About $8.50 by air or $12.50 by express per kilogram to the United States, charged on chargeable weight — the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H÷6000). Sea freight is cheaper per kilo but starts at 21 kg. Import duty and tax are not included.
For a 1 kg parcel from China to the US, air freight is about $8.50 per kg and express is about $12.50 per kg. Sea freight is far cheaper per kilo ($3.20) but has a 21 kg minimum, so it only makes sense once your order is reasonably large. These are reference rates from published carrier prices and do not include customs duty or import tax.
Freight is not charged on what the parcel weighs on a scale. It is charged on chargeable weight — the greater of:
A large box of light goods can therefore cost more than a small box of heavy goods. A 40 × 30 × 30 cm box of cushions has a volumetric weight of 6 kg even if it weighs 2 kg, and you pay for 6 kg. Paste your dimensions into the freight estimator before you commit, not after.
| Destination | Air | Sea | Express |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, Canada | 8.50 | 3.20 | 12.50 |
| UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium | 8.00 | 3.00 | 12.00 |
| Sweden, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Denmark | 8.20 | 3.10 | 12.20 |
| Australia | 7.50 | 2.80 | 11.00 |
| Japan | 5.50 | 2.20 | 8.00 |
| Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia | 5.00–5.20 | 2.00–2.10 | 7.50–7.80 |
| Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru | 9.00–9.60 | 3.60–3.90 | 13.50–14.20 |
Minimums: air 1 kg, sea 21 kg, express 0.5 kg. Transit times: air about 7–12 working days, sea slowest, express fastest.
The estimator applies these surcharges automatically so the quote you see is the quote you pay.
Import duty and tax. Those are set by your country and paid by you, the importer. No agent can know in advance what your customs office will assess, and anyone who quotes you a "tax included" price is guessing. I declare parcels honestly at the value you actually paid — under-declaring risks seizure and costs far more than the duty.
About $8.50 by air freight or $12.50 by express, per kilogram of chargeable weight, plus my service fee from $8 per order. Sea freight is about $3.20 per kg but has a 21 kg minimum. Import duty and tax are not included and are paid by you.
Multiply length x width x height in centimetres and divide by 6000. Freight is charged on whichever is greater: that figure or the actual weight. A big light box is often charged as if it were much heavier.
Usually not. Sea freight has a 21 kg minimum and is the slowest option. It starts to make sense when your consolidated order is bulky and you are not in a hurry.
No. Duty and import tax are set by your country and paid by you. I declare at the real value and never under-declare, because under-declaring puts your goods at risk of seizure.
Want a real number for your own order? Send me the product link and the quantity. I reply with goods, freight and my service fee as one figure, usually the same day.
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