We know that shipping from China while sitting in the United Kingdom is not an easy task; there are tons of stuff and hurdles like hiring someday to deliver cargo at the port, preparing documents, getting licenses, booking carriers, paying customs fees, and so on. But, Don’t worry.

In this blog, we will explain all shipment methods from China to the UK, like Sea, Air, Railway, Express, etc. And we will compare their cost, delivery time, and pro & cons, so you can choose the best one for yourself. In the end, we will also explain the customs clearance process and documentation requirements.

So, keep reading if you want to save both money & time for your business.

If you are looking to ship your goods from China to the UK but are unsure which ways are available and which ones will be best for you, don’t worry. We will explain all the 6-Shipping ways along with their advantages and disadvantages so you can choose one easily;

“As the name suggests, in Air fright, you hand over your parcel to an Airline, probably at an airport in China, and they will deliver it to a specified airport/address in your country.”

Airfreight is the no 2nd fastest and no 1-safest shipping method among all ways of shipment. It is  ideal for valuable, fragile, and perishable cargo because it mitigates the risks of damage. You can deliver the goods to any airport in the UK.

Another benefit of air freight is that you can quickly track your consignment’s movement, allowing you to plan appropriately.

However, one of their main demerits is that their prices are very high, almost about 3 ~ 5 times higher than other modes of transportation.

It is critical to note that Air Freight rates are calculated based on chargeable weight and not only by gross weight, so even if your cargo is 1 Cubic meter but weighs like 100 kg, then you will have to pay the air freight by chargeable weight 167KG. In contrast, Sea freight ( LCL ) allows 1000 kg for 1 Cubic meter size of the parcel. So, always choose Sea freight if your cargo weighs a lot.

“In Sea freight, you have to deliver your cargo at any Seaport in China, and they will deliver it at your desired seaport in the UK.”

In sea freight, door-to-door shipment is also available if you hire your services via a freight forwarder or a reliable sea shipping company. Sea Freight is the slowest shipping method among all others, but on the cost scale, it is the 1-cheapest way.

It is critical to note that in Sea freight, cargo is delivered in Containers, and all shipping companies will give you 2-options when putting your cargo in a container, such as;

a) LCL ( Less than Container Load ) option: In this choice, they will put your cargo in the same container as other people’s cargo, and you will only be charged for your occupied space. It is best if you have very few goods and don’t want to hire & pay for a full container. 

b) FCL ( Full Container Load ) option: In this choice, a whole separate container is dedicated to you, and you have to pay for all. You can put anything you want in it; fill it entirely or leave it empty. Only your stuff will be in this container, so your packages are more secure, have fewer inspection chances, and have fewer delivery delays probability. FCL mode is best if your cargo is big enough to fill a whole container or is too precious.

“Express Freight includes all the Shipping Courier Companies like DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc. In this method, you will drop your parcel at the nearest shipping center, or they will pick it up from the seller’s address in China and will deliver it to your door-step in the UK. ”

The term Express means fast, and without a doubt, Express Freight is the no 1 fastest shipping method out there, like they can ship any product to anywhere in the world in a week at most.

The reasons why all Express Courirs are so quickest are;

• Work 24/7
• Dedicated workforce
• Own in-Land Vehicles/Ships/Aeroplanes.
• Dedicated Custom Agents at every port in every country
• Good connection with higher-up Govt. agents for quick inspections
• Have a lot of experience
• And so on.

However, Express Freight is also the no 1 Costliest form of shipping out there. They charge even way more than Air freight. They are only recommended for beginners or, if you have small parcels like documents, sample products, etc., to deliver quickly.

“In Rail Freight, you have to book a place with a Railway company, deliver your cargo to them in China, and they will deliver it all the way to a UK train station.”

Uk is no doubt an isolated country, separated by sea, but there are several undersea train tunnels that link Europe to the UK. Railway Freight is faster ( almost 2 times ) than Sea freight and less costly than Air freight.  The first Railway service from China to the UK started back in 2017 from Yiwu to London

Rail freight also offers Less Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load (FCL) shipping options.

