Container shipping from China to Australia.

Importation is a challenging process and shipping is one of the main parts of it. You should have full information about it beforehand. In this article, we will talk about shipping from China to Australia.

There are several ways of shipping to choose from, for example, by sea freight, air freight, or express. We will talk about each method of shipping, their average costs, and the time that they take.

1.    Sea freight

There are two modes of shipping by sea, FCL and LCL. Each mode has its own advantages and disadvantages. You should choose the most optimal mode, depending on the type and quantity of your consignment.

FCL

FCL – Full Container Load. In this mode, you will be using the full container. There are two types of containers 20’ and 40’. You should choose one of them depending on the size of your goods.

FCL shipping timings

The transferring time depends on several factors, like the distance between the origin and destination, the season of shipping, and the mode of shipment. The average time of port-to-port FCL shipment from China to Australia is around 15-30 days. But if you are conducting door-to-door shipment, it will take around 25-30 days.

FCL shipping costs

Transfer cost is set by the shipping company, so it can be different in different seasons and months. Usually, price depends on the busyness of shipping companies, weight, size, and other factors. Let’s look at the prices of shipping from China to the busiest seaports of Australia. The transfer from:

• Shanghai or Ningbo to Brisbane costs around $1500 - $1700

• Shanghai or Ningbo to Sydney costs around $1600 - $1850

• Shanghai or Ningbo to Melbourne costs around $1900 - $2100

Note that these numbers are average and the real price will differ.

LCL

LCL – Less than a Container Load. It is the best option for importers that don’t have enough goods for a full container. In this mode, your goods will share a container with products of other businessmen. Don’t forget that in this mode, the shipping will take 1-2 days more, since the shipping company should collect and load your and others’ goods.

LCL shipping timings

As it was said before, LCL takes a couple of days more compared to FCL. Shipping time depends on factors like destination, type of shipping product, season, and others. But on average, it takes around 16- 32 days, if you are using port-to-port delivery. However, door-to-door delivery service from China to Australia requires 26-32 days.

LCL shipping costs.

LCL shipping can be cheaper compared to others if the total weight of freight is more than 300 kg but not enough for a full container. The average door-to-door shipping price from China to Australia is around $700 - $800 for a 200kg/1cbm product. But if we look by ports:

• from Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Ningbo to Sydney costs around $700 - $800

•   from Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Ningbo to Melbourne costs around $710 - $820

• from Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Ningbo to Brisbane costs around $728 - $835

2.    Airfreight

Shipping via air is the fastest way of delivery from China to Australia. However, it is reached because of the high expenses. It is the perfect solution if your consignment’s weight is around 100 kg and it requires special conditions. For example, if it is sensitive to external influences or with limited shelf life.

Airfreight shipping timings

As it was said before, it is faster than sea freight. It takes around 11 hours to fly from China to Australia, however, their additional procedures that require time. So, shipping will take around 3-6 days, if you are using a port-to-port service. When door-to-door service requires 6-13 days.

Airfreight Costs

Fast shipping requires expenses, so, airfreight shipping is costlier than sea freight. The cost depends on the weight, size of your goods, shipping time, and other aspects. The average airfreight shipping price of 200kg/1cbm consignment from China to Australia is around $1000 - $1100. If we look by cities, then the average cost from:

• Shanghai, Ningbo, or Shenzhen to Sydney is around $950 - $1050.

• Shanghai, Ningbo, or Shenzhen to Melbourne is around $1000 - $1090.

•     Shanghai, Ningbo, or Shenzhen to Brisbane is around $950 - $1050.

Don’t forget that they are average prices and the actual price may differ. 

3.    Express shipping

Express shipping is the fastest way of shipping. In this method, you will use express cargo companies’ services. You should consider this method if you are a beginner or the delivering product’s size is small. It is not only the fastest but the most expensive way of shipping. However, it is the best method for delivering sample products.

Express shipping timings

Most express cargo companies offer only door-to-door service. So, what is the expected time of shipping from China to Australia? Usually, it takes around 2-5 days. 

Express shipping costs

As it was said before, it is the most expensive way of shipping. The main reason is that it includes taxes or other fees that will be included in the invoice sent by the cargo company. So, what is the average price of express shipping from China to Australia? It depends on the size and the total weight of your consignment.

For example, express shipping costs around $46 per kg if the total weight is 10kg. However, numbers will decrease as the total weight increase. It costs around $5 per kg if the total weight is 300kg.

Work with specialists of their jobs. Import Secrets offers experts’ services in the field of importation.

We:

• Source the product

• Negotiate

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• Deliver samples of products

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• etc.

For further information, please contact us.