Sea Freight from China - FCL & LCL Container Shipping

All Services

Sea freight is the backbone of international trade, carrying over 80% of global merchandise by volume. For businesses shipping from China, ocean freight offers the lowest cost per unit for containerized cargo, predictable transit schedules, and the flexibility to handle everything from a single pallet (LCL) to massive project equipment (breakbulk). Great Hensen provides FCL, LCL, DG, OOG, and breakbulk sea freight from China's three major ports - Qingdao, Shanghai, and Tianjin - to destinations worldwide.

1. FCL (Full Container Load) Shipping

FCL means you book an entire container for your shipment. Your cargo does not share space with other shippers, which means faster transit times, lower risk of damage, and full control over loading and sealing. FCL is the right choice when your shipment fills at least half a container or when cargo requires exclusive use for security or regulatory reasons.

Container Types and Capacities

• 20ft General Purpose (20GP): Holds approximately 28 CBM, maximum payload around 22 tons. Suitable for dense cargo like machinery, metal products, and bagged commodities.
• 40ft General Purpose (40GP): Holds approximately 58 CBM, maximum payload around 26 tons. The workhorse of global trade for general cargo.
• 40ft High Cube (40HQ): Holds approximately 68 CBM, maximum payload around 26 tons. Extra 30 cm of interior height compared to standard 40ft. Preferred for voluminous cargo and goods stacked on pallets.
• Reefer (refrigerated): Temperature-controlled container for perishables, pharmaceuticals, and temperature-sensitive chemicals.
• Open Top: Removable tarpaulin roof. For cargo too tall to fit through standard container doors, loaded by crane from above.
• Flat Rack: Collapsible end walls, no roof, no sides. For oversized machinery, vehicles, and project cargo that exceeds standard container dimensions.

FCL Service Options

We offer door-to-door (origin factory to destination warehouse), port-to-port (CY-CY), and port-to-door arrangements. Door-to-door includes inland trucking at both ends, customs clearance, and marine insurance.

Typical FCL Rates (Mid-2026)

Rates below are per 40ft container, port-to-port, as of July 2026. These are reference ranges - actual quotes depend on specific port pair, cargo type, and seasonal demand.

• China to US West Coast (LA/LB): $2,500-$3,500
• China to US East Coast (NY/NJ): $3,500-$5,000
• China to North Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg): $3,000-$4,500
• China to Mediterranean (Barcelona, Genoa): $3,200-$4,200

2. LCL (Less than Container Load) Shipping

LCL means your cargo shares a container with shipments from other shippers. You pay only for the space you use, calculated per cubic meter (CBM) or per metric ton, whichever yields the higher charge - this is the standard W/M (weight or measure) freight calculation used across the shipping industry.

LCL is the right choice for shipments in the 1-15 CBM range, small businesses testing new markets, sample orders, and goods where the inventory cycle does not justify holding a full container. We run weekly consolidation services from Qingdao, Shanghai, and Tianjin to all major destination ports.

LCL Considerations

• Transit time: Add 5-7 days compared to FCL for consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at destination.
• Rates: Typically $150-$300 per CBM to major ports, though rates vary by destination and cargo type.
• Minimum charge: Most consolidation services apply a minimum of 1 CBM or 1 metric ton even for smaller shipments.

For more detail on LCL services, including consolidation schedules and destination coverage, see our LCL shipping from China page.

3. Major Routes and transit times

The table below shows typical transit times from Chinese ports to major destinations. Actual transit varies by specific departure and arrival ports, carrier schedule, weather conditions, and canal transit conditions (Panama and Suez).

