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If you're seeking a reputable freight forwarder to help your shipping from China to UK, you are in the right place.
Even the shipping service from China to the UK is very mature nowadays, League shipping can constantly endeavour to do the logistics work better, besides the very best solution and excellent service, we also can provide affordable rates from China to UK.
League shipping will help your select the most effective shipping course, competitive delivery cost and also the best shipping firms to help your importing from China to UK.
Sea Freight Shipping from China to UKLeague shipping has stable quantity of shipping goods from China to Felixstowe, Southampton, etc. So that we can always get the good ocean freight to UK port from many carriers，and we can ensure the container space even in peak season.Ask Our Best Rates
Air Freight Shipping from China to UKThere are many basic international airports in UK and there are also many shipments goods from China to UK by air, League shipping can provide very competitive air freight which is lower than the market to our customer based on your demand schedule.Ask Our Best Rates
Door to Door Service China to UKFor door to door service, League shipping can do fast customs clearance in UK and delivery the shipping goods to our customer’s warehouse well, Besides this, if you are personal, League shipping have trade company which can be the consignee on BL and help you import the shipment goods successfully.Ask Our Best Rates
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We have good cooperation with many carriers from China to UK by FCL, such as EMC, COSCO, OOCL, HMM, ONE, MSK, APL，etc. We can provide the good ocean freight and stable space from any port in China to any port in UK.
As most of us recognize that the destination cost is very high for LCL, so the importers constantly whine this problem, League shipping established the charge standard reasonably for LCL destination charge which is much lower than market standard.
Supply the affordable air cargo from China to UK
The expert work for custom-mades clearance in China
Provide the complimentary storage facility solution as well as filling remedy
The container filling guidance service
Grab and shipment service in China
24/7 online support
Chapter 1: League shipping your Freight Forwarder from China to U.K.
When it comes to the shipping from China to the U.K., you can count on League shipping freight forwarder.
With years of experience in the freight forwarding industry, League shipping offers an all-in-one shipping package.
League shipping has over ten offices in different cities in China, making it easy to coordinate well with the suppliers.
It has been in the freight forwarding industry for more than ten years, besides being awarded NVOCC 7.
Furthermore, League shipping works closely with various airlines and top cargo ships, making it easier to negotiate
for the best deals when shipping from China to the U.K.
Can you imagine using League shipping ’s warehouse for 20 to 30 days for FREE?
Or, using the League shipping ’s shipping containers for free for up to 28 days!
Well, you’ll save a lot.
And, this will give you peace of mind.
You know, what?
Whether you want the door to door shipping from China to the U.K., customs clearance or insurance – League shipping
handles everything for you.
Also, League shipping will evaluate your shipping needs to recommend the best mode of transport.
League shipping will help you to choose from rail freight, ocean freight or sea freight.
But, there something even more important you need to know when shipping from China to U.K.
That is the.
Chapter 2: Cost of Shipping Goods from China to UK
Before thinking about how to import from China to UK, one has to wonder how much will it cost for such a shipment.
Several factors will always determine the cost of shipping from China to U.K.
And, some of the factors may include:-
§ The Port
When one uses a port with high handling capacity, the shipping cost will be lower than a port with low handling capacity.
This difference comes as a result of economies of scale.
World’s busiest port, such as Shanghai will be cheaper owing to the large capacity of around 32 million containers a year
it handles.
Port of Shanghai
You should know the exact port where your freight forwarder will load the cargo.
As a rule of thumb, go for a port that will cost less.
That is, check whether they will use feeder vessels or not.
Remember, some ports do not have a direct link to United Kingdom i.e. Zhongshan.
When you use such ports, you will incur additional shipping costs from China to the U.K.
Also the distance between the departure and the destination port is a factor determining the cost.
Sea route from Shanghai, China to London Thamesport U.K.
Sea route from Shanghai, China to London Thamesport U.K. – Source: Ports.com
The distance between the two ports is directly proportional to the shipping charges.
Obviously, longer sea routes will cost more.
The difference simply comes as a result of the logistics incurred like the fuel etc.
§ Weight or Dimensions of the Cargo
The cost will also depend on the weight /measure of the good you’re shipping.
This means that 1 cubic meter is equivalent to 1000 kg.
If anything varies from the standard measure, you’ll incur additional costs.
An example is where the shipment is 3 cubic meters and 3500 kg.
