E-commerce Shipping from China
Export freight for e-commerce — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
For E-commerce, the freight quote is the easy part. What matters is that this cargo replenishment freight, planned around stock cover rather than around sailing dates — get that wrong and the rate becomes irrelevant.
That shapes the quote directly. Mixed. Marketplace inbound is priced per carton and per pallet with hard limits on both weight and dimension, and a carton that breaches them is refused at receiving rather than surcharged.
Worth knowing about e-commerce specifically. Ordering to a sailing schedule rather than to stock cover. Sea freight from China plus clearance plus inbound processing is routinely eight to ten weeks door to shelf; teams that plan on transit time alone go out of stock on the difference.
The paperwork that most often decides whether a consignment clears on time is Marketplace prep compliance, and IOSS or destination VAT registration before arrival. Expect HS chapter mixed, with the precise heading depending on grade and construction — confirm it for your specific goods rather than assuming.
Freight reference — E-commerce
| Typical HS chapter | mixed |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Replenishment freight, planned around stock cover rather than around sailing dates |
| How it prices | Per carton and pallet |
| Usual service | Sea planned, air for restocks |
| Main compliance step | Marketplace prep compliance, and IOSS or destination VAT registration before arrival |
| 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
Standardise on two or three carton sizes across the whole range. Mixed footprints waste more container space than any other packing decision, and standard cartons let you palletise to the receiving warehouse specification without repacking.
Loading the container
Stowage: Palletise to the receiving standard — pallet height, overhang tolerance and stretch-wrap coverage are all specified, and appointment slots are refused for pallets that do not conform.
Choosing the service
Service choice: Sea for replenishment planned around the season; air for launches, restocks and anything where going out of stock costs more than the freight. Split shipments across both when a stockout risk is real.
Where it usually goes wrong
Ordering to a sailing schedule rather than to stock cover. Sea freight from China plus clearance plus inbound processing is routinely eight to ten weeks door to shelf; teams that plan on transit time alone go out of stock on the difference.
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 e-commerce as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for e-commerce?
Mixed. Marketplace inbound is priced per carton and per pallet with hard limits on both weight and dimension, and a carton that breaches them is refused at receiving rather than surcharged.
How should e-commerce be packed for export?
Standardise on two or three carton sizes across the whole range. Mixed footprints waste more container space than any other packing decision, and standard cartons let you palletise to the receiving warehouse specification without repacking.
Air or sea for e-commerce?
Sea for replenishment planned around the season; air for launches, restocks and anything where going out of stock costs more than the freight. Split shipments across both when a stockout risk is real.
What customs paperwork does e-commerce need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is Marketplace prep compliance, and IOSS or destination VAT registration before arrival. Classification normally falls in HS chapter mixed, 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 e-commerce shipments?
Ordering to a sailing schedule rather than to stock cover. Sea freight from China plus clearance plus inbound processing is routinely eight to ten weeks door to shelf; teams that plan on transit time alone go out of stock on the difference.
Is there anything specific to e-commerce we should know?
The receiving warehouse, not customs, is the strictest checkpoint. Carton weight caps, label placement, box-content declarations and appointment windows are all enforced mechanically, and non-compliance is charged per unit rather than argued about.
Can you quote e-commerce 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.