Gateways, customs procedure, duty position and realistic door-to-door timings for cargo moving from China into Germany.
Freight from China to Germany moves by sea through Hamburg and by air through FRA (Frankfurt). Customs is administered by German Customs (Zoll), and arriving cargo typically sits 3–6 days at the gateway before release.
Rates last updated 2026-11-04. Indicative only — published channel prices for planning, not a quotation. Your actual cost depends on the product and its HS code, chargeable weight, declared value, duty and tax at destination and the exchange rate on the day, and can come in above or below these figures.
| Service | Mode | Rate | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Value Sea · Duty-Paid | 🚢 Sea Freight | USD 1.9/KG | View Details → |
| Rail · Duty-Paid Standard | 🚂 Rail Freight | USD 2.6/KG | View Details → |
| Rail · Duty-Paid Express | 🚂 Rail Freight | USD 2.7/KG | View Details → |
| Air · Duty-Paid General Cargo | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 6.9/KG | View Details → |
| Air · Duty-Paid Battery Cargo | ✈️ Air Freight | USD 7.3/KG | View Details → |
Freight is not billed on the number on your bathroom scale. It is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Denser cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on the space it occupies. Whichever is higher is the one you pay — never the lower.
Enter your tracking number below
Powered by 17TRACK — supports 2,000+ carriers worldwide
Ocean cargo is tracked by container number rather than by a parcel barcode. Enter yours below: we validate the number, identify the line that owns the prefix, and send you to that line's own tracking page.
A container number is four letters and seven digits, for example MSKU6090510. The last digit is a check digit, so a typo can be caught here rather than by an empty result on the carrier's site. We validate it in your browser — the number is not sent to us or to anyone else.
Detailed per-weight pricing for every active route from China to Germany. Each tier reflects the published rate at that exact weight — useful for accurate budgeting at common shipment sizes.
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 21 KG | USD 3.71 |
| 22 KG | USD 3.61 |
| 23 KG | USD 3.85 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.31 |
| 50 KG | USD 2.74 |
| 100 KG | USD 1.89 |
| 150 KG | USD 1.84 |
| 200 KG | USD 1.74 |
| 505 KG | USD 1.43 |
| 850 KG | USD 1.48 |
| 1700 KG | USD 1.57 |
| 2500 KG | USD 1.55 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.28 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 21 KG | USD 4.23 |
| 22 KG | USD 4.13 |
| 23 KG | USD 4.38 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.83 |
| 50 KG | USD 3.26 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.56 |
| 150 KG | USD 2.51 |
| 200 KG | USD 2.41 |
| 505 KG | USD 2.10 |
| 850 KG | USD 2.15 |
| 1700 KG | USD 2.24 |
| 2500 KG | USD 2.22 |
| 3400 KG | USD 1.95 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 21 KG | USD 4.40 |
| 22 KG | USD 4.30 |
| 23 KG | USD 4.54 |
| 30 KG | USD 3.99 |
| 50 KG | USD 3.42 |
| 100 KG | USD 2.72 |
| 150 KG | USD 2.67 |
| 200 KG | USD 2.57 |
| 505 KG | USD 2.26 |
| 850 KG | USD 2.31 |
| 1700 KG | USD 2.40 |
| 2500 KG | USD 2.38 |
| 3400 KG | USD 2.11 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 21 KG | USD 8.81 |
| 22 KG | USD 8.71 |
| 23 KG | USD 8.95 |
| 30 KG | USD 8.41 |
| 50 KG | USD 7.83 |
| 100 KG | USD 6.89 |
| 150 KG | USD 6.84 |
| 200 KG | USD 6.74 |
| 505 KG | USD 6.34 |
| 850 KG | USD 6.40 |
| 1700 KG | USD 6.49 |
| 2500 KG | USD 6.47 |
| 3400 KG | USD 6.20 |
| Weight | Rate (USD/KG) |
|---|---|
| 21 KG | USD 9.21 |
| 22 KG | USD 9.11 |
| 23 KG | USD 9.36 |
| 30 KG | USD 8.81 |
| 50 KG | USD 8.24 |
| 100 KG | USD 7.30 |
| 150 KG | USD 7.25 |
| 200 KG | USD 7.14 |
| 505 KG | USD 6.75 |
| 850 KG | USD 6.81 |
| 1700 KG | USD 6.90 |
| 2500 KG | USD 6.88 |
| 3400 KG | USD 6.61 |
Verified reviews from importers who have shipped with us to Germany.