In such a case, the weight is considered bigger and hence the shipping rate for the sea depends on that.
§ Importing from Inland
When importing from a supplier far from any port, one has to incur the road transport charges to the departure port.
Shihang transporting copper nickel pipes to the port
This factor has to be considered when sourcing for a commodity to be imported.
It is important to have the supplier located near the main port to avoid such extra costs.
§ Shipping Fluctuation Rates for Full Container Loads
From time to time, the container shipping changes fluctuates.
So, it is important to factor in the fluctuations when budgeting.
A freight forwarding company such as League shipping can give the probable estimation of the fluctuation to
avoid underestimation
which may end up in delays.
These fluctuating rates are simply fixed by all the shipping lines so that they can stop the falling sea freight rates.
These rates are normally artificially increased using the large general rate increases (GRIs).
§ Cost of Air and Sea Freight
Before deciding on the method of shipment to the UK, the weight is an important parameter to consider.
Normally, the sea freight is 4 to 6 times cheaper than the air freight though very slow as it takes long.
Evergreen cargo ship
It is cost effective to use courier to ship weights less than 100kg than other modes.
When loads more than 100kg are to be shipped, sea or air flight will be cost effective.
In the sea freight, more weight translates to high shipping cost.
Big cargo via air freight will attract high charges to a tune of 4 to 6 times.
§ Deferment
This is a cost that is normally charged when the shipping company pays VAT and UK duty on behalf of the importer
before billing it.
In some cases, deferment may be charged as a percentage, which may be high and add to the final importation cost.
These are costs which the importer can easily avoid.
§ Marine Insurance
To protect your goods in transit, it can be important to get an insurance cover.
This cover takes care of the damages or losses during the transit period.
The insurance cost will cover the value of the goods, but not the weight or volume.
The cost increases with the value of the commodities.
Hence, more valuable goods will attract high insurance charges.
§ UK Duties and Taxes
The U.K. import duties and taxes will obviously affect the cost of your imports.
As a matter of fact:
Every importer has to pay all the UK Duty + VAT unless his/her goods are eligible for duty relief scheme.
Once your goods reach the UK, they will be cleared via the customs.
Charges of the invoice together with UK Duty + VAT will be paid at the port of destination.
Obviously, this is before the goods are finally released.
The shipping costs keep varying depending on the seasons.
Below is an example of the recent shipping costs from different ports in China to UK ports include;-
For Full Container Loads (FCL) rates
China Port of Departure | UK Port of Destination |
Carrier |
Currency | CONTAINER TYPE | ||
20′ GP | 40′ GP | 40′ HC | ||||
Hongkong | Southampton | ONE | USD | 750 | 1250 | 1300 |
HongKong | Southampton | YML | USD | 675 | 1200 | 1200 |
Hongkong | Felixstowe | EMC | USD | 750 | 1400 | 1450 |
Yantian(Shenzhen) | Southampton | ONE | USD | 750 | 1250 | 1300 |
Yantian(Shenzhen) | Felixstowe | EMC | USD | 750 | 1400 | 1450 |
Qingdao | Southampton | YML | USD | 675 | 1200 | 1200 |
Xingang | Felixstowe | EMC | USD | 750 | 1400 | 1450 |
Yantian(Shenzhen) | Southampton | YML | USD | 675 | 1200 | 1200 |
For Less Container Load (LCL) Rates
China Departure Port | UK Destination port | Sea freight rate | Ratio |
Hong Kong | Southampton | $50.00 | P/Cube |
Hong Kong | Felixstowe | $50.00 | P/Cube |
Hong Kong | Manchester | $80.00 | P/Cube |
Ningbo | Felixstowe | $50.00 | P/Cube |
Ningbo | Southampton | $50.00 | P/Cube |
Ningbo | Manchester | $80.00 | P/Cube |
Note: For LCL; P/Cube =100cm x100cm x 100cm.
Now, here are some resources for you:
K. Import Tariffs
Tax and Customs for Goods Sent from Abroad
Calculate U.K. Import Duties and Taxes
China-U.K. Relationship after BREXIT
International Trade Regulations
Import Controls
Bringing Goods to the U.K.
Chapter 3: Shipping Time When Shipping from China to UK
It takes good time to ship from China to United Kingdom owing to some logistics which have to take place.
Be it a huge cargo, or a small parcel – it has to undergo some processes or procedures.
