Shipping Cost from China to UAE for the main shipping methods (2020 Updated)

Many people are thinking about this business mode: import good products from China and sell in UAE market. Although it’s easy to find product suppliers on Alibaba, Global sources, Made-in-China, still most of them give up this business plan, because they don’t know shipping methods and cost for shipping products from China to UAE.

In fact, most of suppliers (manufacturers, traders), maybe over 90% of them from China are not professional on all freight shipping methods, so they usually over charge on shipping cost, or many of them prefer ex-works terms with their clients, thus you have to use an appointed freight forwarder to pick up cargo at their warehouse. That sounds quite discouraging for people who are new to import from China.

Supertrans Logistics, as a local freight forwarder in China, would like to help you understand the estimated cost for using 7 main shipping solutions from China to UAE. Thus you can do the math by yourself, to decide if a product is worth importing, or which shipping solution is most cost-effective.

Part 1: Express Shipping from China to UAE

There’s plenty of information on Google regarding the Express companies like Fedex, UPS, DHL, TNT, ARAMEX. So let's just cut the bullshit and get straight to the point and answer the two more important questions:

• When is it more cost-effective to choose express?
• What type of goods can be transported via express?

Which Express Company is Better?

Express is a relatively easier mode of transportation when compared with sea or air freight, and it is also the fastest shipping from China to UAE.

Firstly, you won’t have to bother about custom clearances or duty payment, etc.

Secondly, wherver you are getting the goods delivered in UAE, except Dubai, delivery fees will likely be the same, definitely, it is more faster to Dubai, as the distributions are usually located in Dubai.

Therefore, all you have to do is find an express company that gives you a reasonable quote and wait for the goods to be delivered to your address.

Yes, it’s that simple!

In fact, 95% of the product samples and small amount of high-value goods are shipped by express.

Mostly, express delivery is highly suitable for online sellers who are in a hurry to restock, like Amazon sellers on Souq.

Famous express companies are Fedex, UPS, DHL. TNT, and Aramex.

But which one is most reliable and cost-effective for shipping from China to UAE

I strongly recommend Fedex and TNT for shipment weighing several tens of KG or hundreds of KG, and Aramex and TNT for parcel weighing less than 20KG. FedEx just only offers a low express price to Dubai, TNT and Aramex cover UAE nationwide.

Express Shipping Costs from China to UAE

As you know, whether Fedex, TNT or Aramex, the official price is generally very high. But we usually work with them as an agent to get a very low price for clients, even sometimes it is lower than the air freight rate, which is just to airport service.

Every express company offers different discounts based on the annual volume and gross weight of shipments from the shipper (your supplier, or freight forwarder), which further influences the prices. If your supplier in China doesn’t often use Fedex/TNT/Aramex to ship goods from China to UAE, the express price they get is usually very high directly from Fedex/TNT/Aramex. In this case, he can find an express agent with discount and ask him to ship the goods to UAE instead.

Dimensional Weight VS Real Weight

For express and air freight, you should pay special attention to the problem of chargeable weight. If the volume weight of the goods is larger than its actual weight, charges are applicable according to the volume. For instance, if you ship a huge foam of 100cm x100cm x 100cm, which weighs 20kg. Then the express company will definitely not charge you by its real weight (20kg). Since the size of the package is large and will occupy significant space.

Interestingly, the charges are not calculated as per the volume as well. The costs are actually determined by dimensional weight. Dimensional Weight = Length(cm) x Width(cm) x Height(cm)/5000.

Let’s go back to foam example. Suppose you need to ship 1 piece of a large 100cm x 100cm x 100cm foam weighing 20KG. What will be it’s dimensional weight?

Let’s calculate.

Dimensional weight=100cm x 100cm x 100cm/5000=200kg,

So,you see,Its dimensional weight is much larger than its actual weight. Hence the express will charge you by 200kg.

The charged weight for all the goods are calculated in this manner, and then the dimensional weight is compared with the real weight to determine the charged weight.

One last thing, if you ask your supplier to help you ship goods by Fedex/TNT/Aramex, it’s better to pay the fee to your supplier in advance.

Even if you have a account of Fedex/TNT/Aramex in UAE, you should not pay the freight until you sign for it, because it will be very expensive.

Part 2: Air Freight from China to UAE

After covering the cost estimates for express delivery, let’s move on to air freight. Essentially, both air freight and express use plane as a tool to ship the cargo.

Wondering what’s the differences between the two and when do you choose express and when do you choose air freight?

Don’t worry, you’ll soon know the answer.

The Differences Between Air Freight and Express

Undeniably, express delivery is quite simple and straight-forward. But what about air freight?

