Home Appliances Shipping from China
Export freight for home appliances — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
Home Appliances shipping from China is straightforward once the cargo is understood: this is freight that large retail-boxed goods where the carton is the customer experience, and the routing follows from that.
The pricing follows from it. Volume-limited. Air freight charges volumetric weight at L×W×H÷6000, so anything under about 167 kg/m³ prices on space rather than mass. Sea LCL prices per cubic metre, which makes packing density the single biggest lever on the freight bill.
A caution particular to this commodity. Handling damage at transhipment rather than at sea. Appliances change hands several times, and each handling is an opportunity for a fork through the side. Palletise into unit loads so they are moved as pallets, not as individual cartons.
On the compliance side the recurring item is straightforward to state and easy to leave too late: CE and energy labelling; F-gas records for anything holding refrigerant. HS classification generally falls in chapter 84 / 85, though the exact heading depends on specification and should be confirmed against your own product before you rely on a duty estimate.
Freight reference — Home Appliances
| Typical HS chapter | 84 / 85 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Large retail-boxed goods where the carton is the customer experience |
| How it prices | Volume-limited |
| Usual service | Sea FCL / LCL |
| Main compliance step | CE and energy labelling; F-gas records for anything holding refrigerant |
| 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
EPS or moulded pulp corner blocks inside the retail carton, stack limit printed on the box, and orientation arrows applied and observed. Appliance retail cartons carry the brand and are rejected by receiving if scuffed or crushed.
Loading the container
On loading: Pack to the roof and fill the voids. Light cargo will not hit the weight limit, so unused headroom is money left on the table — but keep the load stable, because a light stack that shifts still collapses.
Choosing the service
On routing: Sea FCL once the volume justifies a full box; LCL below that. Air only for genuinely urgent goods — volumetric pricing makes bulky air freight expensive out of all proportion to the cargo value.
Where it usually goes wrong
Handling damage at transhipment rather than at sea. Appliances change hands several times, and each handling is an opportunity for a fork through the side. Palletise into unit loads so they are moved as pallets, not as individual cartons.
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 home appliances as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for home appliances?
Volume-limited. Air freight charges volumetric weight at L×W×H÷6000, so anything under about 167 kg/m³ prices on space rather than mass. Sea LCL prices per cubic metre, which makes packing density the single biggest lever on the freight bill.
How should home appliances be packed for export?
EPS or moulded pulp corner blocks inside the retail carton, stack limit printed on the box, and orientation arrows applied and observed. Appliance retail cartons carry the brand and are rejected by receiving if scuffed or crushed.
Air or sea for home appliances?
Sea FCL once the volume justifies a full box; LCL below that. Air only for genuinely urgent goods — volumetric pricing makes bulky air freight expensive out of all proportion to the cargo value.
What customs paperwork does home appliances need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is CE and energy labelling; F-gas records for anything holding refrigerant. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 84 / 85, 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 home appliances shipments?
Handling damage at transhipment rather than at sea. Appliances change hands several times, and each handling is an opportunity for a fork through the side. Palletise into unit loads so they are moved as pallets, not as individual cartons.
Is there anything specific to home appliances we should know?
Retail-boxed appliances are shipped in their selling carton, which means the carton is the product as far as the customer is concerned. Scuffed or crushed retail packaging gets rejected by receiving even when the appliance inside is perfect.
Can you quote home appliances 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.