And, therefore, so many factors come into play when shipping from China to the U.K.
Apart from the shipping time, you need to factor in customs clearance, delivery, loading and offloading the cargo.
So, in this section, I will give you a rough idea on how long it takes to ship from China to the U.K.
Let’s look at three different scenarios:
a) Shipping from Southern China to U.K.
When goods are sourced from Southern China (Guangzhou/Shenzhen) for example, it takes around 23-25 days on the water.
However, we can give allowance of about 6 weeks to cater for the time it takes from the supplier’s factory to your delivery address (door to door).
b) Shipping from Central China to U.K.
For Central China (Shanghai/Ningbo) it takes around 28-30 days on the water, but due to door to door processes, it will take a maximum of around 7 weeks.
c) Shipping from Northern China to U.K.
Northern China (Qingdao/Tianjin/Xingang) -This is one of the furthest areas in relation to the United Kingdom location.
The shipping takes around 32-35 days on the water, although the other door to door processes will make it take around 8 weeks to reach to the final.
Of course, the shipping time will vary depending on the means of transport.
Having said that, let me take you a step further to discuss ways of shipping from China to United Kingdom.
Chapter 4: Ways of Shipping from China to United Kingdom (UK)
Several factors come into play before one decides on which mode to use when shipping from China to UK.
The goods can either be shipped via air or the sea.
It will all depend on the nature of goods.
Of course, the urgency of the commodity will determine the mode of shipping.
The perishable goods requiring very short duration can use air transportation while those that require long duration can use sea transportation.
League shipping prides herself with on time delivery of the goods both at the port and at the inland destination.
This means that League shipping will ensure that the customer receives the goods at the convenient place.
4.1. Courier from China to UK
The courier services are known to give bulk service on every process involved in the importation. They will provide door to door services.
The importer will only enter into an agreement with Courier Company and they shall ensure that the good is delivered to the importer’s door step.
Most trusted courier companies for UK to China shipment may include: DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT.
Courier shipping from China to UK
4.2. Sea Freight Shipping from China to UK
China is about 7,775 km away from the United Kingdom but traversing this distance may take longer owing to the sea routes defined by water bodies.
Sea freight is determined by the location of ports to be used and the nature of consignment to be transported.
Very bulky consignment is normally shipped via sea.
Although it takes time to reach the final destination, it has proven to be the cheapest ever.
Before choosing this shipment method, he/she must be well acquainted with different ports both in China and United Kingdom.
Sea freight to U.K.
· Sea Ports in China
China has so many sea ports.
The busiest sea ports include:
Zhuhai
Zhanjiang
Lianyungang
Tianjin
Shanghai
Guangzhou
Qingdao
Shenzhen,
Ningbo
Dalian
Xiamen
Yingkou
Fang Chenggang
Weihai
Qingdao
Rizhao
Zhoushan
Nantong
Nanjing
Shanghai
Taizhou (North of Wenzhou)
Wenzhou
Changle
Quanzhou
Shantou
Jieyang
Beihai
Sanya
Yingkou
Jinzhou
Taizhou (South of Wenzhou)
Qinhuangdao
Tianjin
Yantai Haikou
Basuo
Zhenjiang
Jiangyin
Note: You should ship your goods to a convenient sea port that allows you to easily ship from China to U.K.
· Sea Ports in UK
The majority of the UK ports are owned by five companies namely:
i. Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH)
ii. Forth Ports
iii. Associated British Ports (ABP)
iv. Peel Group
v. PD Port
Some of the major ports include;
Main container sea ports – Photo courtesy: Shippo
· Port of Felixstowe
It is located in Suffolk and is the Britain’s largest container ports.
It is rated as the largest in Europe.
When importing from China to UK, this port is centrally positioned for quick distribution within the land of the United Kingdom.
Its capacity is equivalent to 3.5 million twenty foot containers every year.
It runs services with 365 other ports in the world.
· Port of Southampton
This is located in the South of England and handle mostly full container loads.
In case there is a haulage cost to be incurred due to re-routing the container to Hampire based ports, Port of Southampton stands to be the best in saving such costs.
Occasionally, it can also handle the less than container loads from suppliers in Asia.
This port is rated as the UK’s second largest container terminal which can handle over 1.5 million containers in a year.
· Port of Tilbury
Situated on the banks of the River Thames in Essex.
