The geographical location of UAE, between the Far East and Europe, has made the country a global commercial hub. The United Arab Emirates owns the world’s largest airport, and Dubai has become a pivot point for many economic regions. UAE itself imports a considerable amount of goods from China. This guide is dedicated to the fundamentals before shipping from China to UAE.

The total import of UAE from China was worth USD 53 billion in 2024, slightly better than the previous year. Covid-19 had played a significant role before 2023. But the situation is becoming normal again. This article will help you learn many things about shipping from China to the UAE.

There are three major shipping options from China to the UAE. The option you choose mostly depends on the volume of goods you’re shipping and the urgency of delivery. Here are the primary options available:

Shipping by sea freight remains the most popular shipping method in the world. China and the UAE are home to state-of-the-art modern ports that smooth and easy sea shipping between them. Also, the shipping distance between both countries is relatively small. For example, the distance between Shanghai Port in China and Abu Dhabi Port in UAE is about 12.5 kilometers.

Sea freight is a very cheap method of transporting cargo and can carry heavy goods that cannot be transported through other means. However, it is also the slowest shipping method, so you should only use it if you’re not delivering time-sensitive or heavy goods.

While Sea freight is mainly used for shipping heavy goods in containers, sending more miniature goods with this method is possible. This is because Sea freight operates under two different types:

LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping

This is a type of sea shipping where several importers’ goods are shipped in a single container, and each importer pays for their goods only. It is an affordable option for small shipments that do not require a full container because you won’t have to pay for the entire container when your load does not fill it up. LCL rates are prone to vary, and you may be delayed at the ports due to the consolidation and deconsolidation of other importers’ goods. If you’re shipping smaller loads from China to the UAE, contact us for a space booking.

FCL (Full Container Load) shipping

In this type of sea shipping, the importer books an entire container for use and is charged flatly. With FCL shipping, you won’t have to share container space with other importers and be set at a fixed rate regardless of the cargo you’re shipping.

FCL can sometimes be cheaper than LCL shipping, especially when shipping large cargo. Consult with us if you need help picking an appropriate shipping option.

Abu Dhabi Port, Jebel Ali in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah are some of the essential ports in the UAE.

Major Seaports in China

• Shanghai
• Ningbo-Zhoushan
• Shenzhen
• Hongkong
• Guangzhou
• Tianjin
• Qingdao

Major Seaports in UAE

• Jebel Ali, Dubai
• Mina Rashid, Dubai
• Khalifa, Abu Dhabi
• Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi
• Mina Khalid, Sharjah

Air freight involves the transportation of cargo through air freight carriers or airlines. It is a safe and speedy shipping method, although expensive. Importers shipping from China to the UAE rely on air freight to ship urgently needed goods or high-value products like phones and electronics.

Air freight is a perfectly viable means of shipping between China and the UAE because there are well-developed cargo airports to receive freight in both countries. These airports include Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah.

When shipping through air freight, your goods’ volumetric and gross weight are calculated. Then, you’ll be charged either by gross weight or volumetric weight. Check out our article on chargeable weight to better understand this.

You should also know that not all products can be directly shipped using air freight, especially explosives or lithium batteries. Discuss with us before shipping so we can walk through the specific regulations for your type of goods.

Major Airports in China

• Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
• Shenzhen Baoan Airport
• Chengdu Shuangliu Airport
• Chongqing Jiangbei Airport
• Beijing Capital Airport
• Kunming Changshui Airport
• Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
• Xi’an Xianyang Airport

Major Airports in UAE

• Dubai Airport.
• Sharjah Airport.
• Abu Dhabi Airport.
• Al Ain Airport.
• Ras Al Khaimah Airport.
• Al Maktoum International Airport.

Express freight also involves airlines. However, it is explicitly done with air couriers. DHL, UPS, TNT, and FedEx are some of the biggest couriers that ship from China to the UAE.

When using Express shipping from China, clearance procedures are handled by the Express courier clearance team, which makes it the fastest and most expensive mode of shipping from China to the UAE. Still, many importers import product samples and other miniature goods from China. If you’re shipping goods larger than 100kg, then exploring other fast shipping options like air freight is better.