Third time using this channel for air parcels to Germany and it keeps getting smoother. The cargo cleared Frankfurt customs on day two, no queries, no amendments needed. Our contact flagged a minor weight discrepancy before departure and corrected it quietly — that kind of detail saves headaches. Delivery appointment confirmed 24 hours in advance. Exactly what a repeat shipper needs.
Solid experience shipping household goods to Germany. Booking was straightforward, transit landed within the quoted window, and the DDP terms held — no surprise duty calls from our customer. The only thing I'd flag is that one tracking update went missing for about a day mid-flight, which caused a brief panic. Everything was fine in the end, and support confirmed status quickly when we asked. Would use again.
We tested this lane to Germany with a mid-volume order. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before. Alles lief planmassig bis zur Zustellung.
This was a DDP shipment to Germany for mixed cartons. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost. Alles lief planmassig bis zur Zustellung.
Good lane for general dry cargo. Pickup from our Shenzhen supplier was arranged the same afternoon we confirmed the booking, which impressed us. Customs at destination was clean and fast. Communication from the team was professional throughout. A small labelling issue on two cartons was caught at origin and sorted before export — proactive catch that we appreciated.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Germany through this team. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Germany. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Transit was close to the estimate and the destination delivery appointment was handled well. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
Booked another door-to-door shipment to Germany through this team. Cost structure was transparent from day one. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. A practical option when we need predictable landed cost.
We used this route for a regular replenishment to Germany. Cost structure was transparent from day one. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
We tested this lane to Germany with a mid-volume order. The delivery booking matched the promised window. The landed price stayed aligned with the quote, which helped our budgeting. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
We tested this lane to Germany with a mid-volume order. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Tracking updates were not excessive, but they came when something important changed. Would use the same line again for general cargo.
This was a DDP shipment to Germany for mixed cartons. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Cartons arrived clean and labels were still readable on delivery. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
We tested this lane to Germany with a mid-volume order. Cost structure was transparent from day one. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before. Alles lief planmassig bis zur Zustellung.
This was a DDP shipment to Germany for mixed cartons. The delivery booking matched the promised window. Pickup from the supplier was arranged quickly and customs stayed under control. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
This was a DDP shipment to Germany for mixed cartons. Cost structure was transparent from day one. The booking process was straightforward and the team confirmed documents early. Better coordination than the forwarder we used before.
Very reliable for importing electronics. The declared value process was handled professionally and duties were prepaid.
Delivery was a few days behind schedule but goods arrived in perfect condition. The DDP coverage was genuinely all-inclusive.
Great tracking visibility throughout the shipment. The team answered questions promptly via WhatsApp.
Solid option for sea freight. Communication could be slightly faster but no major issues.
Communication was a bit slow at times. The actual shipment was fine but I had to follow up several times for updates.
Shipment arrived on schedule with zero issues at customs. DDP pricing was exactly as quoted, no surprise charges. Highly recommend.
The pricing is fair and the process is straightforward. Took a bit longer than estimated but no damage to goods.
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Germany is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.
| Term | 1 Loading on truck | 2 Export customs declaration | 3 Carriage to port of export | 4 Unloading at port of export | 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft | 6 Main carriage | 7 Cargo insurance | 8 Unloading at port of import | 9 Loading on truck at import | 10 Carriage to destination | 11 Import customs clearance | 12 Import duties & taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck | Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FCA Free Carrier | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FOB Free On Board | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAP Delivered At Place | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Seller Seller — Import customs clearance | Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes |
Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.
Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.
Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.
Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.
Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.
As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).
Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.
As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.
Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.
Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.
Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.
Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.
Historical freight rates from China to Germany. Data sourced from live carrier price feeds.