The Port of Tilbury operates the London Container Terminal and is known as the biggest terminal for the refrigerated containers in Europe.
It has an installation of 1,400 reefer plugs on terminal with a 25,000 pallet space cold storage facility.
· Port of Grangemouth
It is located midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow and is the Scotland’s largest container port in the middle of Scotland’s industrial sector.
This is the main container terminal in Scotland and handles averagely 150,000 containers every year.
The beauty of this port is that it links the national motorway network and the railway.
This is the only Port in UK that does more exportation that importation.
· London Gateway Port
This is one of the newest ports in the United Kingdom.
It is situated in London on the River Thames.
It enjoys a lot of advantages due to the fact that it is located in the major city with high business exercises.
It is known to have the largest logistics park in Europe.
Its location helps in saving on the haulage cost for those who live within the city since you can easily walk into the port and collect the consignment.
Other ports in the United Kingdom may also include port of ; Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Thame sport, Aberdeen, Bradford, Cardiff, Coventry, Dundee, Derby, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Hull, Ipswich, Leicester, New castle Upon Yyne, Nottingham, Northampton, Newport, Norwich, Oxford, Preston, Plymouth, Swindon, Sunderland, Stoke on trent, Sheffield, Swansea, Stockport, Telford, Watford, Worcester
· Sea Routes from China to UK
Ships leaving China to other parts of the world can only traverse three routes.
The routes include;
Atlantic
Pacific
Indian Ocean
Different sea routes
Let’s look at these three routes:
Atlantic Route from China to U.K.
When a vessel takes the Atlantic route, the ships transverse the southern direction from China, and then sail through the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope.
From here, the vessel can go United Kingdom, Western Europe, and the East Coast of the U.S., the Suez Canal, the Gulf and the Mediterranean area.
Pacific Route from China to U.K.
When the Pacific route is used, the ship will follow the southern direction of the East China Sea.
Then, it goes northward via the Sea of Japan passing through Okhotsk to enter North Pacific Ocean.
Through this route, the ship reaches the following destination; the west of the U.S., west of Latin America, New Zealand, western Canada and Australia.
Indian Ocean Route from China to U.K.
The last route is the Indian Ocean, which is mostly used to ship oil.
This route enables goods from China to reach East Africa, Persian Gulf, Western Europe, United Kingdom and North America by setting sail in the direction of the Cape of Good Hope.
· Shipping Companies from China to U.K.
United Kingdom shares most shipping companies with those taking consignments to the neighboring European countries.
MSC Shipping company
Depending on the shipping rate and the shipping time, the shipping company is chosen appropriately.
When one requires medium shipping rates and medium transit time, the following companies will be recommended; COSCO and KLINE.
For low shipping rates and long transit time; MSC, CSCL, PIL, ZIM, WANHAI, MISC will do.
While for high shipping rates and less transit time, you can consider APL, CMA, HMM or MSK.
· Paper Work During Shipping from China to United Kingdom (UK)
The time taken for the consignment to reach its final destination is greatly determined by the availability of the documents for importation.
Different authorities will require different types of documents.
Once the authenticity of all the import documents is conformed, the importer gets the consignment on time without any delays.
Basically, two sets of documents are important during shipment; one set is verified at the departure port and the other set at the destination port.
In an event that the importer chooses to use an agent, the FOB will have to be bought by him to authorize the supplier to process all the necessary documentation.
Customs clearance
In this case, the importer will have the obligation to handle clearance of the commodity at the destination port.
In any international importation, the key documents needed when doing shipment will include:
Packing list
Commercial invoice
Carrier’s bill of Lading
And, any other required documents from the authority depending on the good imported.
At times, the agents may not inform the importer when the goods arrive at the destination port.
Hence, it is important that the importer be well equipped with all the necessary documents.
Besides, the importer should have a good track of the ship movement to estimate the exact arrival date.
For any international shipping, packing list and commercial invoice are mandatory.
Let’s have a quick overview of these documents:
· Packing list
This indicates all the contents in the container.
Descriptions such as:
Different types of the products
Quantity per type of the products
Number of the products
Volume are all indicated in the packing list
This will also be helpful at the destination port.
You will use it to verify the goods you’ll receive.
· A Commercial Invoice
It indicates the actual types of the products, their order values and the consignee and is used by the customs to calculate the custom duties.
In other words, commercial invoice is a custom declaration document.