The good news is we can get you much cheaper deals with courier services when shipping from China to the UAE. This is because Winsky Freight has special contracts with the major courier companies. Hence, we offer our customers discounted deals, helping save costs.

This is the most convenient shipping option for the new importer from China to UAE with door to door service, as a China freight forwarder does the whole process; you only need to receive the goods at your doorstep.

DDP Air Freight

Winsky offers special door-to-door air freight deals where your cargo is delivered right to your destination. This is especially good for importers who donned necessary UAE import licenses or want completely stress-free shipping. We’ll sort out the customs clearances and ensure your goods are delivered within 7-10 days. Flight transit only takes two days, but the other procedures take time, like airplane booking, export, import customs clearance, dismantling, and last-mile delivery.

DDP Sea freight

Our DDP sea freight option is one of the cheapest shipping offers you can get from China to the UAE because we handle every aspect of the shipping for you at an affordable price. After shipping through LCL, we promptly clear your products at the ports and transport them directly to your location in the UAE. DDP sea freight to UAE takes 25-30 work days to deliver goods to your door. Boat transit only takes about 20-25 days, but the other procedures take time, like container loading, unloading, export and import customs clearance, deconsolidation, and last-mile delivery.

International shipping is a hectic job. It’s difficult to determine the shipping costs without knowing certain factors such as shipping method, type of products, shipping season, expected delivery time, etc. Therefore, asking for quotes from several reputed freight forwarders and comparing their prices is better.

One important note. If the price is too low (or below the average market rate), there is a high chance that they have some hidden fees. So, be careful before you dive for a quote. Factors that affect the shipping costs from China to UAE are

• the Shipping method.
• The volume of your goods.
• Type of your goods.
• Transit time.
• Prohibited Items.
• Distance between two ports.
• Shipping season.

There is no fixed rate for Express shipping as it changes by cargo type, weight, and volumes; rates usually vary between $7- $15 per kg of goods. Below is the Express freight dated 8-January -2025 for your information. Please ask us for a definitive quote before shipping.

Air freight rates are very prone to fluctuation because they are also affected by fuel price changes. One remarkable detail about air freight is that it has no fixed scale, i.e., it does not have a flat shipping rate. The bulkier your goods are, the lesser the weight you’ll pay per kilogram.

Below is the latest quote dated 8-January-2025 for your information. Contacting a freight forwarder to provide an exact quotation when your shipment is ready is better.

Determining sea freight rates is more challenging than air freight rates. Distance between two ports is a deciding factor for sea freight from China to UAE. Besides, FCL and LCL shipping rates are not the same.

LCL shipping rate fluctuates very much. The rate is based on 1 CBM, equivalent to 500 kg. The shipping rate for 1 CBM ranges from USD 25 to USD 140, depending on the distance between two ports and the type of goods. Please note that sea freight cost is not your final import cost; you need to consider the destination port fee, import customs clearance, and duty, too.

Below is the Port-to-Port LCL shipping from China to UAE dated 8-January-2025 for your information. Winsky offers the best competitive LCL rates for shipping from China to the UAE. Please feel free to ask for a quote from us.

As a rule, shipping methods that involve air travel, like express or air freight, are much faster than sea freight. Also, your goods will be subjected to clearance checks at the port, which may increase delays. Apart from the shipping method used, your shipping time will also depend on the shipping carrier used and the distance between the two ports; below is the estimated shipping time for your information:

Sea shipping transit time depends only on the distance between the ports. LCL shipping mostly takes longer than FCL due to delays with sorting out importers’ goods.

Air freight shipping time depends on the Air carrier’s flight schedule, goods loading & unloading, and customs clearance. However, your goods should still arrive within a few days.

Express freight like DHL, UPS, and FedEx remains the fastest shipping method. It takes about 2-5 work days to arrive, including goods pick up from the China factory, import customs clearance, and delivery to your doorsteps.

Lastly, we recommend you add some additional days for moving your goods. We suggest adding 2 to 3 days for air shipping and 7 to 10 days for sea shipping. As there are some potential factors like port congestion, customs clearance delays might affect international shipping time.

