Shipping quote
Tell us about the cargo and we will price it properly
We do not print a number on the screen. A real rate depends on the direction, the season, how loaded the route is and what the cargo actually is — and a figure that does not survive the first phone call costs more trust than it saves. What you get instead is the transit time immediately and a written quote within one working day.
Your shipment
Fill in the form — your quote arrives within one business day
Chargeable weight is the greater of actual and volumetric. The form takes both weight and dimensions and works out which one applies, so the quote you get matches the invoice. Transit time appears as soon as you pick a mode.
How it is calculated
Two numbers decide almost everything
The first is chargeable weight. Carriers charge for whichever is greater: what the shipment actually weighs, or what its volume would weigh at a standard density. A vehicle runs out of space long before it runs out of weight allowance, so a light bulky box is priced on its volume.
For air freight the rule is length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 6000. For sea freight the rough equivalence is one cubic metre against one tonne. Our form takes both weight and dimensions and works out which one applies, so the quote you receive is the one you will be invoiced.
The second is the route — not the distance, but what is actually running on it. Rates before Chinese New Year and before the Western holiday peak are not the rates in March. A port city and an inland destination are different prices even when they are in the same country.
On top of those sit the things that change how the cargo has to be handled: batteries, liquids, fragile goods, oversized units, whether customs clearance at destination is on us or on you, and whether the goods need certification before they can legally be imported.
Transit times
How long each method takes
These are the carriage legs on our usual routes. They are honest ranges rather than best cases, and we will tell you where your specific route sits.
| Method | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Air, express | 2–4 days | Samples, urgent top-ups, high-value goods |
| Air, standard | 5–8 days | Time-sensitive cargo where a few days are affordable |
| Rail | 18–28 days | Central Asia and Europe — the sensible middle |
| Sea, consolidated | 28–45 days | Anything that does not fill a container |
| Sea, full container | 25–40 days | Large volumes, lowest cost per unit |
| Combined route | 15–30 days | When one leg is congested or seasonal |
Add to any of these the time the factory needs to have the goods genuinely ready, and customs at destination. We name the total before dispatch, not after.
Questions
What people ask about pricing
Why not just show a price on the site?
Because it would be wrong often enough to be useless. Freight rates move with the season, the direction and the load on the route, and a published number would be a starting point we would have to walk back in the first conversation.
We would rather give you a real figure a day later than a comfortable one now.
How fast is the quote?
Within one working day for a standard shipment. Project cargo and anything needing permits takes longer to price properly, and we will say so when we acknowledge the request.
Is the quote binding?
It is valid for the period stated on it, which we set against how volatile the route is at that moment. If something changes before you book, you hear it from us.
What if I do not know the exact weight or volume yet?
Send what you have — even approximate dimensions and a rough weight are enough for a working estimate, and we will say how much it might move.
If the goods are not ordered yet, tell us the product and the quantity and we can work backwards from that.
Does the price include customs at my end?
Only if you ask for it, and we show it as a separate line either way. Duty and taxes depend on the classification of your goods, which is worth checking before you order rather than after.
Can you quote several methods at once?
Yes, and we usually do. You get the price and the transit time for each realistic option on your route and choose. We do not have a preferred mode we are trying to sell.
Related
What the quote usually turns into
Request
Tell us the task — we will come back with questions and a plan
Four short steps. After you send it, you will see a confirmation with your name on it, and a person from the Guangzhou office picks it up during Chinese working hours.
If you would rather write than fill in a form, the messenger buttons in the chat window reach the same team.