Since it is a declaration document, the following must be contained inside it;
Signature and names certifying the actual commodities being imported
Weight, pieces
Information regarding goods to be shipped, such as country of origin
Currency
Name and signature of the sender
Specification of the goods
Order number
Invoice date
VAT number
Invoice number
Shipper information
· Bill of Entry
This is part of a clearance document to be presented at the port of entry.
The importer will authenticate this document by filing and appending signature on it.
It is usually filled and signed within the first thirty days when the goods arrive at the customs location.
A custom official can only give a ‘pass out order’ document after doing an assessment and ensuring the bill of entry is fully filled and signed.
Upon receipt of the ‘pass out order’ from the customs official, the consignment is free to be taken to the final destination.
· Insurance Certificate
When the goods arrive at the destination port insurance certificate will be required as part clearance procedure.
It assists the customs official in differentiating whether the imported good selling price is part of the insurance or not.
This is vital in coming up with the import duty – you’ll use it to assess value of goods.
· Technical Write Up
This is used mostly in machine importation.
During value assessment, the customs official uses this document to come up with the recent market value of the machinery.
This document will explain in literature form the use of such equipment and the literature must be attached alongside other clearance documents.
It implies that, this document type is only needed for specific goods.
· Test Report
Due to standards of different countries, some goods will require the test results showing the conformity of the imported product to the country’s standard.
At the port of entry, customs official usually takes a specific commodity and gives to an authorized government laboratory to test if its quality conforms to the set standards.
If the test results indicate that the quality is acceptable, the goods can be cleared otherwise it will be rejected.
· Airway bill /Bill of Lading
This is critically important right from the port of departure.
It shows the services being offered by the freight forwarder to the shipper.
With this document, the carrier and the driver can get accurate information to be used to process the invoice and the freight shipment.
Normally, bill of lading is given at the point of the collection to the carrier and its copy attached to the package.
In case of any damage or loss, bill of lading will be very helpful as it will act as a proof of ownership anytime claims of compensation are made.
It contains:
Special reference numbers or purchase orders
Names and addresses
Description of items and packaging type
Department of transportation hazardous material designation
Special instructions
Date
4.3. Air Freight from China to UK
The fastest way to ensure the cargo reaches the United Kingdom from China is via air freight.
Although it is the fastest, it is also restricted by a number of factors.
Some huge consignments cannot be carried via air and hence has to undergo sea transportation.
One may wonder why many prefer air freight to sea freight.
The reasons are so many, but the most common one is the shortest delivery time.
Also, the air freight agencies use shortest routes to the destination airport.
It depends on the urgency of the cargo.
A factor of cost effectiveness also comes into play due to the minimal point of contact.
That is, one freight broker easily handles all the logistics which saves time and money.
Also, the consignment is insured for risk reduction and tracking and hence its safety is highly guaranteed.
To use air freight from China to UK, you need to know the location of various airports.
And, that’s what you’re going to learn next.
· Main Airports in China
China being an industrialized country has several airports situated in different towns to ensure easy movement of goods to the nearest airport.
Air China Cargo
The busiest main airports in China include:
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Taiyuan Wusu International Airport
Kunming Changshui International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Xian Xianyang International Airport
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Changsha Huanghua International Airport
Qingdao Liuting International Airport
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
Haikou Meilan International Airport
ÜrümqiDiwopu International Airport
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
Tianjin Binhai International Airport
Phoenix International Airport
Harbin Taiping International Airport
Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport
Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport
XishuangbannaGasa Airport
Apart from this, you should know the main airport where you’ll deliver the cargo.
Now, let’s shift to the United Kingdom.
· Main airports in United Kingdom
United Kingdom has the greatest connection to the whole world.
Lots of business activities take place via her airports.
Here, the United Kingdom encompasses Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Main airports in UK
On reaching the United Kingdom, the cargo plane can use any of the following airports depending on where the consignment on board is to be delivered.
UK therefore have got high standard airport for effective operations which may include;-
London Heathrow
London Gatwick
Manchester Airport
London Stansted
London Luton
Edinburgh Airport
Birmingham Airport
Glasgow Airport
Bristol Airport
Newcastle Airport
East Midlands Airport
Belfast Airport
London Airport
Liverpool Airport
Aberdeen Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport
Belfast Airport
Southampton Airport
Jersey Airport
Cardiff
London Airport
Guernsey Airport
Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Exeter Airport
Isle of Man Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Inverness Airport
Glasgow Airport
Norwich Airport
Derry Airport
Sumburgh Airport
Newquay Airport
Humberside Airport
Durham Airport
But, how will your cargo move from an airport in China to the United Kingdom?