The UAE has specific import customs clearance procedures every importer should watch out for when shipping from China into the UAE. This ensures that all required duties and tariffs are paid and goods are released swiftly.

The first step is to get a Customs HS code for your product. This determines the taxes you’ll pay on your goods. Then, you calculate the value of your goods’ by finding the CIF (Cost, insurance, and freight) value.

Proceed to get an import license from the UAE’s Ministry of Economy. Then, submit a declaration form containing important information about your goods, like the value, HS code, country of origin, and type of good.

When your goods arrive, submit all required clearance documents like the certificate of origin and bill of lading, and pay the customs duty and VAT charges. The customs duty paid depends on the value of your shipment and its HS codes.

Many customers ask questions about customs duties and taxes in the UAE. Customs duties and taxes could be more precise for some importers. The first confusing point is that all products’ duties and charges differ. There are different charges for various products.

It’s tough to provide information about all products’ duties and charges in this article, but we can give you a general idea. You can visit their official website or ask a customs broker or freight forwarder for detailed duties and charges for the goods you will import.

Importing goods worth less than Dhs 1000 means you don’t have to pay any duty or tax. In addition, gifts worth under Dhs 3000 are also free of duty and tax.

But if you import commercial products for business purposes, you must pay at least 5% customs duty. One thing to note is that customs duty and charges are applied to the product price and shipping costs. So, you have to add the shipment costs with your product’s cost when calculating customs duties and tax.

The duties and taxes range from 5% to 100% according to the type of goods. For example, you must pay a 50% charge for alcohol items.

You will find answers to basic import-related information on this page of the Federal Authority For Identity Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security.

The UAE has several customs offices to help you out while importing goods from China. Here is the list of UAE customs offices:

• Abu Dhabi Airport
• Abu Dhabi Post
• Mussafah Port
• Dubai Airport
• Cargo Village
• Zayed Port
• Al Maktoum Airport
• Jebel Ali Cargo Village
• Dubai Airport FZ
• Ajman Port and
• Jebel Ali Port
• Rashid Port
• Fujairah Airport
• Hamriya Port – Dubai
• Deba Al Fujairah Port
• Airport Cargo
• Port Khalid
• Creek Center – Ajman
• SAIF Zone
• Al Jazeera Port
• Saqr Port
• Khorfakkan Customs

WInsky freight offers customs clearance support for DDP shipping. Also, we assist our customers from UAE to clear their goods from the customs department quickly and without any hassle.

You can only ship to the UAE with proper documentation. You will need a document from the carriers, your supplier, etc.

Necessary documents:

• Bill of Lading/ Airway Bill (Depends on the shipping method)
• Packing List
• Commercial Invoice
• Certificate of Origin
• Letter of Credit (It depends on the payment term between you and your supplier)

Door-to-door shipping is where the freight forwarder does everything – from picking up goods in China to delivering them to the UAE. Who can use it? Well, anyone can use door-to-door shipping. It is a convenient shipping process.

Sometimes, some importers need official permission to import to the UAE. In that case, it is a good option for you. Other shippers who have permission can also use door-to-door shipping.

In door-to-door shipping, a freight forwarder does the following:

• Pick up your goods from the supplier.
• Prepare inland transportation.
• Clears port charges and bills in Chinese ports
• Arrange transportation.
• Clears from the customs department in UAE.
• Prepare inland transport in the UAE.

You will receive the goods and unload your goods from the truck. That’s it, and your shipment is at your disposal without any hassle.

You can use air or sea any shipping method for door-to-door shipping.

Many importers think door-to-door shipping is expensive. But that is not the case all the time. In some cases, it is quite the opposite. Let’s clarify the idea with a real-life example.

Suppose you are shipping fabric from China to Dubai, UAE. The charge for 100 Kg of cloth will come around USD 3 to USD 4 for each kg with air freight. This cost includes customs and delivery charges in the UAE.

If you arrange everything separately, that can cost you more. You must pay a different agency for different services, increasing the cost.