Verified shipping reference data for the China → Germany lane:
| Main sea gateways | Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | German Customs (Zoll) |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | EUR 150 (duty-free threshold; VAT from EUR 0) |
| Import tax & duty regime | Import VAT 19%; duty 0–12% by TARIC code |
| Local currency | EUR |
| Typical port/airport dwell time | 3–6 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | CE marking + EU IOSS registration for B2C e-commerce |
| Main air gateways | FRA (Frankfurt), MUC (Munich), CGN (Cologne) |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
At 100 KG, you're in the commercial freight category — large enough for competitive rates but still within the range where air freight often beats sea freight on cost per delivery cycle. This weight is common for electronics, clothing, and general merchandise restocking shipments going to Germany.
Shipping to Germany by air or sea? Plan cartons and container loading in 3D before requesting a quote.
Check how many units truly fit per carton for this Germany shipment: the 3D packing tool computes layers, rotation, and protection gaps from your exact product size.
Open Packing Tool →Sea freight to Germany prices by CBM or container — plan 20GP/40GP/40HQ loading in 3D, mix different box sizes, and check utilization before booking.
Open Container Planner →| Method | Transit Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP | 5–10 business days | From China warehouse to Germany door |
| Sea Freight LCL | 30–50 calendar days | Shared container to Germany port + delivery |
| Rail Freight DDP | 18–28 calendar days | Train via Central Asia to Germany |
| Express Courier | 3–7 business days | DHL/FedEx/UPS door-to-door, high cost for this weight |
Treat the landed-cost numbers here as a planning baseline. German Customs (Zoll) sets the rate that actually gets charged, assessed against your HS classification at the moment of clearance, so their own guidance is worth reading before a large order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
For a wider view of how importing into Germany actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Germany customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Cargo leaves South China by air, sea or rail and enters Germany through Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven (sea) or FRA (Frankfurt), MUC (Munich), CGN (Cologne) (air). German Customs (Zoll) assesses duty and tax on arrival, with typical dwell of 3–6 days before release. Air runs 5–10 days door to door, sea 25–45 days.
Imports into Germany are assessed by German Customs (Zoll). The applicable regime is: Import VAT 19%; duty 0–12% by TARIC code. The duty-free / de-minimis position is EUR 150 (duty-free threshold; VAT from EUR 0). Under our DDP service these charges are pre-paid and included in the per-KG price, so there is nothing to settle on arrival.
Sea freight to Germany typically routes through Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, while air freight clears via FRA (Frankfurt), MUC (Munich), CGN (Cologne). We pick the gateway with the best onward delivery time to your final address and price it into the DDP rate.
Freight to Germany is quoted and invoiced in USD; the local currency on the destination side is EUR. Payment is typically due before departure (T/T or PayPal), and because it's DDP you settle the full landed cost once — no destination collect charges.
Capacity to Germany tightens around Sep–Nov, on top of the China-side surcharge windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Booking 1–2 weeks earlier during these windows protects both space and rate.
For 100 KG to Germany, air is usually better on total landed cost despite a higher per-KG rate, because the 30–45 day ocean transit (plus 3–6 days dwell) raises inventory cost. Air also unlocks volume discounts above 100 KG.
German Customs (Zoll) typically requires: (1) commercial invoice with HS codes and declared value; (2) packing list with weights and dimensions; (3) bill of lading or air waybill; (4) certificate of origin (may lower duty); and (5) any product-specific certification (CE marking + EU IOSS registration for B2C e-commerce). Under DDP we prepare and file these for you.
Yes. Air shipments to Germany get an air waybill (AWB) trackable within 24 hours of departure; sea shipments are tracked by bill-of-lading through the carrier portal. We push status at key milestones: departure, arrival at the gateway, clearance by German Customs (Zoll), and final delivery.
The rates above answer the cost question. This covers the mechanics — useful if you have not shipped to Germany before and are still working out how to structure the order.
How to find HS Codes and Calculate Import Duty - 5 tips to save on Duties and Tariffs — Sourcing with Kian. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Rates above are lane rates and apply to general cargo. Packing specification, HS classification and the clearance step that matters are all commodity-specific — these guides cover them industry by industry.
I need three things to price your cargo. Give me sixty seconds and I can quote today.
A freight specialist is looking at it now. You will have a price by email within one working day.