Cargo Planes from China to UK
Since there is a business relationship between China and UK, there are several cargo planes making this possible.
Some of the cargo planes using this network include; China Southern, Air China, DHL.
4.3. China to U.K. Door to Door Shipping
Door to door transit may take a junk of time, but it is important to know what it is.
It is also an effective way of importing from China to U.K.
In fact, in door to door shipping from China to U.K., the freight forwarder will handle everything for you.
The process involves the following main stages:
· Step 1: Source Goods from Supplier
Once the supplier has finished production of the goods, they will be in the warehouse waiting to be collected depending on the agreement.
The supplier may transport the good to the port.
Or, if one operates on the EXW shipping terms, then he/she will take the full responsibility of organizing the transportation to the port.
Packing Shihang copper nickel pipes
Packing Shihang copper nickel pipes
In such cases, the supplier will always leave the finished commodity in the factory for collection.
All these transit times between the suppliers to the departure port takes time.
A lot is involved, especially where the road transport is involved before the port.
· Step 2: Goods Arrive at Port of Origin
From the factory, the cargo/goods go to the port of origin in China/
They then undergo different processes before loading ready for shipping
The processes within 7 days may include; custom clearance, loading into the container, moving the container to the quay and finally loading onto the ship.
· Step 3: Shipping from China to the U.K.
Depending on the nature of goods, you can use air freight or sea freight.
For air freight, the cargo will only take a few days.
However, for ocean freight, it will take a number of days.
I hope you remember what I had indicated earlier.
· Step 4: Arrival at Port of Destination in the United Kingdom
Once the cargo/goods arrive in the U.K., it will undergo through various procedures.
It will include custom clearance, inspection, offloading and a bit of paperwork.
After this, the cargo/goods will be ready for the next procedures.
That is, the freight forwarder will arrange for transportation of the goods/cargo to your door step.
Door to door shipping
But, I know you could be asking yourself this question:
How long does door to door shipping from China to UK take?
From all the processes, important to note that the total time to ship a commodity from China to United Kingdom i.e. Wales, England or Scotland will be approximately 6 weeks.
However, for ocean freight, it will obviously take more days.
As a general rule, you should add about 7 days from the time the consignment leaves the manufacturer’s premises.
However, at League shipping , we can reduce this time frame.
Talk to us today, and we will handle all your door to door shipping from China to UK.
Chapter 5: Modes of Shipping from China to U.K.
Whenever you’re importing from China to the United Kingdom, you can choose many modes of shipping.
The mode of shipping will depend on:
i. Cost of shipping
ii. Type and nature of goods
iii. Space available, i.e. volumetric shape is key in ocean freight
iv. Whether you’re going for ocean freight or air freight
So, which options should you consider?
We have:
Roll-on/Roll-off shipping
Reefer Container Shipping
Full Container Load (FCL) Shipping
Less than Container Load (LCL) Shipping
Out of Gauge (OOG) Shipping.
Now, let’s discuss each mode of shipping from China to U.K.
· A Reefer Container Shipping from China to U.K.
This is simply a refrigerated container suitable for transportation of commodities requiring controlled temperatures and perishable goods.
Some of the temperature sensitive goods likely to be transported in these containers are: dairy products, fruits, meat, fish, flowers, pharmaceutical products among others across long distances.
This type of the container can maintain temperature within the range needed throughout the transit time.
Reefer containers are designed with bottom air delivery units which distributes chilled air from its floor via the T-designed deck.
This air then moves consistency throughout the container.
Reefer container
Reefer container
Regardless of the room temperatures, the reefer containers have warm ups which are able to elevate the temperatures to about 30 degrees Celsius if need be.
And please note:
Reefer is designed to maintain the pre-cooled cargo temperature to its destination, but not to reduce the temperature.
When chilled cargo is to be transported, heat and gases have to be removed by ensuring constant air flow and this is made possible by providing the cartons with ventilations.
In the case of the frozen cargo, gaps between the cargo and the walls and the cargo itself cargo is avoided by ensuring air flows around the cargo (block stowed).
