Freight Forwarder from China to the United States

Great Hensen operates from our headquarters at Qingdao Port (22M+ TEU annually, top 5 port in China), with direct sailings to Los Angeles/Long Beach in 12-18 days, one of the fastest trans-Pacific routes in our network. Choosing a freight forwarder for the China-USA trade lane means selecting a partner who understands trans-Pacific logistics at the operational level. Great Hensen coordinates sea freight, air freight, and DDP door-to-door service from China's three major port clusters to every US gateway. We handle standard FCL/LCL, dangerous goods cargo (IMDG classes 2-9), and OOG heavy-lift project cargo with the same attention to schedule and compliance.

Port options: China to USA

Departure Ports (China)

• Qingdao: Our headquarters port. Weekly departures to all US coasts. Strong DG cargo handling infrastructure.
• Shanghai: Highest sailing frequency. Most carrier options. Best for time-sensitive FCL shipments to the West Coast.
• Tianjin: Serving northern China manufacturing base. Competitive rates for breakbulk and project cargo to Gulf and West Coast ports.

Arrival Ports (USA)

• Los Angeles / Long Beach (West Coast): 12-18 days transit. The primary US entry point for Chinese container imports. Handles roughly 40% of all US containerized trade.
• New York / Newark (East Coast): 25-35 days via Panama Canal. Largest East Coast port complex. Rail connections to Midwest and Northeast distribution networks.
• Savannah (Southeast): 27-33 days via Panama. Fastest-growing US container port. Ideal for Atlanta, Charlotte, and Southeast distribution centers.
• Houston (Gulf Coast): 28-32 days. Primary Gulf gateway for Texas and central US. Strong for oil and gas equipment and heavy-lift project cargo.
• Seattle / Tacoma (Pacific Northwest): 13-17 days. Less congestion than LA/LB. Good for Pacific Northwest and Canadian cross-border distribution.

Shipping methods and transit times

Sea Freight

• FCL (Full Container Load): 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft high-cube containers. Best for shipments of 15 CBM or more. Dedicated container, no consolidation delay. Transit: 12-18 days West Coast, 25-35 days East Coast, 28-32 days Gulf Coast.
• LCL (Less than Container Load): Consolidated containers for shipments under 15 CBM. Weekly sailings from Qingdao, Shanghai, and Tianjin to all major US ports. Transit adds 3-5 days for consolidation/deconsolidation versus FCL.

Air Freight

• Transit: 3-5 days from PVG (Shanghai), PEK (Beijing), and TAO (Qingdao) to LAX, JFK, ORD, and SFO.
• Best for: High-value electronics, e-commerce inventory, time-critical shipments, lithium battery cargo requiring IATA DGR compliance.
• Capacity: Great Hensen books both freighter and passenger belly cargo across multiple airlines for competitive rates.

DDP Door-to-Door

• Scope: Covers origin pickup in China, sea or air freight, US customs clearance, Section 301 duty payment, and final-mile trucking to the buyer's warehouse.
• Transit: Sea-based DDP: 18-40 days depending on destination coast. Air-based DDP: 7-10 days.
• Benefit: US importer receives a single landed-cost price. No need to manage customs brokers, ISF filing, or bonded carrier arrangements separately.

Customs and Documentation

US customs clearance requires precise documentation and advance filings. Key requirements for all China-USA shipments:

• ISF 10+2 (Importer Security Filing): Must be filed with CBP at least 24 hours before vessel departure from the Chinese load port. We coordinate ISF data with the US importer or their customs broker to ensure timely submission and avoid CBP penalties.
• Customs Bond: Required by US law for all commercial shipments valued over $2,500. Single-entry bonds for one-off shipments; continuous bonds for regular importers. We can arrange the bond through our US broker network.
• Section 301 Tariffs: Additional duties of 7.5% to 25% still apply to a wide range of Chinese-origin goods depending on HTSUS classification. Great Hensen provides HS code verification before shipment to confirm the applicable rate and identify any exclusion opportunities.
• C-TPAT Certification: Great Hensen is C-TPAT certified. This reduces CBP inspection rates and speeds up clearance for compliant shipments. Shippers benefit from fewer customs holds and predictable release times.