Another benefit of shipping by rail is that you’ll enjoy quicker customs procedures. You’ll also explore flexible and multiple services, including customs declaration and inspection.

All the goods under transit are secure until arrival at your preferred destination. Once sealed and loaded on the train, parcels can’t be open while still in transit. 9Delays are rare but can only happen when a train experiences an issue on the way.

“In Truck Freight, shipping companies deliver your cargo from all the way to China to the UK via motor vehicles.” 

They mostly offer door-to-door shipment, which takes only about 14 – 18 days. Back in 2018, in accordance with the Chinese BRI ( Belt & Road Initiative Scheme ), there were many road routes established, and when you ship cargo through these routes, the inspection is minimal, which saves a lot of time.

In DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping from China to the UK, the supplier is responsible for all the costs involved in delivering goods to the UK delivery address.

In that case, the supplier takes responsibility if the goods get damaged or broken before arriving at the destination port.

Thankfully, working with a reliable freight forwarding company like Winsky Freight can hasten the delivery process by DDP. That way, your goods will arrive safely.

Whether you want to transport your cargo by air, sea, or rail, you can enjoy DDP shipping for all the shipping modes at Winsky Freight.

So, what advantages will you enjoy by opting for DDP shipping at Winsky Freight?

• Goods will arrive at your preferred destination (UK airport or seaport) fast
• DDP shipping at Winsky Freight is cheaper for all shipping methods
• Winsky Freight does the trickiest part of shipping (customs clearance) on your behalf
• You can source goods from any Chinese supplier at affordable costs
• You’ll enjoy additional services like insurance and consolidation delivery
• You will enjoy 30-day free warehousing at Winsky Freight

If you are looking to find out the exact routes your shipment will take via each shipment method so you can decide the best one which not only costs less but also is the fastest for you, then you can have a look below;

In Air Freight, Air planes always take the direct route because they fly over land, so no matter the company, their country-to-country distance is almost the same. While the only point that can affect the price is the choosing of Origin & Destination Airport because of the 2 reasons;

• Farther away airports will have more distance, so more in-flight time, more fuel consumption, hence higher delivery cost. 

• Some Airports are busier than others, so their rates are higher. 

The famous Airports that are mostly used by Airline Companies from China to the UK are;

In Sea Freight, Ships have to go around the land, so the price & delivery time of the shipment is greatly affected by the distance between the origin and the destination port.

China is called “the World’s Factory,” so it makes sense it has 34 major ports and 2000 minor ports. In contrast, there are only 7 major ports in the UK. It is suggested to choose major ports with advanced machines for your shipment because they can load/unload, inspect, and process your cargo securely & faster than others.

Some famous ports which most people choose for their shipment from China to the UK are;

It is critical to note that the best sea shipping route depends from person to person, and the best route will be for you that has the shortest distance from China to the UK and is also the nearest to your location.

Express Couriers have door-to-door service, and they choose their own Air & In-land routes based on the receiver and sender location. Their shipping routes vary from company-to-company, season to season, and so on.

When choosing Express Couriers as your delivery partner, you don’t have to worry about routes because they will charge the same, no matter the route. All they can guarantee is shipment delivered on promised time.

There are several Railway companies that offer shipment from China to the UK, but currently, there is only 1 direct railway track, called the “Yiwu-London Railway Line,” and all railway companies use this pathway.

The Yiwu-London Railway line is 12,000 km long and passes through several nations, such as;

• Yiwu, China > Kazakhstan > Russia > Belarus > Poland > Germany > Belgium > France > London, UK.

As there is a sea between France and UK, the trains pass through the Channel Tunnel, which is an underground sea tunnel.

In accordance with BRI ( Belt and Road Initiative ), China has several networks of roads that pass through central Asia & Russia and go all the way to Europe & then to London.

Different Companies take different road routes according to their preferences. However, the main silk road route that goes all the way to the end of Europe, like;

• Xian, China > Kyrgyzstan > Uzbekistan > Tajikistan > Iran > Turkey > Russia ( Moscow ) > Germany > Netherlands > United Kingdom.

