Shipping from China to the UK: the full picture
How goods actually get from a Chinese factory to your UK door — the modes, the timeline, the paperwork and the costs.
The two modes
Goods move by sea or by air. Sea is far cheaper per kilogram and suits bulk, non-urgent orders; air is far faster and suits small, urgent or high-value shipments. Most businesses ship the bulk by sea and keep air for emergencies.
See our sea vs air guide for the trade-off in detail.
The realistic timeline
Door to door, sea freight from China to the UK typically takes around two months once you include customs and delivery at both ends; air is usually around two weeks.
Add production time before that, and a buffer for the unexpected — a failed inspection or a busy shipping period each add days.
The paperwork and customs
To import you need a GB EORI number, the correct commodity code for each product, and accurate documents (commercial invoice, packing list, transport document). Import duty and VAT are settled at the UK border.
Our customs-clearance and duty-and-VAT guides cover the detail; a door-to-door service handles it for you.
What it costs — and the simple version
The real number to compare is the landed price: product, freight, insurance, duty and fees to your door. Import VAT is usually reclaimable for a VAT-registered business.
The simplest route is a single door-to-door landed price so you are comparing like for like against your current UK supplier — no separate bills to reconcile.
FCL or LCL, and where the break-even sits
A full container costs a flat price whatever you put in it, so the more you fill it the cheaper each unit becomes. LCL, where your pallets share a container with other shippers, is priced on volume and suits smaller consignments.
The crossover is usually somewhere around 12 to 15 cubic metres: below that LCL normally wins, above it a 20ft container often costs the same or less than the LCL charge for the same volume. Our free shipping volume calculator works out your CBM and shows how it fits a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube.
Why LCL is slower than the sailing time suggests
LCL adds consolidation at the Chinese end and deconsolidation at the UK end. Your pallets wait for the container to fill, then wait again at a UK depot to be broken out. That routinely adds one to two weeks that no sailing schedule shows.
It also adds handling, which is where damage happens. If your goods are fragile, the extra touches matter as much as the extra days.
Chargeable weight: why light cargo still costs a lot
Air freight and express are priced on whichever is greater, actual weight or volumetric weight. Bulky, light goods are charged on the space they occupy rather than what they weigh, which is why a pallet of cushions can cost more to fly than a pallet of tools.
Sea LCL works on a similar principle using cubic metres against a weight equivalent. Ask which basis your quote uses before comparing two prices — they are often not measuring the same thing.
The costs that are not in the freight quote
A freight rate rarely covers everything. Expect origin charges at the Chinese end, terminal handling at both ends, customs entry fees, and delivery from the UK port. Duty and import VAT sit on top of all of it.
This is why a low sea rate can end up more expensive than a higher all-in quote. Compare landed totals rather than freight lines, and ask specifically what is excluded.
Demurrage and detention: the clock nobody mentions
Once your container lands you get a limited number of free days before charges start, and they accrue daily. Demurrage runs while the container sits at the terminal, detention while you hold the container off-site.
Have somewhere to unload and the equipment to do it before the container arrives. A shipment that clears customs quickly and then sits waiting for a forklift is an expensive kind of on-time.
Peak seasons that move your dates
Two periods reliably disrupt schedules from China: the run-up to Chinese New Year, when everyone ships before factories close and rates climb, and the pre-Christmas peak from roughly August to October.
Both are predictable, so both are plannable. Our Chinese New Year planner works backwards from the date you need stock to the day you have to place the order.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to the UK take?
Roughly two months door to door by sea (including customs and delivery at both ends), or about two weeks by air, plus production time before shipping.
What do I need to import into the UK?
A GB EORI number, the correct commodity code for each product, and accurate documents. A customs agent or a door-to-door sourcing service can handle the declaration.
Should I use FCL or LCL?
Roughly, LCL below about 12 to 15 cubic metres and a full container above it, though the exact break-even moves with rates. LCL also adds one to two weeks of consolidation and more handling, so fragile goods may favour FCL earlier.
Why is my light shipment so expensive to fly?
Air and express are charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Bulky, light goods are billed for the space they take up, not what they weigh.
What is not included in a freight quote?
Usually origin charges, terminal handling at both ends, customs entry fees and UK delivery — with duty and import VAT on top. Compare landed totals rather than freight rates, and ask what is excluded.
What are demurrage and detention?
Charges that start after your free days run out — demurrage while the container sits at the terminal, detention while you hold it off-site. Arrange unloading before the container arrives.