HK General Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/shipment) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.23 |
| 100-299 | USD 75.62 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.28 |
| 500+ | USD 117.14 |
Middle East
Importing from China to UAE
Gateways, the duty position, the paperwork that holds shipments up, and what the journey really takes door to door.
Cargo from China reaches UAE by sea through Jebel Ali (Dubai) and by air through DXB / DWC (Dubai), clearing with Federal Customs Authority (UAE). Ocean runs 25-45 days door to door and air 5-10, before any clearance dwell. Budget 2–5 days at the border.
- Sea gateway
- Jebel Ali (Dubai)
- Air gateway
- DXB / DWC (Dubai)
- Customs authority
- Federal Customs Authority (UAE)
- Duty-free threshold
- AED 300
Indicative published rates for planning, not a quotation. Actual cost depends on the product and its HS code, chargeable weight, declared value, duty and tax at destination, and the exchange rate on the day.
Current Rates — China to UAE
🟢 Updated 2026-07-03| Service | Mode | Rate | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value HK General Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 75.6/shipment | View Details → |
| HK General Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 75.9/shipment | View Details → |
| HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.0/shipment | View Details → |
| HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.3/shipment | View Details → |
| HK Battery Cargo Duty Paid | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 76.9/shipment | View Details → |
- HK General Cargo Duty Paid: Priced per shipment, not per kilogram.
- HK General Cargo Duty Paid: Priced per shipment, not per kilogram.
- HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid: Priced per shipment, not per kilogram.
- HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid: Priced per shipment, not per kilogram.
- HK Battery Cargo Duty Paid: Priced per shipment, not per kilogram.
How these prices are calculated — chargeable weight
Freight is not billed on the number on your bathroom scale. It is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Denser cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on the space it occupies. Whichever is higher is the one you pay — never the lower.
- One cubic metre = 167 kg. That is 1,000,000 cm³ ÷ 6000, the same divisor used for the volumetric check, so both sides of this page agree with each other.
- Freight only. These are published freight rates. Duty, tax and customs charges at destination are not a fixed number we can print: they follow your product's HS code, its declared value and the exchange rate applied on the day of entry, so they are confirmed against your actual goods and quoted separately.
- Indicative only — the real price can be higher or lower. Nothing on this page is a quotation or a commitment. What you finally pay depends on what the product is, how it is packed, the chargeable weight, the declared value, the destination duty position and the exchange rate at the time. Send the product details, weight and dimensions and we will price your specific shipment.
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Full Weight-Tier Rate Cards
Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to UAE. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
HK General Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Other Zones| Bracket | Rate (USD/shipment) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.51 |
| 100-299 | USD 75.89 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.56 |
| 500+ | USD 117.42 |
HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/shipment) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.64 |
| 100-299 | USD 76.03 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.70 |
| 500+ | USD 117.56 |
HK Brand Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Other Zones| Bracket | Rate (USD/shipment) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 34.92 |
| 100-299 | USD 76.31 |
| 300-499 | USD 117.98 |
| 500+ | USD 117.84 |
HK Battery Cargo Duty Paid
✈️ Air Freight → Dubai/Sharjah| Bracket | Rate (USD/shipment) |
|---|---|
| 16-99 | USD 35.48 |
| 100-299 | USD 76.87 |
| 300-499 | USD 118.53 |
| 500+ | USD 118.39 |
Customer Reviews — China to UAE Shipping
Verified reviews from importers who have shipped with us to UAE.
🇦🇪 UAE
★★★★★ 4.3 / 5 — Very Good (12 reviews)
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
This was a DDP shipment to UAE for mixed cartons. The customs side was handled professionally. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.3
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We tested this lane to UAE with a mid-volume order. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.7
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
This was a DDP shipment to UAE for mixed cartons. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.7
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We used this route for a regular replenishment to UAE. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.3
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
Booked another door-to-door shipment to UAE through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. Transit was close to the estimate and the destination delivery appointment was handled well. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost. الخدمة كانت ممتازة والمتابعة واضحة.
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.3
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
Booked another door-to-door shipment to UAE through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.3
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
Booked another door-to-door shipment to UAE through this team. The customs side was handled professionally. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 3.7
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We used this route for a regular replenishment to UAE. The customs side was handled professionally. Transit was close to the estimate and the destination delivery appointment was handled well. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We tested this lane to UAE with a mid-volume order. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Would use the same line again for general cargo. التسليم كان مرتباً بدون رسوم مفاجئة.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We tested this lane to UAE with a mid-volume order. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.7
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
This was a DDP shipment to UAE for mixed cartons. The customs side was handled professionally. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
✔ Verified
🇦🇪
★★★★★ 4.3
Supplier Service★★★★★
On-time Shipping★★★★★
Goods Quality & Transit★★★★★
We used this route for a regular replenishment to UAE. Pricing stayed in line with the original quote. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
✔ Verified
✈️ Air Freight Options
🚢 Sea Freight Options
Price Trend — UAE
Historical freight rates from China to UAE. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
China to UAE — Shipping Reference Data
Import facts that shape any China-to-UAE shipment:
| Main sea gateways | Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Federal Customs Authority (UAE) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | AED 300 |
| Import tax & duty regime | VAT 5%; standard customs duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones) |
| Local currency | AED |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 2–5 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | ESMA / ECAS conformity for regulated electronics |
| Main air gateways | DXB / DWC (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), SHJ (Sharjah) |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
Which Shipping Method is Best?