This route is a little overwhelming, but it takes less time than the Yiwu-London Railway line, and it is most suggested in Peak Seasons when all containers are booked.

There are various aspects that can influence your overall shipment costs from China to the UK, such as;

• Peak Seasons
• Random Inspections
• Product Size & Weight
• Incomplete Paperwork fees
• Pick-up and delivery address distance
• Product-Specific Import & Export Taxes
• Origin & Destination Ports Service Speed
• Shipment method ( Air, Sea, Express, Railway, Road )
• Service Level ( Port-to-Port / Port-to-Door/ Door-to-Door )
• Natural Disasters
• And so on 

Most of the aspects in the above reasons apply from person to person and season to season, so they can’t be predicted, such as product dimensions, custom taxes, delivery address, etc.

However, what we can tell is a rough idea of the shipping cost per kg of all shipment methods, so you can estimate your shipping cost according to your products. The detailed cost information is given below;

“Airfreight is the 2nd fastest and also the 2nd costliest shipping method.”

As you know, London is a small country so it does not matter much which Airport you choose as your destination because for Airplanes that distance doesn’t matter much.

However, the airport of origin in China affects costs a lot because Chinese is a very big country, and if you choose a far away Airport, you have to pay extra. For example, delivery from Shanghai to London costs about $4.5/kg, while from Shenzhen ( far away ) to London takes $5.0/kg.

Airfreight delivery cost is affected greatly by the total weight of cargo; the more cargo, the lower the prices per kg, below are the air freight from China to UK dated 15-April, 2023 for you reference;

Standard Air freight per KG

Sea Freight is the cheapest form of delivery all over the world. As ships float in the ocean, they have to go around the land and take indirect routes to reach the destination port, and the far-away ports add more fuel & delivery days, which affects overall shipping costs greatly.

For example, Southampton port is near then Felixstowe port in London, so a 20’ container from Ningbo ( China ) to Southampton ( London ) costs only $700, while to Felixstowe ( London ), it costs about $850.

If you are shipping via LCL mode, then your cargo will be calculated based on CBM ( 1 cubic meter, and its allowed weight is 1000 kg ). Sea freight is only ideal for large cargo with heavyweights like at least cargo weight above 500 kg for a 1 ~ 2 CBM dimension parcel.

For CBM rates from China to the UK, you can see the chart below;

Express Freight Couriers are the costliest in the world, no matter the country or cargo. They calculate their cost based on both package dimensions and weight, just like in Air shipping. Below are the Express freight from China to UK dated 15-April, 2023 for your reference;

Express freight per KG Door to Door

Rail freight is about 3 ~ 5 times cheaper than air freight but still more costly than sea freight. It is the most budget-friendly and reasonable delivery time shipping method.

Just as in Sea Freight, Rail Freight cargo is delivered in Containers, and you can either put your cargo in sharing containers ( LCL ) or hire a private container ( FCL ) for yourself. below are the Rail freight from China to UK dated 15-April, 2023 for you reference;

Railway freight per KG

Sea freight is the cheapest shipping among all other shipment methods; it is 7 to 70 times cheaper than Air freight, but it is very slow, like 4 to times slower than Air freight. So, only choose it if you are okay with a 1-2 months wait. You can see the chart below to compare all shipment method rates;

No matter the method you choose, the shipping time depends on many factors, like; 

• CityTraffic
• Randon Inspections
• Peak Seasons lateness
• Custom Clearance Time
• Distance from Origin to Destination
• Natural Disasters like sea storms, cloud cover, rains, etc.
• Port Processing Speed, some ports are bigger, have advanced machines, and more workers.
• More.

If we take into account all the above factors, then you can expect the following shipping time in various shipping methods;

It goes without saying that the fastest shipment from China to the UK is provided by Express courier, which is only 3 – 7 days door-to-door delivery, while Air Freight is second in line taking about 1 – 2 weeks.

However, these two are 3 ~ 5 times more costly than other methods. So, only choose these if your parcel is small or you need them very urgently. For delivery time comparison, see the chart below see below;

The time your goods take to arrive in the UK and the shipping costs involved can directly impact your profit margins. Reducing the shipping time and costs can raise your profit.

