Sea FCL Port-to-Port (Spot)
🚢 Sea Freight → Busan| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) | @ 21 KG |
|---|---|---|
| 20GP | USD 170.00 | USD 3,570.00 |
| 40HQ | USD 200.00 | USD 4,200.00 |
Asia Pacific
🚢 Sea Freight
21 KG
Cost to Ship 21KG from China to South Korea
What this shipment size actually costs, and whether consolidating up to the next bracket would be cheaper.
Shipping 21KG from China to South Korea costs approximately USD 3,570 all-in, based on a published rate of USD 170.0 per kilogram. That figure covers freight, duty and tax to the national customs authority, and delivery to your door, with nothing further to pay on arrival.
- Estimated total
- USD 3,570 for 21KG
- By sea
- USD 170.0/kg, 25-45 days
- Customs authority
- the national customs authority
Rates last updated 2026-08-14. Figures are published channel prices for planning; the final quote depends on chargeable weight, cargo class and HS code.
Current Rates — China to South Korea (21 KG)
🟢 Updated 2026-08-14| Service | Mode | Rate (USD/KG) | Total (21 KG) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value Sea · FCL Port-to-Port (Spot) | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 170.0 | USD 170 | View Details → |
| Sea · FCL Port-to-Port (Spot) | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 285.0 | USD 285 | View Details → |
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Full Weight-Tier Rate Cards
Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to South Korea. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
Sea FCL Port-to-Port (Spot)
🚢 Sea Freight → Incheon| Bracket | Rate (USD/KG) | @ 21 KG |
|---|---|---|
| 20GP | USD 285.00 | USD 5,985.00 |
| 40HQ | USD 530.00 | USD 11,130.00 |
🚢 Sea Freight Options
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 South Korea 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.
Price Trend — South Korea
Historical freight rates from China to South Korea for 21 KG shipments. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
China to South Korea — Shipping Reference Data
Country-specific logistics anchors for shipments arriving in South Korea:
| Main sea gateways | the main commercial seaport |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | the national customs authority |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | varies by country |
| Import tax & duty regime | Import duty and local tax apply; rates vary by commodity |
| Local currency | USD |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 4–10 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | Confirm local conformity and labelling rules per HS code |
| Main air gateways | the primary international airport |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
E-Commerce Small Batch Shipping
The 21 KG range is typical for small e-commerce restock orders and initial trial shipments. Air freight is the standard choice here — it offers the best balance of cost and speed, and most DDP air channels accept shipments from 21 KG upward. This weight falls into the LCL (Less-than-Container-Load) air category.
- Standard minimum for air freight DDP channels (most require 21 KG+)
- Common for: phone cases, accessories, clothing, cosmetics
- Amazon FBA replenishment orders at this weight use air for speed
- Declare accurate HS codes to avoid customs delays in South Korea
🧰 Free 3D Loading Tools
Shipping to South Korea by air or sea? Plan cartons and container loading in 3D before requesting a quote.
3D Carton Packing Calculator
Air rates to South Korea bill by chargeable weight — simulate your carton fill in 3D (including mixed products in one box) and cut dimensional-weight waste before you book.
Open Packing Tool →3D Container Loading Planner
Squeeze more out of every CBM to South Korea: load your carton list in 3D, verify space and payload utilization, and export the loading plan.
Open Container Planner →Which Shipping Method is Best for 21 KG?
Recommended
Air Freight
Sea Freight
Rail Freight
Transit Times — China to South Korea
| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to South Korea door |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, good option |
What Affects the Shipping Cost to South Korea?
- Actual vs. volumetric weight — carriers charge whichever is higher (L×W×H÷6000 for air)
- Cargo type surcharge — batteries, liquids, and branded goods carry additional fees
- Peak season surcharges — Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (Oct) add 15–30%
- Destination area — South Korea may have remote area surcharges for certain postal codes
- Declared value — customs duties are calculated on CIF value
Customs & Documentation for South Korea
- De minimis threshold — shipments below local tax threshold may clear duty-free
- Required documents: commercial invoice, packing list, and accurate HS codes
- DDP service includes all import duties — you pay one total price with no surprises
- Battery and liquid goods require additional certification documents
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship from China to South Korea?
Current rates for shipping from China to South Korea start at USD 170.00/KG via Sea FCL Port-to-Port (Spot). For 21 KG, the estimated total is approximately USD 170, duty included. Final landed cost depends on the Import duty and local tax apply; rates vary by commodity applied by the national customs authority.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into South Korea?
Imports into South Korea are assessed by the national customs authority. The applicable regime is: Import duty and local tax apply; rates vary by commodity. The duty-free / de-minimis position is varies by country. Under our DDP service these charges are pre-paid and included in the per-KG price, so there is nothing to settle on arrival.
How is chargeable weight calculated for South Korea shipments?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000 for air) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram. For 21 KG this matters most when cargo is light but bulky — consolidating cartons can drop you into a cheaper bracket.
How long does shipping from China to South Korea take?
Door-to-door transit to South Korea: air freight 5–10 business days, sea LCL 30–50 days, sea FCL 28–45 days. On arrival, allow roughly 4–10 days of clearance/dwell at the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP.
Which ports and airports handle China shipments to South Korea?
Sea freight to South Korea typically routes through the main commercial seaport, while air freight clears via the primary international airport. We pick the gateway with the best onward delivery time to your final address and price it into the DDP rate.
What certifications are required to import into South Korea?
For regulated goods entering South Korea, plan for: Confirm local conformity and labelling rules per HS code. Missing conformity paperwork is the most common cause of clearance holds with the national customs authority, so confirm requirements for your HS code before the cargo leaves China.
In what currency are rates to South Korea quoted and paid?
Freight to South Korea is quoted and invoiced in USD; the local currency on the destination side is USD. Payment is typically due before departure (T/T or PayPal), and because it's DDP you settle the full landed cost once — no destination collect charges.
What is the minimum shipment size for shipping to South Korea?
Minimums to South Korea vary by channel: air DDP from about 21 KG (some from 12 KG), sea LCL from roughly 1 CBM, and express courier for single parcels. Below 21 KG, express is usually the most economical way into South Korea.
Inland Delivery Coverage — South Korea
We deliver beyond the arrival gateway. Each city below has its own destination guide covering the gateway it clears through, typical inland transit time and the local customs picture.
Note — these are reference guides, not quotes. The city pages describe routing, gateways and clearance for each destination. They do not carry rate tables. For pricing to any city listed here, use the rate table on this page or ask us for a quote.
- Seoul ICN air / Incheon sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Incheon ICN air / Incheon sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Busan PUS air / Busan sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Gyeonggi ICN air / Incheon sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Daegu ICN air / Busan sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Daejeon ICN air / Incheon sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Gwangju ICN air / Gwangyang sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Ulsan PUS air / Ulsan sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Changwon PUS air / Busan sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Cheonan ICN air / Pyeongtaek sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
Shipping to South Korea by industry
Rates above are lane rates and apply to general cargo. Packing specification, HS classification and the clearance step that matters are all commodity-specific — these guides cover them industry by industry.
- Arts & Crafts Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Artificial Plants Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Direct to Consumer E-commerce & Retail Channels
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Pressure Vessels Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Industrial Boilers General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Solar Panel New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Lithium Battery New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Bicycle Parts Automotive & Vehicles
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Corrugated Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Glass Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging