Metal Products Shipping from China
Export freight for metal products — packing specification, container loading, HS classification and clearance. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF, CIP or delivered duty-paid.
Shipping Metal Products from China is a planning problem before it is a price problem. The cargo fabricated metal, where the finish is as delicate as the substrate is tough, and every sensible decision downstream starts there.
It changes how the shipment prices. Priced by weight on sea freight, but the decision that actually costs money is equipment. Internal length is about 5.9 m in a 20ft and 12.03 m in a 40ft; anything longer needs an open-top, a flat rack, or breakbulk, and each step up changes the rate structure entirely.
One thing specific to this material. Rust between fabrication and delivery. Parts that leave the shop clean and unprotected will bloom in a sealed container. VCI film and desiccant, applied at the factory rather than at the forwarder, is the only reliable fix.
One compliance step accounts for most delays on this commodity: Material certificates; CE marking where the part is load-bearing or safety-critical. Classification sits in chapter 73 / 82 / 83; the exact code varies by specification, so verify it before budgeting duty.
Freight reference — Metal Products
| Typical HS chapter | 73 / 82 / 83 |
|---|---|
| Cargo behaviour | Fabricated metal, where the finish is as delicate as the substrate is tough |
| How it prices | Weight-limited, equipment-driven |
| Usual service | Sea FCL / flat rack |
| Main compliance step | Material certificates; CE marking where the part is load-bearing or safety-critical |
| 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
Interleave finished surfaces and keep strapping off the face — a strap mark on a powder-coated or polished part is a rejected part. Crate anything with a protruding feature that can catch, and note the centre of gravity on crates over a tonne.
Loading the container
In the box: Bed the bundles on timber dunnage so nothing sits directly on the floor, and chock the sides so the load cannot roll. Long stock that rolls in transit will destroy the container wall and everything stowed beside it.
Choosing the service
Which service: Sea FCL for standard lengths. Over-length goes flat rack or breakbulk — quote both, because on some lanes breakbulk beats an out-of-gauge container once the surcharges are counted.
Where it usually goes wrong
Rust between fabrication and delivery. Parts that leave the shop clean and unprotected will bloom in a sealed container. VCI film and desiccant, applied at the factory rather than at the forwarder, is the only reliable fix.
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 metal products as much as to any other general cargo on the same route.
Frequently asked questions
How is freight priced for metal products?
Priced by weight on sea freight, but the decision that actually costs money is equipment. Internal length is about 5.9 m in a 20ft and 12.03 m in a 40ft; anything longer needs an open-top, a flat rack, or breakbulk, and each step up changes the rate structure entirely.
How should metal products be packed for export?
Interleave finished surfaces and keep strapping off the face — a strap mark on a powder-coated or polished part is a rejected part. Crate anything with a protruding feature that can catch, and note the centre of gravity on crates over a tonne.
Air or sea for metal products?
Sea FCL for standard lengths. Over-length goes flat rack or breakbulk — quote both, because on some lanes breakbulk beats an out-of-gauge container once the surcharges are counted.
What customs paperwork does metal products need?
The step that most often holds a shipment is Material certificates; CE marking where the part is load-bearing or safety-critical. Classification normally falls in HS chapter 73 / 82 / 83, 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 metal products shipments?
Rust between fabrication and delivery. Parts that leave the shop clean and unprotected will bloom in a sealed container. VCI film and desiccant, applied at the factory rather than at the forwarder, is the only reliable fix.
Is there anything specific to metal products we should know?
Long stock rolls. Chock it, bed it on dunnage, and cap the ends — an unrestrained bundle destroys the container wall and everything stowed beside it.
Can you quote metal products 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.