Gateways, the duty position, the paperwork that holds shipments up, and what the journey really takes door to door.
Cargo from China reaches United States by sea through Los Angeles/Long Beach and by air through LAX (Los Angeles), clearing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Ocean runs 25-45 days door to door and air 5-10, before any clearance dwell. Budget 2–5 days at the border.
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.
| Service | Mode | Rate | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value LA OA – Parcel Delivery | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 2.2/KG | View Details → |
| LA OA – Parcel Delivery | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 2.3/KG | View Details → |
| ZIM / Hede – Parcel Delivery | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 2.4/KG | View Details → |
| LA OA – Parcel Delivery | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 2.4/KG | View Details → |
| ZIM / Hede – Parcel Delivery | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 2.5/KG | View Details → |
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.
Enter your tracking number below
Powered by 17TRACK — supports 2,000+ carriers worldwide
Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to United States. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 3.94 |
| 13 KG | USD 3.77 |
| 14 KG | USD 3.61 |
| 15 KG | USD 3.48 |
| 16 KG | USD 3.37 |
| 17 KG | USD 4.08 |
| 18 KG | USD 3.94 |
| 19 KG | USD 3.82 |
| 20 KG | USD 3.71 |
| 21 KG | USD 3.61 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.52 |
| 23 KG | USD 3.74 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.25 |
| 50 KG | USD 2.74 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.18 |
| 150 KG | USD 1.79 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.70 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.42 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.47 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.55 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.53 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.29 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 4.01 |
| 13 KG | USD 3.84 |
| 14 KG | USD 3.68 |
| 15 KG | USD 3.55 |
| 16 KG | USD 3.43 |
| 17 KG | USD 4.15 |
| 18 KG | USD 4.01 |
| 19 KG | USD 3.89 |
| 20 KG | USD 3.78 |
| 21 KG | USD 3.68 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.59 |
| 23 KG | USD 3.81 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.32 |
| 50 KG | USD 2.81 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.25 |
| 150 KG | USD 1.86 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.77 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.49 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.54 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.62 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.60 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.36 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 4.14 |
| 13 KG | USD 3.96 |
| 14 KG | USD 3.81 |
| 15 KG | USD 3.68 |
| 16 KG | USD 3.56 |
| 17 KG | USD 4.28 |
| 18 KG | USD 4.14 |
| 19 KG | USD 4.02 |
| 20 KG | USD 3.91 |
| 21 KG | USD 3.81 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.72 |
| 23 KG | USD 3.94 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.45 |
| 50 KG | USD 2.94 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.38 |
| 150 KG | USD 1.99 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.89 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.61 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.67 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.75 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.73 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.48 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 4.18 |
| 13 KG | USD 4.00 |
| 14 KG | USD 3.85 |
| 15 KG | USD 3.72 |
| 16 KG | USD 3.60 |
| 17 KG | USD 4.32 |
| 18 KG | USD 4.18 |
| 19 KG | USD 4.06 |
| 20 KG | USD 3.95 |
| 21 KG | USD 3.85 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.76 |
| 23 KG | USD 3.98 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.49 |
| 50 KG | USD 2.98 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.42 |
| 150 KG | USD 2.03 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.93 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.65 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.71 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.79 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.77 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.52 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 12 KG | USD 4.21 |
| 13 KG | USD 4.03 |
| 14 KG | USD 3.88 |
| 15 KG | USD 3.74 |
| 16 KG | USD 3.63 |
| 17 KG | USD 4.34 |
| 18 KG | USD 4.21 |
| 19 KG | USD 4.09 |
| 20 KG | USD 3.98 |
| 21 KG | USD 3.88 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.79 |
| 23 KG | USD 4.01 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.51 |
| 50 KG | USD 3.00 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.45 |
| 150 KG | USD 2.06 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.96 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.68 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.73 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.82 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.80 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.55 |
Verified reviews from importers who have shipped with us to United States.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to United States. Updates were clear and practical. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports. Everything landed as promised.
This was a DDP shipment to United States for mixed cartons. Updates were clear and practical. Transit was close to the estimate and the destination delivery appointment was handled well. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
This was a DDP shipment to United States for mixed cartons. Very smooth process from booking to delivery. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before. Good landed-cost visibility from the start.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to United States through this team. Updates were clear and practical. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to United States. Updates were clear and practical. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
We tested this lane to United States with a mid-volume order. Very smooth process from booking to delivery. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
We tested this lane to United States with a mid-volume order. Updates were clear and practical. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
We tested this lane to United States with a mid-volume order. Updates were clear and practical. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost. Good landed-cost visibility from the start.
This was a DDP shipment to United States for mixed cartons. Updates were clear and practical. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
This was a DDP shipment to United States for mixed cartons. Updates were clear and practical. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before. Good landed-cost visibility from the start.
We tested this lane to United States with a mid-volume order. Very smooth process from booking to delivery. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. Overall a reliable experience for repeat imports.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to United States through this team. Very smooth process from booking to delivery. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before. Everything landed as promised.
Historical freight rates from China to United States. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
Logistics anchors for cargo arriving into United States:
| Main sea gateways | Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark, Savannah |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | USD 800 |
| Import tax & duty regime | No federal VAT; duties vary by HTS code (often 0–6.5% for general goods) |
| Local currency | USD |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 2–5 days |
| Peak / busy season | Aug–Oct (pre-holiday peak) |
| Conformity & certification | FCC for radio devices; FDA Prior Notice for food/supplements |
| Main air gateways | LAX (Los Angeles), ORD (Chicago), JFK (New York) |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to United States door |
| Sea Freight LCL | 30–50 calendar days | Shared container to United States port + delivery |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, high cost for this weight |
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 United States is electronics, apparel and general-goods replenishment.
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.
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.
On the current feed, China-to-United States rates open at USD 2.18/KG via LA OA – Parcel Delivery. For a 100 KG load that works out to a freight total of approximately USD 218. RateHive can manage the customs entry and import-tax step, while the duty itself follows the No federal VAT; duties vary by HTS code (often 0–6.5% for general goods) set by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Entries into United States are assessed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the regime that applies is: No federal VAT; duties vary by HTS code (often 0–6.5% for general goods). On de-minimis, the position is USD 800. RateHive offers managed clearance and tax processing — a coordination service, not Incoterms DDP — to handle these formalities for you.
Reckon on these door-to-door windows into United States: 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.
We quote and invoice freight in USD; the destination-side currency in United States is USD. 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.
Space into United States gets tight around Aug–Oct (pre-holiday peak), layered on top of the China-side crunch at Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Booking a week or two ahead in those windows locks in both capacity and price.
For regulated cargo into United States, budget for: FCC for radio devices; FDA Prior Notice for food/supplements. A missing conformity document is the single most common reason U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) puts a shipment on hold, so verify your HS-code requirements before the goods leave China.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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 (FCC for radio devices; FDA Prior Notice for food/supplements). RateHive can prepare and lodge these as part of managed clearance.
Floors vary by channel into United States: managed air from about 21 KG (occasionally 12 KG), ocean LCL from roughly 1 CBM, and express courier for single parcels. Under 21 KG, express is usually the cheapest way in.