So, how do you minimize costs and reduce shipping time from China to the UK?

Well, here are the tips and ideas to implement.

If you plan to ship your goods to the UK by sea due to its cost-effectiveness, they might take longer to reach the destination port in the United Kingdom.

Thankfully, booking a shipment in advance can reduce shipping expenses and time by eliminating delays.

Importing goods into the UK from China can be costly during peak seasons due to higher shipping prices.

So, consider shipping your goods in off-peak seasons to minimize costs.

Request quotes from several carriers or shipping companies to help you find the cheapest and most reliable carrier.

The good news is that most shipping companies offer free quotes.

One of the reasons goods can delay is lengthy customs clearance procedures.

For that reason, getting your documents in order can help you save some time.

When you ship your cargo from China to the UK, first of all, the Chinese Govt. will inspect everything, check the paperwork, and implies some taxes.

After that, your cargo is given to a Shipping Company, and when it reaches the destination country UK, both cargo & paperwork will be checked again by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC); then customs agents charge your tariffs, and when you cleared all fees, it will be given to you.

You can declare the imports yourself unless you don’t know how to do it. If you don’t have an idea, you can let a freight forwarder like Winsky Freight do it on your behalf.

If transporting the goods by DDP Sea or Rail freight from China to the UK, you don’t have to provide an Entry Summary Declaration to the UK customs.

The UK customs will release your goods when the UK custom broker pay all the duties and VAT in the United Kingdom.

The main documents which will be asked for by the Chinese & UK governments are; 

• Chinese Govt. Export Declaration Document
• Commercial Invoice ( States Value of Products in USD )
• Packing list ( All Products with their HS Codes and Country of Origin details )
• Bill of Lading ( issued by a carrier with details about type, quantity, origin & destination of goods )
• Customs Invoice ( from seller or exporter )
• Import License ( filed by the importer in UK Govt. for some sensitive items like arms, hazardous materials, animals, food products, ammunition, etc. )
• More.

And it is critical to note that Custom duties depend on many factors, like; 

• Origin and Destination Country Laws
• Overall Cargo Cost
• Product Nature

However, if you want to find out the duties in advance, you can give the HS code and overall value of products to your country’s customs agents, and they will tell you for a small fee. And if you don’t want to pay fees, then go to the UK Govt. official tariffs website, match your HS code to the rates, and calculate the rest yourself, which can be a little difficult.

The United Kingdom’s duties and taxes can directly impact your import costs. For that reason, you need to know the amount of money to pay to the UK as duties and taxes.

So, how do you determine the import duties and taxes to pay to the UK customs?

Once your goods reach the UK, you must pay the UK duty and VAT depending on the HS Code and cost of goods, respectively. You’ll make these payments at the destination port.

The HS Code classifies different goods for trade. That’s because different types of goods have varying duty percentages, ranging from 0-12 percent.

For example, if you import products worth $50,000, and the cargo gets taxed for duties at 10 percent, the duty amount will be $5,000.

For VAT, the tax gets determined by the cost of imports and shipping the products. The standard VAT rate is usually 20 percent.

For instance, if the $5,000 shipment costs around $500 to reach the UK, you’ll pay 20 percent of $55,00 as the VAT, and that’s $1,100.

In today’s world, almost all shipping companies offer to track, but the level of tracking differs based on your shipment package. For example, DHL & FedEx charge higher shipping costs, they update the status of your parcel almost daily or after some hours. While in Sea Shipment, you will only know when your cargo leaves the port after the boat departed & arrives at the port of destination after weeks.

However, it is amazing to note that new Chinese railway companies are offering GPS tracking, and you can see in real time where your parcel is.

To track your shipment, go to your shipping company’s website like DHL and search for your tracking number, or you can also ask your China freight forwarder to provide the tracking number and a website link to track your goods online in real-time. You can predict the date your shipment will arrive in the UK.

Shipping goods from China might seem complicated, but it’s not when you understand the entire shipping process.

