Sea Freight from China to Miami
China → Miami · via MIA air / Miami or Port Everglades sea · clearance by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
For buyers shipping into Miami, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Miami is the gateway for Florida and Latin American re-export; cargo enters through MIA air / Miami or Port Everglades sea, and allow same day from port for the inland leg on top of clearance.
Clearance itself is handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and typical dwell at the gateway runs 3-10 days, longer at the San Pedro Bay ports in peak season.
Import duty and tax position for Miami
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Miami consignees. Current regime: No federal VAT; customs duty by HTS code, plus Section 301 tariffs on most China-origin goods, with a de-minimis position of The USD 800 Section 321 de-minimis exemption no longer applies; every shipment is a dutiable entry. Confirm the current rate with CBP or a licensed broker before quoting, because these rules have changed repeatedly.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: FDA, FCC, CPSC or USDA requirements apply by product category; a customs bond is required for formal entries. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for United States: The duty position, not the freight, is now the main commercial variable: with de-minimis withdrawn, a formal entry, a bond and Section 301 tariffs apply to consignments that previously moved duty-free, and the rates have moved more than once. Quote freight and landed cost separately and date the duty assumption.
Routing and transit on this lane
The coast decides the route. Los Angeles and Long Beach together form the largest US gateway for Asian cargo and the shortest ocean leg from South China, with onward rail to Chicago and the interior. Savannah and New York serve the East Coast either all-water through the Panama Canal, which adds roughly ten days, or by rail from the West Coast. Houston serves the Gulf and the Texas triangle, and Seattle-Tacoma is the shortest crossing of all for cargo bound for the Pacific Northwest.
| Sea gateways used | Los Angeles / Long Beach, New York / New Jersey, Savannah |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 18-28 calendar days to the West Coast, 30-40 to the East Coast |
| Gateway serving Miami | MIA air / Miami or Port Everglades sea |
| Inland leg to Miami | same day from port from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3-10 days, longer at the San Pedro Bay ports in peak season |
| Peak season to plan around | Aug-Oct, ahead of the retail peak |
Pre-shipment checklist for Miami
- Put the Miami delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Aug-Oct, ahead of the retail peak, when space on this lane tightens.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the United States lane.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the United States duty rate against it yourself.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: FDA, FCC, CPSC or USDA requirements apply by product category; a customs bond is required for formal entries.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Miami take?
China to the United States gateway is 18-28 calendar days to the West Coast, 30-40 to the East Coast. On top of that, allow 3-10 days, longer at the San Pedro Bay ports in peak season of clearance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a same day from port inland leg to Miami.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Miami?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) applies: No federal VAT; customs duty by HTS code, plus Section 301 tariffs on most China-origin goods. The de-minimis position is The USD 800 Section 321 de-minimis exemption no longer applies; every shipment is a dutiable entry. Confirm the current rate with CBP or a licensed broker before quoting, because these rules have changed repeatedly. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Miami.
What certification do I need for United States?
For regulated goods, plan for: FDA, FCC, CPSC or USDA requirements apply by product category; a customs bond is required for formal entries. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
What documents does U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (FDA, FCC, CPSC or USDA requirements apply by product category; a customs bond is required for formal entries). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Miami?
Yes. Battery cargo by sea moves under UN3480/UN3481 with an MSDS, and the dangerous-goods documentation is prepared as part of the booking into Los Angeles / Long Beach, New York / New Jersey, Savannah. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Miami?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 18-28 calendar days to the West Coast, 30-40 to the East Coast by sea versus 3-6 business days by air to the United States gateway, before clearance and the same day from port inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
Other delivery cities in United States
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for United States change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or your broker before you ship.
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Toys Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Baby Products Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Bathroom Accessories Consumer Goods & Gifts
- E-commerce Fulfilment E-commerce & Retail Channels
- Bearings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Automation Equipment General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Electronics Manufacturing Equipment Specialised Production Machinery
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Automotive Parts Automotive & Vehicles
- Prefabricated Building Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plumbing Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
Price Trend — Miami
Live rate for the linked route page, shown here for a quick read before you click through.
Checking the United States duty position yourself
Every duty and tax figure quoted on this page is our working estimate for planning, not a ruling. The binding rate for your consignment is whatever U.S. Customs and Border Protection applies against your declared HS code on the day of entry, and their published guidance is the source to check before you commit stock.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Miami. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
FCL vs LCL Shipping: When to Switch (Break-Even Point Explained) — Max Antonov. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.