Today, I going to show you everything about shipping from China to uk in 2021.
UK is one of the biggest and leading economies of the European continent.
According to UK Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics 2019 , China is on the top list of UK import countries.
Importing from china to uk is definitely a lucrative business.
Question is whether you get a considerable slice of the cake ?
If you want, you’ve came to the right place.
Let’s jump right in.

I believe the shipping costs are the principal concern for you when importing from china.
So let’s without further ado,
Here is the estimate shipping quote for import from china to uk based on different means of transport.

The international shipping rates varies based on the shipping services you choose.
Before you check shipping costs from china to uk, one important step is to compare the international shipping methods.
There are 4 different kinds of shipping methods for shipping : FCL, LCL, Air and Courier
Each of them have its unique benefits, drawbacks, and application conditions.
In general,
- FCL : Suitable for big volume more than 10 CBM.
- LCL : Suitable for small volume cargo. Save shipping cost.
- AIR : A fast choice, but cost more compared with sea freight.
- Courier : Most convenient when send small parcel from china to uk.
| Shipping Method | Chargeable Method | Minimum Order | Service Type | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Container Type | 1 x 20ft | Port to Port | Massive Load Safe Cheap | Need to buy more | |
![]() LCL | CBM | 1 CBM | Port to Port | Cost Saving | Easy damage Time consuming |
![]() Air | KG | 100 KG | Airport to Airport | Fast | Costly |
| KG | 1 KG | Door to Door | Convenient | Costly Not suitable for many cargo |
FCL shipping container cost from China to UK

Top shipping ports in uk used for importing into UK from China are :
- Felixstowe
- Southampton
- Liverpool
Different shipping lines have different shipping prices.
The container shipping costs also fluctuate frequently.
The below container shipping rates comes from our container shipping cost calculator.
Last updated in 2020 / 11 / 20
| POL | POD | CARRIER | 20GP | 40GP | 40HQ | ROUTE | T/T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen | Felixstowe | OOCL | 650 | 1100 | 1100 | DIRECT | 23 |
| Shenzhen | Felixstowe | MSK | 900 | 1350 | 1350 | DIRECT | 26 |
| Shenzhen | Felixstowe | EMC | 800 | 1400 | 1400 | DIRECT | 26 |
| Shenzhen | Southampton | OOCL | 650 | 1100 | 1100 | DIRECT | 24 |
| Shenzhen | Southampton | ONE | 800 | 1350 | 1350 | DIRECT | 25 |
| Shenzhen | Southampton | HMM | 850 | 1450 | 1450 | DIRECT | 25 |
| Shenzhen | Liverpool | MSK | 1150 | 1700 | 1700 | Via Rotterdam | 34 |
| Shenzhen | Liverpool | CMA | 1150 | 1950 | 1950 | Via Southampton | 35 |
| Shenzhen | Liverpool | EMC | 1500 | 2350 | 2350 | Via Rotterdam | 34 |
| Shenzhen | Belfast | MSK | 1100 | 1650 | 1650 | Via Rotterdam | 36 |
| Shenzhen | Belfast | CMA | 1150 | 1800 | 1800 | Via Southampton | 35 |
| Shenzhen | Belfast | ONE | 1300 | 2000 | 2000 | Via Rotterdam | 29 |
LCL Shipping from China to UK
Looking for pallet shipping quote ?
Or want to know the CBM shipping price ?
Here is the instant price from lcl sea freight calculator
| POL | PORT | CARRIER | ROUTE | 1-3 CBM | 3-5 CBM | 5-10 CBM | T/T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | BELFAST | YML | VIA DUBLIN | 90 | 85 | 80 | 45-50 |
| Shanghai | FELIXSTOWE | EMC/HMM/APL/CMA | DIRECT | 65 | 60 | 55 | 29/30 |
| Shanghai | LIVERPOOL | EMC/HMM/APL/CMA | VIA FELIXSTOWE | 85 | 80 | 75 | 32-35 |
| Shanghai | LIVERPOOL | CMA/APL | VIA SOUTHAMPTON | 85 | 80 | 75 | 32-35 |
| Shanghai | LONDON | EMC/HMM/APL/CMA | VIA FELIXSTOWE | 75 | 70 | 65 | 32-35 |
| Shanghai | LONDON | CMA/APL | VIA SOUTHAMPTON | 75 | 70 | 65 | 32-35 |
| Shanghai | MANCHESTER | APL/CMA/EMC | DIRECT | 90 | 85 | 80 | 28 |
| Shanghai | MANCHESTER | EMC/HMM/APL/CMA | VIA FELIXSTOWE | 90 | 85 | 80 | 28 |
| Shanghai | MANCHESTER | CMA/APL | VIA SOUTHAMPTON | 90 | 85 | 80 | 28 |
| Shanghai | SOUTHAMPTON | CMA/APL | DIRECT | 65 | 60 | 55 | 28 |
What’s the shipping cost from china to uk per kg ?
No hurry, let’s get started with the main airport used for import from China to UK :
- LHR ( London )
- MAN ( Manchester )
- BHX ( Berminhan )
Below is an example shipping quote China to london for your reference :
| SCHEDULE | Shanghai PVG – London LHR |
| AIRLINE | MU ( China Eastern Airlines ) |
| FLIGHT | Daily |
| ROUTE | Via Frankfurt ( FRA ) |
| T/T | 2-4 Days |
QUOTE
| WEIGHT RANGE | +45 KG | +100 KG | +300 KG | + 500 KG | + 1000 KG |
| UNIT PRICE ( USD/KG) | 6.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
DHL China to UK
Courier service is suitable for small parcel under 100 KG.
DHL is the most used courier channel for shipping to uk from China.
If you are doing b2c commerce business or have small shipments to Amazon warehouse in UK,
Or seeking for door to door shipping from china to uk,
Then DHL will be the best choice.
Contact FreightPaul team to get dhl shipping quote now.

