Logistics and shipping from China
We arrange consolidation, groupage and carriage of your goods to destination by sea, air, rail or road. Customs documents are prepared in advance and the classification code checked — it is the code that determines what you will pay.
- FCL / LCL
- full container or groupage, decided on your actual volume
- 4
- modes compared: sea, road, rail, air
- Landed cost
- duties, taxes and destination charges included, not freight alone
- 01
Consolidation
Goods from several suppliers brought together, with packing and carton markings checked before collection. A badly labelled carton is paid for at unloading.
- 02
Carriage
Groupage or full container according to your actual volume, and a mode chosen on the cost-to-lead-time ratio of your particular goods rather than out of habit.
- 03
Documents and clearance
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin. We check that the classification code used genuinely matches the product.
Choosing a mode on figures, not out of habit
Transport is not chosen once and for all: it depends on the relationship between the value of the goods, their volume and how urgent they are. Bulky low-value goods sit badly with air freight; a valuable item tied up at sea for two months costs more in working capital than it saves in freight.
As an indication: two to three months by sea, around thirty-five days by road, one month to forty-five days by rail, ten to fifteen days by air. These durations vary with the destination, customs clearance and the season — we set a precise schedule once we have analysed your requirement.
Groupage or full container
A 20-foot container holds roughly 33 m³ of usable space, a 40-foot around 67 m³, a 40-foot high cube around 76 m³. Below that, groupage lets you share a container: billing is per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is less favourable.
Watch the destination charges, often underestimated — deconsolidation, handling, storage — which can wipe out the saving. As an order of magnitude, a full container often becomes the better option from thirteen to fifteen cubic metres upwards. We compare both against your real volume.
The classification code determines what you pay
Everything starts with the classification of the product: six digits harmonised worldwide, extended to eight and then ten in the European Union. That code sets the applicable rate, and some Chinese products additionally carry anti-dumping duties that can be very high.
Classification is the importer’s legal responsibility. We check that it genuinely matches the goods shipped; the final calculation of duties and VAT rests with the authorities in your country and with your customs broker.
What freight does not cover
The quoted price of a shipment almost never covers the full landed cost. Terminal charges, handling, clearance, duties, import VAT and final delivery are added depending on the case.
We build that calculation with you before the order, so the decision rests on the landed cost rather than on the freight figure quoted.
- Sea, groupage or full container
- Air for urgent shipments
- Rail and road
- Multi-supplier consolidation
- Customs documentation
- Cargo insurance
Which mode for which goods
| Suits | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | High volume, moderate value | The longest lead time |
| Rail | Cost and time compromise to Europe | Limited destinations |
| Road | Medium loads, door-to-door flexibility | Border crossings |
| Air | Urgency, high value, low volume | Cost per kilo |
Frequently asked questions
- Do you handle customs clearance on arrival?
- We prepare the required documents and check that the classification code is consistent. The declaration itself is a matter for your customs broker in the country of arrival, and the final calculation of duties and VAT for the local authorities. We work with your usual freight forwarder if you have one.
- Should the goods be insured?
- For any shipment whose loss would hurt, yes. A carrier’s liability is capped by international conventions, often far below the real value of the goods. Insurance is taken out on the declared value and costs a fraction of the freight.
- Can goods from several factories be combined?
- Yes, and that is the main point of consolidation: several suppliers, one collection, one transport file and one customs entry. We check the packing and markings of each lot before they are brought together.
Goods to move?
Tell us the volume, the weight, the destination and the date you need. We compare the modes of transport against your actual case.
Each service can be commissioned on its own, or alongside the others.