Recommended
Air Freight
Recommended
Sea Freight
Rail Freight
Transit Times — China to UAE
| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to UAE door |
| Sea Freight LCL | 30–50 calendar days | Shared container to UAE port + delivery |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, high cost for this weight |
Mid-Volume Commercial Loads
At 100 KG you've crossed into commercial freight — heavy enough to earn competitive per-kilo rates, yet still in the window where air can out-perform ocean once you price in inventory time. Typical cargo on this band into UAE is electronics, apparel and general-goods replenishment.
- Air channels start unlocking volume pricing around 100 KG
- Ocean LCL (shared container) starts to make sense past ~150 KG
- Expect a volumetric check — L×W×H ÷ 6000 for air
- For European destinations, rail is a viable middle option at this weight
What Sits Inside the UAE Rate — and What Does Not
A freight rate is a scope, not just a number. Two quotes for the same lane can differ by a third and still describe the same shipment, because one of them stops at the port and the other reaches the door. Here is where the line falls on the figures published above.
Inside the published rate
- Main carriage — the flight or the sailing itself
- Origin handling: pickup in South China, consolidation, export declaration
- Standard documentation for the lane
Quoted alongside, against your goods
- Import duty and tax — a function of HS code and declared value, not of weight
- Destination terminal and delivery-order charges
- Inland delivery beyond the gateway
Only if your cargo triggers it
- Dangerous-goods handling — cells, aerosols, anything flammable
- Customs examination, where the entry is selected for inspection
- Storage once free time at destination runs out
- Remote-area delivery beyond the standard service map
When you compare us against another quote, compare the scope first. Ask what the number stops at, whether duty is inside it or beside it, and who pays the destination terminal. The rate that looks cheapest on an email is frequently the one with the most left out of it.
What Affects the Shipping Cost to UAE?
- Chargeable weight — you pay on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater (L×W×H ÷ 6000 for air)
- Commodity surcharges — batteries, liquids and branded goods all attract extra handling fees
- Seasonal peaks — Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (Oct) typically add 15–30% to rates
- Delivery zone — parts of UAE carry remote-area surcharges by postal code
- Customs basis — import duty is assessed on the CIF value of the goods
Customs & Documentation for UAE
- De-minimis — consignments under the local threshold can clear free of duty
- Paperwork — a commercial invoice, packing list and correct HS codes are the baseline
- Managed clearance — RateHive can coordinate the customs entry and import-tax processing on your behalf
- Restricted goods — batteries and liquids need supplementary certification
Shipping Guidelines for UAE
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost to ship from China to UAE?
On the current feed, China-to-UAE rates open at USD 75.62/shipment via HK General Cargo Duty Paid. For a 100 KG load that works out to a freight total of approximately USD 76. RateHive can manage the customs entry and import-tax step, while the duty itself follows the VAT 5%; standard customs duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones) set by Federal Customs Authority (UAE).
What import duty and tax will I pay bringing goods into UAE?
Entries into UAE are assessed by Federal Customs Authority (UAE), and the regime that applies is: VAT 5%; standard customs duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones). On de-minimis, the position is AED 300. RateHive offers managed clearance and tax processing — a coordination service, not Incoterms DDP — to handle these formalities for you.
How long is transit from China to UAE?
Reckon on these door-to-door windows into UAE: air 5–10 business days, ocean LCL 30–50 days, ocean FCL 28–45 days. Add roughly 2–5 days for clearance and dwell at the gateway, which RateHive can manage end to end.
What paperwork clears customs in UAE?
Federal Customs Authority (UAE) will generally want: a commercial invoice carrying HS codes and value; a packing list with weights and dimensions; the bill of lading or air waybill; a certificate of origin where it can cut duty; and any commodity-specific certification (ESMA / ECAS conformity for regulated electronics). RateHive can prepare and lodge these as part of managed clearance.
Air or ocean for 100 KG into UAE?
For 100 KG into UAE, air usually wins on total landed cost even at a higher per-kilo rate, because a 30–45 day ocean transit (plus 2–5 days dwell) ties up inventory. Air also opens volume pricing past 100 KG.
Is my shipment to UAE trackable?
Yes. Air moves on an air waybill (AWB) that's live within 24 hours of departure; ocean tracks by bill of lading through the carrier portal. We flag the milestones that matter — departure, gateway arrival, clearance by Federal Customs Authority (UAE), and final delivery.
What currency are UAE rates quoted and settled in?
We quote and invoice freight in USD; the destination-side currency in UAE is AED. Payment usually falls due before departure (T/T or PayPal), and with managed clearance you settle the landed cost once rather than facing collect charges on arrival.
Which certifications does UAE require on imports?
For regulated cargo into UAE, budget for: ESMA / ECAS conformity for regulated electronics. A missing conformity document is the single most common reason Federal Customs Authority (UAE) puts a shipment on hold, so verify your HS-code requirements before the goods leave China.