Automotive Parts Shipping from China
Export freight for automotive parts — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
Shipping Automotive Parts from China is a planning problem before it is a price problem. The cargo parts that clear against the part number, not the description, and every sensible decision downstream starts there.
It changes how the shipment prices. Priced per unit or per lane-metre rather than by weight. The real cost driver is whether the unit rolls, because RoRo and container economics diverge sharply.
One thing specific to this material. Intellectual property checks. Genuine-brand parts are inspected because the category is heavily counterfeited, and the burden is on you to show authorisation. Carry the supply agreement or brand authorisation with the documents.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: Type approval (WVTA or EEC), certificate of conformity, and VIN records matching the invoice. Classification sits in chapter 87; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Automotive Parts
| Typical HS chapter | 87 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Parts that clear against the part number, not the description |
| How it prices | Per unit / lane-metre |
| Usual service | RoRo or container |
| Main compliance step | Type approval (WVTA or EEC), certificate of conformity, and VIN records matching the invoice |
| Trade terms available | EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP, DAP or delivered duty-paid |
HS chapters are indicative. The binding classification depends on your exact specification — confirm the heading before relying on a duty estimate.
Packing and protection
Original manufacturer packaging wherever possible, with the part number visible without opening. Repacked parts lose their identity and their warranty position, and a carton that has to be opened to identify the contents will be opened by customs.
Loading the container
In the box: RoRo for anything self-propelled. Containerised vehicles need engineered wheel chocks and lashing to the D-rings; racking systems will fit two to four cars into a 40ft depending on model and are worth pricing against RoRo on the specific lane.
Choosing the service
Which service: RoRo where the service exists, container where it does not or where the vehicle is non-running. Non-running units frequently cannot go RoRo at all, which narrows the options considerably.
Where it usually goes wrong
Intellectual property checks. Genuine-brand parts are inspected because the category is heavily counterfeited, and the burden is on you to show authorisation. Carry the supply agreement or brand authorisation with the documents.
Live rates on lanes that carry this cargo
Published per-kilo and per-CBM rates from China, updated from carrier feeds. Rates are lane-based rather than commodity-based, so these apply to automotive parts as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for automotive parts?
Priced per unit or per lane-metre rather than by weight. The real cost driver is whether the unit rolls, because RoRo and container economics diverge sharply.
How should automotive parts be packed for export?
Original manufacturer packaging wherever possible, with the part number visible without opening. Repacked parts lose their identity and their warranty position, and a carton that has to be opened to identify the contents will be opened by customs.
Air or sea for automotive parts?
RoRo where the service exists, container where it does not or where the vehicle is non-running. Non-running units frequently cannot go RoRo at all, which narrows the options considerably.
What customs paperwork does automotive parts need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is Type approval (WVTA or EEC), certificate of conformity, and VIN records matching the invoice. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 87, but the exact heading depends on your specification — send the product details and we will confirm the code and the duty position for the destination before you commit.
What goes wrong most often with automotive parts shipments?
Intellectual property checks. Genuine-brand parts are inspected because the category is heavily counterfeited, and the burden is on you to show authorisation. Carry the supply agreement or brand authorisation with the documents.
Is there anything specific to automotive parts we should know?
Aftermarket and OEM parts clear against the part number, so the invoice description must match the marking on the part itself. Genuine-brand parts attract IP checks at the border; have the authorisation ready or expect the consignment to be detained.
Can you quote automotive parts on FOB or CIF rather than duty-paid?
Yes. We quote EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP, DAP and delivered duty-paid on this cargo. The term decides how much of the journey is already inside the price — the trade-terms table on any of our rate pages sets out exactly who carries which cost at each stage.