Shipping via air freight is a bit more complex and its import and export procedures are similar to the traditional sea freight.

It includes the following three steps:

• Local logistics in China and export documents processing.
• Air shipping from Chinese airports or Hongkong airport to Dubai/Abu Dhabi airport.
• Local handling in UAE, such as customs clearing, pick-up and so on.

Usually, if ths gross weight of goods is more than 500 KG, choosing air freight is cost-effective.

At the same time, if your cargo quantity is below 300kg, you may not want to consider air freight as express offers a better choice. Now, what if the cargo quantity is between 300-500kg? At this range, I will not recommend either air freight or express. The price of air freight is always changing, so it’s impossible to say which is cheaper. It all depends on real-time prices. There are also lots of irregular discounts to express. For example, FedEx is cheaper than air freight if the plane of FedEx has much empty space left.

What is All-Included Air Freight Cost to UAE

As mentioned above, it would be a good option to take air freight shipping if the gross weight of goods is more than 300kg. What about the cost of air freight? Whether you plan to work with a freight forwarder or deal with your supplier, it’s essential that you ask for the price for the whole shipping process. It is the all-included price, which includes the cost of shipping from your supplier location to your door in UAE. As mentioned earlier, the shipping process for air freight includes three main steps.

It’s very important to decide beforehand whether you want to ship your goods to the airport of your country or have them delivered directly to your door. At times, some freight forwarders or suppliers only quote you the price of air shipping from the China airport to destination airport in order to attract you. Obviously, such prices seem low at the beginning but there are hidden charges. It does not include the local transportation costs and customs clearance costs both in China and destination, even not include the fuel surcharge, terminal handling charge.

The Cost Breakdown Of Air Freight

If you are a new trader to import goods from China, You can just ask for help from your China supplier or freight forwarder to ship the goods. Similarly to Express, air freight has its own calculation formula that you can use to calculate the chargeable weight of the air freight.

You must remember the dimensional formula of express: Dimensional Weight = Length (cm) x Width (cm) x Height (cm)/5000. But, the dimensional formula of air freight: Dimensional Weight = Length (cm) x Width (cm) x Height (cm)/6000

So, if you’re shipping your goods by yourself, you should know the cost of each part of the air freight as it’s not just an all-inclusive price. Usually, most of the suppliers in China quote you FOB price. This means, your suppliers are responsible for the transpiration from their factories to the origin airport in China.

Here, air freight is divided into two steps:

• The cost from origin airport to Dubai / Abu Dhabi / Sharjah airport.
• The cost from destination airport to your door in UAE.

Also, there are other costs such as Chinese export costs and Dubai custom clearance costs.

Shipping cost (FOB) = Cost for air shipping from Chinese airport to Dubai / Abu Dhabi airport + UAE customs clearance cost+ Local logistics cost in the UAE

However, for the accurate cost of UAE customs clearance and local logistics in UAE, you need ask your local freight forwarder. Additionally, there is also a little difference between the cost of air shipping from China to UAE and sea freight. It depends on the type of cargo, there is a great variation in the cost.

That’s all for FOB. Now, let’s move further to EXW term.

It means that one more step will be added to FOB and you’ll be responsible for the transportation from the supplier factory to the origin air port in China.

It implies, besides the cost of FOB, you also have to add on the cost for logistics in China and export process.

Shipping cost (EXW) = Local logistics cost in China + China export cost + Cost of air shipping from the origin airport in China to the airport in UAE + customs clearance cost in UAE + Local logistics cost

As you can see, the cost of air freight is not fixed, and there are some additional costs that you need to check with your shipping agent or supplier.

Part 3: Sea Freight from China to the UAE

Sea freight is the most complex shipping method. But, you need not worry as this guide will make the process simple and clear for you. If your shipment has a big volume / high gross weight and low value, you should consider sea freight to save the shipping fee.

Less Than Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load (FCL)

If the quantity of your goods is small and its volume is less than 15CBM, the freight forwarder usually help you ship your goods by LCL, meaning you have to share a container with other importers because your cargo load is less than a container. LCL use CBM (Cubic Meter) as the unit to calculate the freight.

What is FCL? FCL is when your cargo quantity is large enough with big volume to fill one or more containers. In this case, the freight is calculated on the basis of the whole container. Generally, it will be cheaper than LCL freight.

Furthermore, the container model is mainly divided into three types:

1 CBM = 1 Cubic Meter

Type Of Container	20'ft	40'ft	40'hc
Volume Capacity (cbm)	28	58	68

What is All-Included Sea Freight Cost to UAE

This price mentioned here will help you in roughly calculating the shipping cost. The sea freight fares are changing in real time that is determined by the shipping company. So, if you want to know the specific cost to your port, you need to directly check with your supplier or shipping agent. Then they will check with the shipping company and offering you a real-time quotation.

