Doors & Windows Shipping from China
Export freight for doors & windows — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
We move Doors & Windows out of China as ordinary export freight — booked, packed and cleared to the same standard as any other commodity, but planned around the fact that it glazed assemblies — heavy, fragile, and damaged at the corner every time.
It changes how the shipment prices. Anything denser than roughly 0.8 t/m³ is weight-limited, not volume-limited. A 20GP tops out near 28 tonnes of payload while its 33 m³ of space sits half empty, so the correct question is never "will it fit" but "what is the road weight limit at the delivery end". Several European and West African corridors cap a laden 40ft at a lower gross than the box itself can legally carry, and that inland limit — not the ocean leg — is what sets your maximum load.
One thing specific to this material. Sealed-unit failure from pressure change. Insulated glazing units shipped over altitude or through big temperature swings can fail at the seal. Breather tubes are standard for air freight and long overland legs — specify them if the routing needs it.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: CE marking to the harmonised EN standard, including reaction-to-fire class. Classification sits in chapter 68 / 69 / 70 / 44; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Doors & Windows
| Typical HS chapter | 68 / 69 / 70 / 44 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Glazed assemblies — heavy, fragile, and damaged at the corner every time |
| How it prices | Weight-limited |
| Usual service | Sea FCL |
| Main compliance step | CE marking to the harmonised EN standard, including reaction-to-fire class |
| 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
Ship upright in A-frames or purpose-built stillages, never flat. Corner protection on every unit, and glazing beads and hardware packed separately. A flat-stacked window will crack from its own weight before it reaches the port.
Loading the container
In the box: Distribute along the full length of the box and keep the centre of gravity central and low. Loading everything against one end is the single most common cause of an axle-weight violation at the port gate, even when total gross is legal.
Choosing the service
Which service: Sea FCL is the only sensible base case. Air is priced on actual weight for cargo this dense, so an air quote will typically run an order of magnitude above sea — worth it only for a line-stopping replacement part.
Where it usually goes wrong
Sealed-unit failure from pressure change. Insulated glazing units shipped over altitude or through big temperature swings can fail at the seal. Breather tubes are standard for air freight and long overland legs — specify them if the routing needs it.
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 doors & windows as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for doors & windows?
Anything denser than roughly 0.8 t/m³ is weight-limited, not volume-limited. A 20GP tops out near 28 tonnes of payload while its 33 m³ of space sits half empty, so the correct question is never "will it fit" but "what is the road weight limit at the delivery end". Several European and West African corridors cap a laden 40ft at a lower gross than the box itself can legally carry, and that inland limit — not the ocean leg — is what sets your maximum load.
How should doors & windows be packed for export?
Ship upright in A-frames or purpose-built stillages, never flat. Corner protection on every unit, and glazing beads and hardware packed separately. A flat-stacked window will crack from its own weight before it reaches the port.
Air or sea for doors & windows?
Sea FCL is the only sensible base case. Air is priced on actual weight for cargo this dense, so an air quote will typically run an order of magnitude above sea — worth it only for a line-stopping replacement part.
What customs paperwork does doors & windows need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is CE marking to the harmonised EN standard, including reaction-to-fire class. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 68 / 69 / 70 / 44, 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 doors & windows shipments?
Sealed-unit failure from pressure change. Insulated glazing units shipped over altitude or through big temperature swings can fail at the seal. Breather tubes are standard for air freight and long overland legs — specify them if the routing needs it.
Is there anything specific to doors & windows we should know?
Get the specification onto the invoice in the same words the manufacturer uses. Generic descriptions on mixed industrial consignments are the single biggest trigger for customs inspection, and an inspection costs more in delay than accurate paperwork costs in effort.
Can you quote doors & windows 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.