Route	Port Pairs	Transit Time	Frequency
China to US West Coast	Qingdao/Shanghai - LA/Long Beach	12-18 days	Weekly
China to US East Coast	Qingdao/Shanghai - NY/NJ, Savannah	25-35 days (Panama Canal)	Weekly
China to North Europe	Qingdao/Shanghai - Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe	28-35 days	Weekly
China to Mediterranean	Shanghai - Barcelona, Piraeus, Genoa	25-32 days	Bi-weekly
China to Middle East	Shanghai - Jebel Ali, Dammam	18-25 days	Weekly
China to Southeast Asia	Qingdao - Singapore, Port Klang, Jakarta	7-14 days	Weekly
China to Australia	Shanghai - Sydney, Melbourne	14-20 days	Bi-weekly
China to South America	Shanghai - Santos, Buenos Aires	30-40 days	Bi-weekly

For country-specific route details, customs requirements, and tariff information, browse our trade lanes section.

4. Carrier Partnerships

Great Hensen holds direct service contracts with nine major ocean carriers: MSK, HPL, MSC, COSCO, HMM, OOCL, EMC, YML, and CMA CGM. Direct contracts - rather than booking through intermediaries - give us three concrete advantages:

• Competitive rates: We compare rate sheets across 8+ carriers for every shipment, rather than accepting whatever a single carrier offers. For a 40ft container to Rotterdam, the rate difference between carriers can exceed $800 depending on vessel utilization and seasonal demand.
• Priority space allocation during peak season: Peak season (August through October for holiday cargo, and the four weeks before Chinese New Year in January/February) creates severe container shortages at Chinese ports. Our contract volumes with multiple carriers mean we can still secure space when spot-market shippers face rollovers.
• AEO certification benefits: As an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), shipments booked through Great Hensen benefit from approximately 60% lower customs inspection rates and roughly 40% faster clearance compared to non-AEO forwarders. This is particularly valuable for time-sensitive cargo and DG shipments where inspection delays can cause missed vessel connections.
• DG cargo pre-confirmation: For dangerous goods shipments, we confirm carrier acceptance before booking - not after. Some carriers reject certain IMDG classes on specific vessels or routes. Our pre-booking process identifies which carriers will accept your specific UN number on your required sailing date, avoiding last-minute booking rejections that cost shippers days of delay.

5. Cargo Capabilities

Standard Containerized Cargo

General merchandise, consumer goods, electronics, textiles, furniture, automotive parts, industrial components - anything that fits in a standard dry container. We handle the full process from factory loading supervision through to destination delivery, including all export and import documentation.

Dangerous Goods (DG) - IMDG Classes 2-9

DG cargo requires specialized documentation and handling. Every DG shipment from our clients includes: DG Packaging Certificate (危包证), verified MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), Maritime DG Declaration filed with the port authority, and proper IMDG Code labeling and placarding on the container. Our DG freight service covers the full range of hazardous cargo including chemicals, batteries (UN3536 applies to many energy storage products), gases, flammable liquids, and corrosives. We do not handle Class 1 (explosives) or Class 7 (radioactive materials).

OOG (Out of Gauge) and Heavy-Lift

Cargo that exceeds standard container dimensions requires open top containers, flat racks, or platform containers. Oversized industrial equipment, construction machinery, wind turbine components, and heavy manufacturing lines all fall into this category. Each OOG shipment requires a lashing plan approved by the carrier, and heavy-lift items need crane capacity verification at both load and discharge ports. Our heavy equipment case study shows a typical flat rack operation for construction machinery export.

Breakbulk

For cargo that cannot be containerized - steel coils, large industrial boilers, yacht transport, project cargo modules - breakbulk shipping loads items directly onto the vessel. Breakbulk requires specialized port handling, stevedoring coordination, and detailed load planning. We manage the full breakbulk operation including berth booking, crane scheduling, and securing/lashing to vessel specifications.

Project Cargo

Multi-shipment, multi-modal projects - factory relocations, overseas engineering projects, turnkey plant shipments - require dedicated logistics planning across weeks or months. Our project cargo service provides route surveys, transport engineering, customs planning, and phased delivery scheduling. See our overseas engineering project case study for a real example.

Frequently Asked Questions