For better stowing, a checklist is necessary which will ensure;
i. There is no stuffing of the cargo beyond the T-floor end
ii. Cargo stuffing should not exceed the red load line
iii. Cargo should not shift during the passage by ensuring they are made stable on the floor
iv. Carrying temperature should be well set and monitored
v. Dehumidification controls must be constantly monitored
vi. Only the cargo has to be pre-cooled, but not the container in cases where pre-cooling is necessary. It is with an exception only if the container is placed in a cold storage tunnel with air lock.
vii. Ventilation’s should be free from any obstacle since this system needs a free flow of air
· Less than Container Load (LCL) Shipping from China to U.K.
This type of container consignment carries different types of goods of different origin and importers.
The goods are normally cleared and handled independently.
The container is put into the vessel once it is full.
This means that all the goods packed in the same container will be consolidated up to the point when the container is cost effective for shipping.
Important to note is that all the consolidated goods must be heading to the same port of destination.
To come up with the shipping cost, the individual space (cubic meters) taken by every good will determine how much one will pay.
This is the cheapest sea/ocean shipping mode when one is considering importing small quantities of commodities.
LCL Shipping
Even though this mode shipping is cheap, it always takes longer time due to prolonged consolidation and handling time.
Consolidation is done both at the departure and destination port plus independent clearance of every package.
Due to availability of different packages in one container, one has to ensure he does good packaging to avoid the damages during transit.
Goods which are chemical in nature have to be declared before transit for precaution to be made to avoid any further damages.
Every package is marked for easy identification at the destination port.
· Full Container Load (FCL) Shipping from China to U.K.
This is used where one has too much goods which is almost or full of a container.
The container is treated as a single entity and all handling and clearance is done singly.
This saves a lot of time compared to the LCL and also it is safe as it can be easily tracked.
During tracking after the ship departs, the booking number or the shipping container is used to track the duration shipment can take in the sea/ocean.
Charges on the FCL are flat rate compared to those of LCL where the charges are levied on each and every individual package.
FCL Shipping
There are three commonly used container types during shipping:
20 feet
40 feet
40 feet high cube container
Each container should hold a load of 28 tones.
There is always the difference on how LCL and FLC are handled both at the port of departure and at the port of destination. It is due to the ownership inside the containers.
§ Handing LCL vs. FCL
The following are what makes LCL and FCL vary in the way they are being handled;
Handling of the FCL takes minimal time compared to the LCL.
It is because the supplier takes the responsibility of loading, sealing and transporting to the port of departure.
There is always no need of opening the consignment at the departure port till it reaches the destination port where the importer clears and collects it.
For the sake of LCL, a lot of time is utilized during handling since every package has to be treated independently.
This is during consolidation at the port of departure and at the port of destination during segregation for individual packages for clearance.
The Freight forwarder issues bill of lading directly in the case of FCL while in LCL, the bill of lading is given by the official shipping line.
FCL charges less than LCL owing to its low handling activities.
The difference in charges come as a result of handling the LCL both at the destination and departure ports during consolidation and segregation.
Many LCLs in one single container attracts high workloads which automatically pushes the cost high.
During unloading of the LCLs at the port of destination, segregation will be time consuming.
While for FLC, the consignment will just be unloaded from the vessel and sent to the owner.
FCL has one single container number which can easily be tracked.
On the other hand, in LCL, every package has independent shipping mark to help differentiate it from other packages.
When putting marks on the individual LCL packages, care has to be taken to ensure that the marks are visible with bold black color and are waterproof to resist being erased easily.
Basically the writings are supposed to be in English and possibly in the language of the destination port.
For cargos containing dangerous chemicals/substances, orange or red colors are used to mark them.
§ Roll-on/Roll-off Shipping from China to U.K.
Shipping of wheeled machines or automobiles take a different mode of packaging.
In such cases, Roll-on/Roll-off method of shipping (Ro Ro) is advisable.
Ro – Ro are vessel containers that can safety carry wheeled cargo such as forklifts, tractors, trailers, vehicles among others.
The conditions for such machines to be transported is that they must be in good working condition.
Why?
In order for them to be easily driven on their wheels into the container at the port of departure and driven out of the container at the port of destination.
Roll-on/Roll-off is the cheapest method when shipping the wheeled machines/automobiles, although other container types can as well be used.
The only difference is that, in the container ship, the machines may not be in good working condition.
