💰 Current Freight Rates
| Weight / Volume | Rate (USD / CBM) |
|---|---|
| 1-5CBM CBM | USD 186.35 |
| 5CBM+ CBM | USD 183.24 |
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to UAE is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.
- Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
- Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
- Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.
| Term | 1 Loading on truck | 2 Export customs declaration | 3 Carriage to port of export | 4 Unloading at port of export | 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft | 6 Main carriage | 7 Cargo insurance | 8 Unloading at port of import | 9 Loading on truck at import | 10 Carriage to destination | 11 Import customs clearance | 12 Import duties & taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck | Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FCA Free Carrier | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FOB Free On Board | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAP Delivered At Place | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Seller Seller — Import customs clearance | Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes |
EXW Ex Works
Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.
FCA Free Carrier
Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.
FAS Free Alongside Ship
Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.
FOB Free On Board
Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.
CFR Cost and Freight
Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight
As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).
CPT Carriage Paid To
Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid
As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)
Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.
DAP Delivered At Place
Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.
DDP Delivered Duty Paid
Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.
Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.
📋 Service Details
About This Service
International freight from China to UAE via Sea Freight General Cargo. All duties and taxes included (DDP).
Related Shipping Pages for the UAE
Comparing rates across weight brackets and modes helps you pick the right channel. Use these live rate pages to benchmark this duty-paid service against other channels for the same lane:
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ℹ️ Additional Information
Documentation Required
Commercial invoice, packing list, and accurate HS codes for all items.
Tracking & Customs Resources
Once your shipment is in transit you may want to verify status or look up official duty rates. The following third-party tools and government portals are often useful for shipments to the UAE:
External resources are provided for reference and open in a new tab. Always confirm current rules with your customs broker before shipping.
📊 China to UAE — Shipping Reference Data
| Main sea gateways | Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Federal Customs Authority (UAE) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | AED 300 |
| Import tax & duty regime | VAT 5%; duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones) |
| Local currency | AED |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 2–5 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | ESMA/ECAS conformity for electronics |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
🧰 Free 3D Loading Tools for This Sea Route
This page covers a Sea freight service from China to UAE. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Container Loading Planner
Wondering whether your cargo fills a 20GP or needs a 40HQ for this UAE route? The 3D container planner simulates cartons, crates, pallets, and even mixed box sizes in one container.
Open Container Planner →✅ UAE Sea Freight Checklist
- Verify the receiver's customs import capability in UAE for DDP terms before booking.
- Check pallet vs floor-loading: floor loading typically fits 8-12% more cartons per container.
- Reserve loading space 5-7 days before the sailing cut-off for this route during peak season.
- Ask whether the quote includes destination port charges in UAE or only ocean freight.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Sea Freight General Cargo from China to UAE take?
Sea freight on this route runs about 25–45 calendar days door-to-door, plus roughly 2–5 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into UAE?
Clearance is handled by Federal Customs Authority (UAE). The regime is: VAT 5%; duty 5% CIF (0% in free zones), with a de-minimis position of AED 300. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
What does DDP shipping to UAE include on this route?
DDP means one price covering freight, the duty/tax owed to Federal Customs Authority (UAE), and last-mile delivery to your door in UAE. There are no surprise charges at destination.
How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) and charge the greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above.
In what currency is this route priced and paid?
Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is AED. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.
Which ports or airports does this route use into UAE?
Sea cargo to UAE clears through Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah; air freight clears via DXB/DWC (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), SHJ. We route through whichever gateway gives the fastest onward delivery to your address and build it into the DDP price.
📈 Historical Price Records
All price updates are recorded here. Use the weekly tabs to browse older entries.
| Date | 1-5CBM | 5CBM+ |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03Latest | USD 186.35 | USD 183.24 |
| 2026-07-30 | USD 186.34 | USD 183.23 |
| 2026-07-20 | USD 186.37 | USD 183.26 |
| 2026-07-17 | USD 184.68 | USD 181.60 |
| 2026-07-14 | USD 184.66 | USD 181.59 |
| 2026-07-07 | USD 184.64 | USD 181.56 |
| 2026-07-03 | USD 184.65 | USD 181.58 |
| 2026-07-02 | USD 184.64 | USD 181.56 |
| 2026-06-30 | USD 184.64 | USD 181.57 |
| 2026-06-23 | USD 184.64 | USD 181.56 |
| 2026-06-15 | USD 184.67 | USD 181.59 |
| 2026-06-08 | USD 184.67 | USD 181.59 |
| 2026-05-14 | USD 184.62 | USD 181.54 |
| 2025-12-29 | USD 184.62 | USD 181.54 |
Price Trend
⭐ Customer Reviews
What customers say about shipping to UAE with us.
🇦🇪 UAE
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great tracking visibility throughout the shipment. The team answered questions promptly via WhatsApp.
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.
Solid option for sea freight. Communication could be slightly faster but no major issues.
Shipment arrived on schedule with zero issues at customs. DDP pricing was exactly as quoted, no surprise charges. Highly recommend.
The pricing is fair and the process is straightforward. Took a bit longer than estimated but no damage to goods.
Communication was a bit slow at times. The actual shipment was fine but I had to follow up several times for updates.
Professional service from start to finish. Clear communication throughout, and my cargo cleared customs without any problems.
Reasonable transit time. The documentation handling was professional and customs clearance was smooth.
Shipping UAE cargo by industry
This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Assembly Line Equipment General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Semiconductor Equipment Specialised Production Machinery
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Brake Parts Automotive & Vehicles
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Bathroom Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- Engineering Plastics Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Components Glass & Ceramic Products
- Data Center Equipment Telecom, Computing & Data Centre
- Home Appliances Home Appliances, HVAC & Commercial
- Laboratory Furniture Furniture & Home Products
📞 Contact Us
Ready to ship? Our team responds within one business day. We also handle sourcing and purchasing.