Shipping From China To The UK

Express shipping from China to the UK

Advantages of express shipping
Express shipping is the fastest and easiest way to transport goods from China to the UK, when compared to sea or air freight. With express, you will also be able to track your goods at any time and plan accordingly.
Express shipping products
All courier companies use air freight to transport goods, so the delivery time and price are also flexible, similar to air freight.
There are many famous courier companies, regulating the express companies like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and many more.
Express shipping means urgent and faster delivery, with higher prices and rates than other forms of transportation. Also the cost of express shipping way may increase during the holiday, but it can drop dramatically in the off-season.
To save money, cargo agents or freight forwarders are the best option when you are looking for solutions reasonable price, and they can also can get a discount price that you won’t find on their official website.
a)economic delivery: delivery time is 6-16 days, economical price, suitable for goods with low time requirements ( no dangerous goods, oversized or temperature – controlled goods.)
b)Standard delivery: delivery time is 3-8 days, reasonable price, and a shorter time.
c)Emergency delivery: delivery time is 4-5 days, speed priority, suitable for time sensitive goods.
Express delivery has many advantages, the unit price is usually higher than transportation by sea and air, but it all depends on your products needs.
If your shipment is a sample, a small package, or even a letter, then doesn’t hesitate to choose express. This method is simple and fast, and it will be at your doorstep in no time.
Tips from practical experiences
1.DHL vs. UPS in general:
· If your goods are up to 5.5kg, DHL will save your money;
· For goods that are between 6 and 21kg, UPS wins;
· For goods that are between 21 and 100kg, DHL wins;
· And for goods that are over 100kg, UPS will save you money.
2. When shipping form Southeast Asia, FedEx is the king no matter the quantity.
3. If you are outside of Europe or Middle East, we don’t recommend using TNT’s services.
4.In general, big businesses pick one carrier and stick with him because it has bigger discount on pricing. Small businesses and medium businesses tend to work with 2 or more carrier companies to maximize their costs.
5.Always take extra care of the packing quality and use reinforced cartons for your goods to keep them safe.

Air freight from China to the UK

Air products
Air transportation is suitable for goods that are urgent in time, or the unit price of the goods is high, but is the quantity of the goods is small (300-500kg).
Shipping time for air freight is represented by the time required for booking shipping space, flight time, and local delivery time in the UK.
Air freight cost and weight calculation
The unit of calculation for air freight is kilograms. But do you think that large volume and small weight will take advantage? Of course not, there are two methods for calculating the weight of air transport, one is to charge according to the actual weight of the cargo, and other is to charge according to the dimensional weight.
This method of calculating shipping costs is similar to express. The difference is that for express transportation the volume is divided by 5000, and for air transportation the volume is divided by 6000.
Standard air transportation – dimensional weight calculation method:
Dimensional weight = length (cm) * width (cm) * height (cm) /6000
I will give you an example for foam with standard air transportation.
Let’s suppose you need to ship 1 piece of a large （100cm*100cm*100cm) foam that weights 20KG.
What will it be its dimensional weight?

Dimensional weight = 100cm * 100cm * 100cm /6000 = 167 kg
So, its dimensional weight is far larger than its actual weight.
Hence you will be charged for 167 kg.

Sea freight from China to the the UK

Less than container load (LCL): When shipping smaller freight quantities from china to the UK and finding air freight too costly, you can send your imports by sea as a less-than-container-load(LCL).
It is the ideal form of shipment for goods between 1-15 cubic meters.
When LCL goods arrive at ports, they can be delivered by truck or express companies because of their small size and relatively flexibility.
Full container load(FCL): Another way to get you international shipments to their destination is to send them in full-container loads.
It is the preferred shipping method for importers whose cargo exceeds 15 cubic meters. There are three type of containers 33 CBM(20ft), 66CBM(40ft), and 76CBM(40ft)
How long does sea Freight take from China to the UK?
Sea freight from China to UK can take anywhere between 25-60 days, depending on the origin and destination, the road, and the weather or not the goods are being shipped port-to-port or door-to-door.