Cargo types we handle

• Standard FCL/LCL: General cargo in 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft high-cube containers. Weekly consolidated containers to all major US ports.
• DG Cargo (IMDG Classes 2-9): Full dangerous goods freight service to all US ports. Includes DG Packaging Certificate (危包证), MSDS, Maritime DG Declaration, and advance terminal notification. C-TPAT certification streamlines CBP processing for DG shipments.
• OOG and Heavy-Lift / Breakbulk: Flat rack and open top containers for oversized machinery, construction equipment, and industrial components. Lashing plan (绑扎方案) prepared by certified surveyors and submitted to the carrier for approval before loading.
• Project Cargo: Full project logistics management for factory relocations, production line shipments, and engineering projects. See our factory relocation case study for a cross-border project example.

Carriers and Schedule

All major container carriers serving the trans-Pacific trade work from China's three main port clusters. Great Hensen maintains active contract rates with MSK, HPL, MSC, COSCO, HMM, OOCL, EMC, YML, and CMA CGM. Weekly departures from Qingdao, Shanghai, and Tianjin to all US coasts. Our volume across multiple clients secures competitive rates even during the August-October peak season for holiday inventory imports.

CBP requires all sea freight importers to file ISF 10+2 at least 24 hours before the vessel departs the Chinese load port. Late or inaccurate ISF filings trigger $5,000 per violation, and CBP can issue "do not load" orders that delay the container at origin. For shipments valued over $2,500, a US customs bond is mandatory -- single-entry bonds cover one shipment, while continuous bonds cover all imports for 12 months and cost $500-$600 annually minimum. We coordinate ISF data collection and bond arrangement with the importer's customs broker before the container is gated in at the Chinese port.

Section 301 tariffs remain in effect on a substantial share of Chinese-origin goods entering the US. Rates range from 7.5% on certain industrial components to 25% on categories including furniture, steel, and electrical machinery. Correct HS code classification determines whether Section 301 duties apply and at what rate. We provide HS code verification as part of every China-USA booking -- the importer receives a breakdown of standard duty plus any applicable Section 301 surcharge before the container sails, so landed cost is known upfront.

See also our Canada freight forwarding service for cross-border distribution from US West Coast ports. Containers landing at Seattle/Tacoma can reach Vancouver in 4-6 hours by truck, and shipments to Toronto can route through US Midwest rail hubs as an alternative to Canadian Pacific ports.

Departure from Qingdao Port

Headquartered in Qingdao, we coordinate all USA shipments directly from the Qingdao Port complex. Qingdao has dedicated container terminals (Qianwan Container Terminal phases 1-4, with 20m+ water depth) and is China's largest port for refrigerated cargo and a top-3 port for DG handling. Loading at Qingdao means cargo moves from factory to vessel with fewer intermediate trucking legs compared to Shanghai or Tianjin for Shandong, Henan, and northern Jiangsu manufacturers. For USA-bound shipments, direct weekly sailings from Qingdao to Los Angeles/Long Beach are served by MSK, COSCO, HPL, ONE, and CMA CGM, the Qingdao-LA route being one of the most stable trans-Pacific corridors with 12-18 day transit on express services.

Why Great Hensen for China-USA freight

• DG cargo (IMDG 2-9) to all US ports: Full documentation support including DG Packaging Certificate, MSDS, and Maritime DG Declaration. Los Angeles, Houston, and NY/NJ all accept IMDG classes 2-9 with standard compliance documentation.
• OOG and flat rack for oversized machinery: Specialized lashing and securing for heavy-lift and out-of-gauge cargo. We handle the securing plan, carrier approval, and port-side coordination.
• C-TPAT certified: Faster CBP processing and lower inspection rates for compliant shipments.
• Section 301 tariff classification support: HS code verification and duty-rate check before booking, so importers know their landed cost before the container sails.

Frequently Asked Questions