Winsky Freight offers the best DDP shipping service, and you get the best competitive rate. Our DDP service is famous around the world. Many importers in the UAE use our door-to-door service for cost-effective and fast delivery.

You can take our door-to-door service for shipping to

• Shenzhen to Dubai
• Guangzhou to Dubai
• Yiwu to Dubai
• Shanghai to Dubai

You can tell us if you need door-to-door service in another region, and we will arrange that for you.

Generally, you’ll find that the cheapest way to ship goods per kilogram is sea freight. However, the size of the goods you’re sending is a significant factor to be considered.

For example, an importer shipping goods weighing 150kg may find it more cost-effective to use air freight than LCL shipping. This is because the total cost of sea freight, including operation and destination port fees, is higher than air freight, making it more expensive overall.

As a rule, we advise importers to choose air freight for products smaller than 200kg. We’re always available to provide air or sea freight shipping quotes so you can make better-informed decisions.

Every country has its own rules and regulations for import and export business. You can’t import anything you want. That’s when prohibited and restricted items come into play.

Some items you can import to the UAE, but you will need special permission from the approved authority. Those are called “Restricted items.” And there are some items you CAN NOT import to the UAE. The Government of UAE does not provide any permission for those either. Those are called “Prohibited items.”

Here is a list of restricted products in the UAE

• Pets
• Food
• Medicines and drugs
• Domestic animals
• Vehicles
• Agricultural products
• Weapons
• Technical equipment
• Publications
• Cash/money

And here is the list of Banned items in the UAE:

• Narcotics and controlled drugs.
• counterfeit currency
• Copyrighted content
• Witchcraft or Black magic items.
• Any art or publications that are against Islamic law.
• Protected animals.
• Certain dog breeds.
• Gambling tools and machines.

If you need more clarification about the legibility of the goods you import from China to the UAE, ask an expert. You can contact the customs department of UAE before importing.

If you import banned items, you will face some severe consequences. You will be fined and suffer jail time. The same will happen if you import restricted items without proper documentation.

Learn more on Prohibited and Restricted Items in UAE from the video below.

While shipping from China to the UAE, you must want to track your shipment. If you use express shipping, tracking is straightforward. Express shipping companies will give you a tracking number, and you can check the status of your shipment from their website with that number.

Some freight forwarders also offer a live tracking system. But we recommend contacting your freight forwarders’ customer service to know the exact status of your goods.

Therefore, you should pick a freight forwarder that provides 24/7/365 customer support without any breaks. Also, they should have a live chat and phone calling service to support their customers.

Every business wants to reduce its costs to increase its revenue. Reducing shipping costs can do that as well. But it takes work. It’s a process, and you have to take care of every aspect of that process. Here is how you can reduce your shipping costs to UAE:

• Use a professional team to pack your goods. The international shipping charge depends on the space you occupy. So, use expert hands to pack your goods, significantly reducing your shipping costs.
• Take insurance from a third party.
• Select ports with a shorter distance. That will reduce the shipping time as well.
• Ask for a quotation from several freight forwarders and pick one with a solid background and cheap rates.
• Select your freight forwarder wisely.
• Look for freight forwarders who give additional offers.
• Try to maintain a long-term relationship with a freight forwarder. They often give special discounts to regular clients.

When you are looking for a freight forwarder, there are certain things you should consider. The first thing is the experience. Winsky Freight has been in the shipping industry for over a decade. And we have been operating in the UAE market since we started our journey.

We have a separate team to look after our clients from the UAE. The team is specialized in the UAE market. Therefore, we can guarantee a smooth and safe shipping experience.

Another important thing is the cost. We have contracts with all large carriers and express shipping companies. Therefore, we can give our UAE clients a better rate than any other company in China.

Expert hands handle all of your goods. We also have a dedicated customs department working in the UAE. Our customs department always updates itself according to UAE customs policies.

Whether LCL or door-to-door, Winsky freight always gives UAE clients the best shipping experience.

Shipping from China to the UAE is challenging, but not if you know how to do that. We shared our experience in this article to help you understand the basics. If you want to know more or have any shipping to make, you can message us anytime. One of our UAE shipping experts will contact you soon.