Current Freight Rates
Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more — see which costs sit with us and which sit with you
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Maldives 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
What to expect on the China–Maldives Air Freight lane
We move door-to-door air freight from South China into Maldives. Cargo enters through MLE (Velana International) and clears with Maldives Customs Service, which takes 2–6 days on average.
Almost everything consumed in the Maldives is imported, and nearly all of it lands at Malé before a domestic sea or air transfer to the atolls. That final leg is a real cost and time component — a resort delivery can add several days beyond the Malé clearance date, so quote it explicitly rather than treating Malé as the door.
Route facts
| Destination country | Maldives |
|---|---|
| Region | South Asia |
| Mode | Air Freight |
| Gateways used | MLE (Velana International) |
| Transit, China to gateway | 4–7 business days |
| Clearance / dwell | 2–6 days |
| Peak season | Oct–Dec |
Delivery cities on this lane
Each city below has its own guide covering the gateway that serves it, the inland leg after clearance and the local delivery requirements.
- China to Male — capital and the single clearance point for the country. Via MLE air / Male sea; inland leg same day. Air Freight guide →
- China to Hulhumale — reclaimed island city and new development zone. Via MLE air / Male sea; inland leg same day. Air Freight guide →
- China to Addu City — southern atoll centre requiring domestic transfer. Via MLE air / Male sea; inland leg +3 days. Air Freight guide →
- China to Resort atolls — hospitality supply requiring inter-atoll sea transfer. Via MLE air / Male sea; inland leg +2 days. Air Freight guide →
Every consignment on this service is measured as well as weighed. Volumetric weight is L×W×H in centimetres divided by 6000 — one cubic metre counted as roughly 166.7 kg — and whichever figure is higher is the one charged. Dense cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on its volume, and repacking to raise density is often the cheapest saving available on a Maldives shipment.
Typical cargo on this route: electronics manufacturing equipment (HS 84), where clearance turns on cE machinery file, plus food-contact or GMP evidence where the line touches product, solar inverter (HS 85 / 8541) and e-commerce fulfilment (HS mixed). If yours is on that list the commodity page is worth two minutes — it covers how the goods should leave the factory, how they should sit in the container, and the failure mode we see most often on this kind of freight.
Maldives air cargo on this service routes through MLE (Velana International). Where more than one gateway is listed the booked one depends on space on the day; the rate is the same either way, but the inland delivery leg beyond the airport is not.
Inland coverage matters more than the port rate for most consignees. We deliver to Male, Hulhumale, Addu City and Resort atolls and beyond, and the guide for each sets out its arrival gateway, the inland days to add to the transit quoted here, and the documentation the local office actually asks for. You can browse all Maldives destinations we cover.
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Additional Information
Duty, tax and documents for Maldives
GST 8%; import duty 0–200% by category, with 0% on many staples and construction inputs. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis.
Conformity: Import registration with the Ministry of Economic Development; MFDA approval for food and health products.
Known friction points: Pork products and alcohol are prohibited outside licensed resort channels. Duty rates vary enormously by category, so classification matters more than usual here.
Documents we file under DDP
- Commercial invoice showing HS codes and the true transaction value
- Packing list with carton count, gross and net weight, and dimensions
- Air waybill
- Certificate of origin where it reduces the duty rate
- Product certification or conformity documents where the commodity requires them
Packing notes
- Chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000)
- Use ISPM-15 treated wood for any pallet or crate — untreated timber is a common hold
- Mark every carton with the consignee name, city and carton number of total
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders before booking, not after
Other modes into Maldives
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity rules change by ministerial decision. The figures here are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your HS code with Maldives Customs Service or your broker before shipping.
Where these numbers come from
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Maldives Customs Service against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
If this is your first shipment into Maldives, the Maldives Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
China to Maldives — Shipping Reference Data
| Main air gateways | MLE (Velana International) |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | Maldives Customs Service |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | No practical de-minimis |
| Import tax & duty regime | GST 8%; import duty 0–200% by category, with 0% on many staples and construction inputs |
| Local currency | MVR |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 2–6 days |
| Peak / busy season | Oct–Dec |
| Conformity & certification | Import registration with the Ministry of Economic Development; MFDA approval for food and health products |
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 Air Route
This page covers a Air freight service from China to Maldives. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Carton Packing Calculator
Dimensional weight often decides the final air rate to Maldives. Simulate your carton fill in 3D, including mixed products in one box, and export the packing plan for your supplier.
Open Packing Tool →Maldives Air Freight Checklist
- Book 2-3 days before your target ETD; same-day air bookings usually carry premium rates.
- Shrink-wrap and corner-protect cartons — air cargo is transloaded multiple times.
- Lithium batteries and liquids need pre-approval on most air routes — declare them upfront.
- Confirm whether the Maldives rate includes fuel and security surcharges or lists them separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Air DDP Door-to-Door from China to Maldives take?
Air freight on this route runs about 5–10 business days door-to-door, plus roughly 2–6 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 Maldives?
Clearance is handled by Maldives Customs Service. The regime is: GST 8%; import duty 0–200% by category, with 0% on many staples and construction inputs, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
Can you ship special cargo (batteries, branded goods) to Maldives?
Yes — battery cargo by air follows IATA PI966/PI967; we run certified battery channels via MLE (Velana International). Brand-goods and DG paperwork are handled within the DDP service. Surcharges apply.
In what currency is this route priced and paid?
Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is MVR. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.
What does DDP shipping to Maldives include on this route?
DDP means we quote the freight, the customs entry with Maldives Customs Service and last-mile delivery in Maldives together, so you settle once. The duty and tax portion depends on your product's HS code, declared value and the exchange rate at entry, so it is confirmed against your actual goods — the figures on this page are indicative and can move either way.
What documents are required for customs clearance in Maldives?
Maldives Customs Service typically requires a commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading/air waybill, a certificate of origin (may lower duty), and any product certification (Import registration with the Ministry of Economic Development; MFDA approval for food and health products). We file these under DDP.
Inland Delivery Coverage — Maldives
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.
- Male MLE air / Male sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Hulhumale MLE air / Male sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Addu City MLE air / Male sea inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Resort atolls MLE air / Male sea inland +2 days Guide only — no rates
Shipping Maldives 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.
- Smart Home Products Consumer Electronics & Smart Devices
- Refrigeration Equipment Home Appliances, HVAC & Commercial
- Tableware Furniture & Home Products
- Apparel Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Hospital Equipment Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments
- Parking Equipment Fire, Safety & Traffic Products
- Massage Equipment Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- 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