Only wheeled goods, accessories, i.e. spares are allowed in Ro/Ro, no personal belongings are allowed alongside the shipment.
This shipping type has the guarantee of the consignment’s departure and arrival dates which makes it better than the container shipping.
Out of Gauge (OOG) Shipping from China to U.K.
It is for loads which have dimensions exceeding those of the container.
Normally, the shipping company will charge an out of gauge surcharge on the “lost slots.”
This is because when the goods protrude; more containers can never be loaded.
Normally, there is no set limit for an out of gauge cargo.
The capacity of the container to be used is not dependent on the height, width or the weight to be used.
OOG Shipping
In case any client has an out of gauge cargo for shipment, he/she must provide:
Weight of the cargo
Total dimensions of the cargo
Pictures of the cargo, alongside and other specifications
All these requirements are vital since they help the ship’s planning officers to check if the cargo is suitable to be loaded in a particular ship or not.
At this point, the process may take a bit long, but the suitability of whether to accept such a shipment is always communicated to the client.
Chapter 6: FAQs about Shipping from China to UK
I know probably, you may have some questions about shipping from China to U.K.
Here, I’m going to cover common questions importers from the U.K. ask whenever they want to ship from China.
You can go through these seven questions, and in case you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to ask.
China to U.K.
Question 1: Which port should I use to ship from China to U.K.?
Answer: There are so many ports in China and I have highlighted most of them in this guide.
However, as a rule of thumb, use one that is closer to your supplier.
You need to discuss this with your freight forwarder.
Because you need a port that can link you directly to the U.K.
This way, you will save both time and money.
Question 2: What is the total time taken to ship from China to UK?
Answer: Normally, the transit time will vary greatly owing to a number of factors.
You can determine the timeframe depending on the transit period and other logistics procedures.
For instance:
Paperwork and handling consignment may take two weeks
Shipping may vary between a few hours to several days depending on the mode of shipping
Sourcing product from the supplier may take a few days or months
In short, you can factor in all these to get all approximate time it will take to ship from China to U.K.
Question 3: What do we mean by “Beat My Freight Quote” when importing?
Answer: Beat My Freight Quote is when you deal directly with professional freight forwarder with good knowledge in your area.
All inquiries will be dealt with by the local agent who will make a search of the best deal on your behalf.
So, all the deals will be between the agent and yourself.
In Beat My Freight Quote, no commission is taken for any transaction made and you can save a lot.
In order to be a licensed Beat My Freight Quote Freight, the freight forwarder must either be a member of a national freight forwarding company association.
Also, the freight forwarder must portray a high level of professionalism.
In most cases, they are approved by members of FIATA or IATA cargo agents.
Question 4: How do I make payment to a freight forwarding company based in China?
Answer: One can use money transfer systems to pay to that company’s bank account in China.
Most of these freight forwarding companies will have accounts with leading banks such as HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation).
The freight forwarder can conveniently and swiftly receive any payment.
Question 5: I don’t have a Bill of Lading (B/L), what should I do?
Answer: You can declare the cargo booking reference number in place of the “Bill of Lading (B/L) number” in your permit application.
That is, if you haven’t been given the Bill of Lading.
You can update the information once you get the Bill of Lading by simply submitting the amended application.
Question 6: How do I guarantee the safety of my imports from China?
Answer: Hiring a professional and experienced freight forwarder is the only solution here.
Why?
They will handle all procedures, be it loading, labeling, transportation or clearance.
Such freight forwarders know the rules and regulations governing importing from China into the U.K.
In fact, hiring a professional freight forwarder will save you both money and time.
Question 7: How can I track his shipping order?
Answer: The moment your order leaves the warehouse, the freight forwarder will send you the dispatch notification having the tracking information from the carrier.
This will include the carrier website link which one can always use to know the distance status of the consignment.
Anyway, that’s all I had for you in this section.
Do you have any question on shipping from China to U.K., well, leave a quick comment below.
Conclusion
Clearly, importing from China to U.K. is simple and straight forward.
All you should do is to understand everything I have highlighted in this guide.
From evaluating costs, knowing rules and regulations, choosing modes of transport, etc.
And more importantly, hire a professional freight forwarder.
I hope this helps.
Feel free to share this article with your friends.
Also, I’d wish to hear from you – which freight forwarder in China have you worked with before?
What was your experience?
