Medical Device Shipping from China
Export freight for medical device — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
Shipping Medical Device from China is a planning problem before it is a price problem. The cargo regulated product where market registration, not freight, is the gating item, and every sensible decision downstream starts there.
It changes how the shipment prices. Generally weight-limited but with a large protective-packing overhead — the crate and internal bracing can add a substantial share of the shipping weight, and that is money well spent rather than waste to be trimmed.
One thing specific to this material. Registration at destination. A device cannot be imported into a market where it is not registered, regardless of its CE or FDA status elsewhere. Confirm the registration is live and in the importer name before the goods move.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: CE under MDR or IVDR, FDA 510(k) where applicable, and certificates of free sale. Classification sits in chapter 90; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Medical Device
| Typical HS chapter | 90 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Regulated product where market registration, not freight, is the gating item |
| How it prices | Weight plus packing overhead |
| Usual service | Air or sole-use Sea FCL |
| Main compliance step | CE under MDR or IVDR, FDA 510(k) where applicable, and certificates of free sale |
| 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
Sterile barrier packaging must not be compromised, so protect against puncture and crush with rigid outer cartons. Include the lot and UDI information on the outside; medical goods are received and tracked at batch level.
Loading the container
In the box: Block and brace so the case cannot shift at all — a case that moves has already defeated its own isolation. Never stack other freight on top unless the case is rated and marked for it.
Choosing the service
Which service: Air for high-value or time-critical units and for anything where four weeks of marine humidity is a real risk. Sea FCL, sole-use, for larger machines: sharing a box with unknown cargo is how precision equipment arrives out of alignment.
Where it usually goes wrong
Registration at destination. A device cannot be imported into a market where it is not registered, regardless of its CE or FDA status elsewhere. Confirm the registration is live and in the importer name before the goods move.
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 medical device as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for medical device?
Generally weight-limited but with a large protective-packing overhead — the crate and internal bracing can add a substantial share of the shipping weight, and that is money well spent rather than waste to be trimmed.
How should medical device be packed for export?
Sterile barrier packaging must not be compromised, so protect against puncture and crush with rigid outer cartons. Include the lot and UDI information on the outside; medical goods are received and tracked at batch level.
Air or sea for medical device?
Air for high-value or time-critical units and for anything where four weeks of marine humidity is a real risk. Sea FCL, sole-use, for larger machines: sharing a box with unknown cargo is how precision equipment arrives out of alignment.
What customs paperwork does medical device need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is CE under MDR or IVDR, FDA 510(k) where applicable, and certificates of free sale. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 90, 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 medical device shipments?
Registration at destination. A device cannot be imported into a market where it is not registered, regardless of its CE or FDA status elsewhere. Confirm the registration is live and in the importer name before the goods move.
Is there anything specific to medical device we should know?
Medical goods clear against the registration, not the invoice. Confirm the device is registered in the destination market before shipping — an unregistered device cannot be imported at any duty rate.
Can you quote medical device 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.