Furniture Shipping from China
Export freight for furniture — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
We move Furniture 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 volume cargo where the freight bill is decided at the design stage, not the booking.
The pricing follows from it. Reasonably dense once flat-packed, so a full container usually approaches both the weight and volume limit together — which is the most efficient place to be. Assembled furniture, by contrast, is pure volume and prices accordingly.
A caution particular to this commodity. Assembled furniture shipped as assembled furniture. A knock-down version of the same piece routinely ships in a third of the cube, and the difference on a container load is far larger than any rate negotiation. If the range is only available assembled, price the freight before you commit to the range.
On the compliance side the recurring item is straightforward to state and easy to leave too late: Timber due diligence (EUTR / EUDR) and UK upholstery fire regulations. HS classification generally falls in chapter 94, though the exact heading depends on specification and should be confirmed against your own product before you rely on a duty estimate.
Freight reference — Furniture
| Typical HS chapter | 94 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Volume cargo where the freight bill is decided at the design stage, not the booking |
| How it prices | Balanced weight and volume |
| Usual service | Sea FCL |
| Main compliance step | Timber due diligence (EUTR / EUDR) and UK upholstery fire regulations |
| 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
Flat-pack wherever the design allows and put the fixings in a bagged, numbered pack inside the largest carton. Corner boards on every panel edge, and a stack limit printed on the carton — furniture cartons are strong vertically and weak on the corner, which is where forklifts and other cartons hit them.
Loading the container
On loading: Interlock the stack and fill voids so nothing can slide. Corner crush is the dominant damage mode, and it comes from cartons rubbing against each other rather than from any single impact.
Choosing the service
On routing: Sea FCL. Flat-pack economics only work at container scale; LCL handling costs and the extra cross-docking erode the advantage quickly.
Where it usually goes wrong
Assembled furniture shipped as assembled furniture. A knock-down version of the same piece routinely ships in a third of the cube, and the difference on a container load is far larger than any rate negotiation. If the range is only available assembled, price the freight before you commit to the range.
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 furniture as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for furniture?
Reasonably dense once flat-packed, so a full container usually approaches both the weight and volume limit together — which is the most efficient place to be. Assembled furniture, by contrast, is pure volume and prices accordingly.
How should furniture be packed for export?
Flat-pack wherever the design allows and put the fixings in a bagged, numbered pack inside the largest carton. Corner boards on every panel edge, and a stack limit printed on the carton — furniture cartons are strong vertically and weak on the corner, which is where forklifts and other cartons hit them.
Air or sea for furniture?
Sea FCL. Flat-pack economics only work at container scale; LCL handling costs and the extra cross-docking erode the advantage quickly.
What customs paperwork does furniture need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is Timber due diligence (EUTR / EUDR) and UK upholstery fire regulations. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 94, 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 furniture shipments?
Assembled furniture shipped as assembled furniture. A knock-down version of the same piece routinely ships in a third of the cube, and the difference on a container load is far larger than any rate negotiation. If the range is only available assembled, price the freight before you commit to the range.
Is there anything specific to furniture we should know?
Corner crush accounts for most furniture damage, and it happens from cartons rubbing in transit rather than from any single impact. Corner boards plus a tight, void-free stow prevent nearly all of it.
Can you quote furniture 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.