| Shipping Methods / Shipping Type | Port to Port | Door to Door |
| Sea Freight (FCL) | 24-32 Days | 30-40 Days |
| Sea Freight (LCL) | 28-35 Days | 35-45 Days |
| Air Freight | 2-5 Days | 5-10 Days |
| Courier | 3-5 Days |
International shipping is complicate.
The shipping time may be more than you expect.
Besides the transit time ( T.T ) by carrier itself,
The additional time needed in Customs clearance, picking up or delivery, doc processing etc in China export and UK import operation.
Question : how long does uk customs take to clear packages ?
Normally, 1-2 workdays needed.
As both sea freight and air shipping service are port to port only, not door to door.
So when you are looking for international shipping companies, you need to search both origin and destination.
Specifically, when comes to shipping from China to uk, freight forwarder uk has two meanings.
- First, you need to have a China freight forwarder to serve you the freight shipping from China to UK.
- Second, you also need to hire a shipping agent in UK for the import operation when goods arrived from China.
To import from China to UK,
Here are 7 useful tips to help you find and choose a reliable forwarder in China.
- Make sure they are legitimate
- Deal with a forwarder with rich experience
- Choose a forwarder with a right shipping service
- Choose a freight forwarder in right size
- Use your own freight forwarder, not supplier’s.
- Pick a forwarder with reasonable shipping price
- Get a digital China freight forwarder.
With that, you’ll have a good China forwarder now.
Next is to check the import agents UK.

When goods arrive at port or airport, you will need someone to do the import operation.
As said, it includes Customs clearance, doc proccessing, tax & duty check, delivery to door, etc.
Despite you can directly request your China forwarder to provide the shipping quote or shipping service to door,
It can be more expensive than you choose shipping companies in uk for import operation.
Your own local agent, to be exact, can be more convenient to communicate with.
For example,
If you want to know how to avoid import tax from china to uk,
Or check the import custom charges from china to uk,
You’d better directly search ” freight companies near me “, i.e use uk freight forwarders.
The answer may not that accurate if you check from a China forwarder.
Here is our agent partner if you want to directly work with.
James Selvey
Director
FPF Global Limited
New Farm, Pickaxe Lane
South Warnborough, Hook
Hampshire, RG29 1SH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1256 861474
Web: www.fpfglobal.com

If you are new to international freight shipping, you may be not know how to start.
Here are some basic shipping strategies that common used when importing goods from China to UK.
In fact, they can also be apply or be used universally regardless of the destination country and shipping methods.
1. Set the shipping terms
The shipping terms or Incoterm is the first essential shipping knowledge for every new importer.
It help you avoid costly misunderstandings by clarifying the tasks, costs and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods.
Specifically, what you need to pay or not to pay is depend on the shipping term you choose.
| Incoterm | Who Make the Shipping |
|---|---|
| EXW | Door To Door Shipping operated by yourself |
| FOB | Port To Port or Port to Door Shipping operated By yourself, |
| CIF | Door to Port Shipping operated by your supplier |
| DDU DDP | Door to Door Shipping operated by your supplier |


2. Figure out the shipping procedure
Novice always ask the question like what’s the shipping process .
Well, here is the step-by-step shipping procedure that can explain how to import from china to uk
- Inquiry
- Booking
- Export Operation
- Paying
- Tracking
- Import Operation
- After sale
3. Prepare the shipping documents
The paperwork matters in shipping.
So what documents do you need to provide ?
Following basic shipping documents needed when buy stuff from china.
- Bill of Lading ( Offered by forwarder )
- Packing List ( Offered by your supplier or you )
- Commercial Invoice ( Offered by your supplier or you )
- Certificate of Origin ( reduce import tax china to uk )
- Insurance Policy
- Fumigation certificate ( May needed when import furniture from china )

China to uk shipping, Bingo

Contact
If you would like to know more information about our shipping products , shipping resources and shipping services or to discuss how we can find a solution for your China shipping needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us now.




Good Morning,
Please can you give me a price for a collection from Brishine United Industry Co Ltd, No.522 Fuqiang Rd, Investment and Business Centre, Yinzhou, Ningbo, 315105, Zhejiang, China.
Delivering to AFTSL Unit 7 Queensway Link, Stafford Park 17, Telford TF3 3DN
Parcel contains drop in nuts
Size is 670mm x670mm x 350mm 100 kilos