about freight forwarding from China to the USA. 

Terms You Should Know

While shipping your goods from either sea or air modes, there are certain terms you should be aware of.  

Incoterms: It means the rules, which declare the responsibility and duties of the buyers as well as sellers. You need to get familiar with all these terms in order to carry out an interrupted process. No matter if you are shipping from Shenzhen to Los Angeles or any other place. These terms offer accurate rules must for all the stakeholders. 

1. FOB: That is short for Free on Board. It means the supplier of the goods is liable for the safety of the goods until and unless they are not handed over to the carrier at the ship. Once given to the shipping company, all the responsibility is transferred to the buyer. 
2. CIF: CIF means Cost, Insurance, Freight agreement, according to which the supplier is needed to be accountable for the goods. They have to do it by paying the shipping cost and buying the insurance. The supplier cannot skip his responsibility until the goods are received by the buyer. The buyer should also make the payment after the goods have arrived at his destination.  The supplier is free to charge extra for extending the services or bearing the responsibility. 
3. EXW: EXW or Ex-works is a directive which states the buyer should make all the shipping arrangements. It is because this will help them have supervision on all the processes involved in shipping. The agreement is basically important to get a Certificate of Origin. 
4. DDP: A DDP or a Delivered Duty Paid agreement makes the supplier responsible for all the arrangements on the shipment. It involves customs fees and the process of import clearance along with the charges. 
5. BOL: Bill of Lading is a significant document which is a kind of receipt of cargo and is shared between the shipper and the carrier company. 

Air Freight To USA

Airfreight is certainly one of the fastest ways of shipping goods. Various Chinese freight forwarder companies provide quick shipping services for the USA. However, air freight can be a lot more stressful, not just due to excessive amounts but the technical operations which makes the process a bit more complex. Also, if you are willing to ship dangerous goods like lithium batteries, then air freight could not be an option.  If choosing Airfreight, you need to be sure about all the documents. The shipping will be done as follows

1. On The East Coast: The time required to ship goods on the east coast of America from China would be around 4 to 5 days.
2. On The West Coast: The standard time required for shipping from Shanghai to Oakland or any other place on the west coast of the USA would be around 2 to 3 days. 

Sea Freight to the USA

Sea Freight is more about port-based shipping. If you are willing to ship goods in massive volume, sea or ocean freight would be more recommendable. It is certainly not fast, so you must send non-perishable goods. Take a look at time durations between Chinese and American ports.  

1. Shenzhen to Los Angeles: It is one of the most popular ports in China. Shipping from Shenzhen to Los Angeles usually takes 18 to 25 days, however, if you are willing to ship from Shenzhen to New York, then the time required would be 38 days.  
2. Shanghai to Oakland: If your supplier is going to come from remote areas of China, then Shanghai port is one of the best options. The time required for shipping from Shanghai to Oakland takes around 18 to 20 days. 
3. Hong Kong & New York: It is one of the most commercial ports in China, which has 340 containers shipped every week. Along with that, the port transfers to around 470 destinations in a week. The duration required to transfer goods from Hong Kong port to New York port would be around 15 days.  
4. Guangzhou & Los Seattle: It is also one of the popular trading ports, especially after the Silk Road trading. If you are willing to send goods via shipping from Guangzhou to Los Seattle, then the time required will be 20 to 25 days.  

There are some more interesting ports in China and America like Qingdao port, Xiamen port, and Tianjin in China and Houston port, Carolina port and Miami port, etc. Although, you must consult with your China freight forwarder to check the shortest distance and cost.   

Costs, Custom Duty, Tax & Tariffs

Shipping usually requires you to pay various kinds of taxes and tariffs no matter from which destinations you are transferring the shipments. Starting with the fees, the cost involved includes

1. The dock fees are usually between 50 to 100 US dollars.
2. The freight forwarding company’s charges include $ 75 to $ 200. 
3. The security fee involved in shipping secures the FCL and it is between $50 to $100. 
4. The tax and duty for custom clearance are between $100 to 200 dollars. 
5. Transportation costs can be more than $200 to get the goods safely delivered into your warehouse. 

Other than this, there are HS codes, which will help you categorize goods under 6 to 10 classifications. These are the codes, which you need to follow to get information about export, tariff, and custom norms. HTS-US or Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States will be required to carry out the entire documentation. 

So, that was brief information about shipping from China to the USA. No matter if you are transferring goods through airfreight or sea freight, you will always need a reliable freight forwarder. China freight is a popular freight forwarding company and can be certainly trusted to get a seamless process. Whether you are shipping from Guangzhou to Los Seattle or Hong to New York, you will certainly need an informed freight forwarding company to carry out the process efficiently.