Here is how to ship goods from a Chinese supplier with Winsky Freight’s help.

Outsource goods directly from a Chinese supplier or producer rather than a middleman to increase your profit margin.

You can identify the Chinese suppliers on the internet, and that’s because most of them own websites to help potential customers order goods.

Once you’ve ordered goods from your preferred Chinese supplier, give us the supplier’s details, including their physical address and contact information.

We’ll contact the supplier and arrange how to transport your goods to our warehouse for further processing and shipping arrangement.

Once your Chinese supplier has prepared the goods for shipping, Winsky Freight will contact them and request them to bring them to our warehouse.

If the supplier cannot deliver the goods to our warehouse, our dedicated team will pick up the goods and transport them to our warehouse.

At Winsky Freight, we understand the shipping logistics for goods that leave China for the United Kingdom, including the required documents.

Once we verify that the goods match your specifications, we’ll prepare all the documents needed for shipping to the United Kingdom, including customs clearance documents.

After arranging all the required documents, we’ll send the goods to your preferred seaport, airport, or train station in the United Kingdom.

Winsky Freight will send you a tracking number for your products leaving China for the UK. We’ll also send you the website link for tracking.

Freight Forwarders are agents who handle your Shipment & preparation of Documentation.”

Freight forwarders are not a necessity, but they not only help you cut down shipping costs and delivery days but also save you from a lot of headaches because they have;

✓ Available seats in Peak Seasons 

✓ Already booked Reasonable Price seats 

✓ Take care of all insurance claims in case of accidents or loss 

✓ Handles Picking of products from the seller, loading on the ship, etc. 

✓ Can even pay Customs fees and deliver your parcel at your Door-step 

✓ Have Custom Agents in every country for quick clearance with less or no bribery 

✓ Handle all the mind-hurting documentation collection and getting of licenses from Govt. 

✓ More.

You know that every shipping company has its own rates, and they change from person to person, and to beginners, they charge a lot extra. Moreover, if you have any missing documentation, you will be charged extra fees, and your cargo may hold up at the port for days until you get the required documentation from a Chinese seller/carrier, which is nearly impossible when you are sitting in the UK.

So, if you are importing from the UK, then having your own Freight Forwarders in China can help you get the lowest prices from the shipping companies. Plus, they can also collect every document within China, so you don’t have to face hold-ups.

In short, when you look at the overall shipping cost, even after paying Freight Forwarders’ fees, you would have saved a lot of money.

Now that you’ve understood why you need a shipping agent to help you ship goods from China to the UK, you might wonder why Winsky Freight is the best freight forwarder.

Here are the reasons to outsource Winsky Freight’s freight forwarding services.

Competitive Shipping Prices 

As the best freight forwarder in China, Winsky guarantees competitive prices for goods leaving China for the United kingdom.

We provide affordable shipping rates for several types of goods to ensure that you get value for your money. Besides, the quotes have no hidden charges.

Free Warehousing Services

Are you worried about where you’ll temporarily store your goods when arranging for shipping from China into the United Kingdom?

You don’t need to worry anymore because Winsky Freight provides free warehousing for 30 days to all its clients. This will help you save money on warehousing.

Multiple Shipping Options

Winsky Freight can assist you whether you want to ship your goods by air freight, sea freight, rail freight, or express shipping.

As the best in China, we are ready to help you transport your goods to the United Kingdom using your preferred shipping mode.

If you are looking for the best delivery, then we, Winsky Freight, can be the one-stop solution for you. No matter whether you want the fastest Air Freight, cheapest Sea Freight, or medium speed Railway/Road delivery, we can present all.

If you choose us, we can handle all your worries like picking the cargo from a seller, reasonable carrier booking, insurance, confusing documentation preparation, customs clearance, and finally, delivering the cargo to your door-step or any other place you want.

We offer all-level services, like Port-to-Port, Port-to-Door, Door-to-Door, etc. And unlike others, we keep an eye on your carriers so they deliver your cargo quickly, even in sea freight, and in case of any damage or loss, we take responsibility for getting your claims, contact us today to get the best shipping cost from China to the UK.