The following table will give you an idea of the CBM and container shipping rates:

UAE	1-3CBM	3-5CBM	5-10CBM	10CBM+	20'GP	40GP/HQ
Dubai	$45/CBM	$40/CBM	$35/CBM	$30/CBM	USD675	USD1025
Abu Dhabi	$55/CBM	$50/CBM	$45/CBM	$40/CBM	USD725	USD1125
Sharjah	$55/CBM	$50/CBM	$45/CBM	$40/CBM	USD825	USD1225
Ajman	$55/CBM	$50/CBM	$45/CBM	$40/CBM	USD825	USD1225

How do you calculate the sea freight? Here is an example, you want to purchase 60 pcs of LED light from China, and the size of the LED light with the package is 50cm x 35cm x 35cm, which you want to ship to Jebel Ali port Dubai.

The total CBMs for the 60 PCS will be: 0.5*0.35*0.35*60=3.7CBM

So, the total shipping cost will be $40*3.7CBM=$148. (excludes the local charges and customs fees both in China and Dubai.)

The Cost Breakdown Of Sea Freight

The all-included price is just to help you calculate a simple and rough shipping cost. So, I’ll divide the sea freight process into three steps and show the cost in each step.

As discussed in Air freight, let’s read about the composition of sea freight under FOB and EXW, 90% of the trade is done under these two terms.

Honestly, the EXW price is just the product cost, meaning your supplier won’t help you ship the goods to the loading port. However, the FOB price includes the cost of the product and the local logistics cost in China (Chinese factory to the origin loading port).

Shipping cost (FOB)=Cost for sea freight from a Chinese port to any port in UAE + UAE customs clearance cost + Local logistics cost in UAE

In FOB, your supplier will help you ship your goods directly to the port of shipment.

Shipping cost (EXW) = Local logistics cost in China + China export cost + Cost for sea freight from Chinese port to the port in UAE + UAE customs clearance cost + Local logistics cost in UAE

On the EXW basis, your supplier will not help you send the goods to the port of shipment in China.

As you are now clear with the components of total shipping costs, let us learn some more about the cost of each part.

Cost in China: It includes the transportation cost from the factory/supplier to the port of shipment, China export customs cost and other local charges (such as Booking fee, Handling fee, THC, DOC, and so on).

• The transportation cost from the factory/supplier to the port of shipment is on the basis of the distance from the factory to the port, and the volume of the goods. USD150 - USD1000 per container
• China export customs cost: approx USD50/set; if your supplier has no export license and full set of customs document, then it is approx USD100/set
• Booking fee: approx USD35/20ft; USD50/40ft
• THC: USD120/20ft; USD175/40ft
• DOC: USD70/BL
• ......

Similarly to air freight, the ocean freight is quoted by the shipping lines, and the price is not fixed.

For example, when you book an air ticket, you’re most likely to get a 50-60% discount in the off season. But, in the peak season, tickets are quite expensive (Full price). The actual cost depends on the real-time quotation by the shipping company.

Cost in the local UAE: It includes DTHC, D/O, customs clearance, customs duties (approx 5%), VAT ( approx 5%) and local logistics cost in UAE. For these cost, you must consult a local customs clearance agency or a local freight forwarder as it is a much simpler and more efficient way.

Part 4: China to UAE Air Shipping door to door services - DDP

If you have no import license in Dubai, and/or your supplier has no export license in China, now what? How to ship your goods to UAE? Don't worry, we are here making shipping much easier for you, you are totally hands-free, because we process all the requested customs documents for the customs clearance both in China and Dubai, and then deliver the goods to any location nationwide in UAE, even to the boat docked in Dubai or Sharjah for the clients from Iran.

Nomatter what kind of product (general cargo, copy, liquid, cosmetic, battery, machine, magnetic, and so on), we can help you ship your goods from China to Dubai, then deliver to any place in UAE after customs clearance and duty paid, no extra charges.

Route 1: Any airport in the Mainland China to Dubai airport (DXB / DWC): This option is just only for the shipment of general cargo (no copy, no dangouer goods), and the air freight rate is lower than from Hongkong option mentioned below, but it takes two or three more days due to the inland transportation, China export customs clearance and limited flights. We collect the goods at our Shenzhen / Guangzhou warehouse, then send them to the airport of departure (Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xi'An, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and so on)to take the flight to Dubai.

Route 2: Hongkong airport to Dubai airport (DXB / DWC): If your shipment is time-sensitive and/or special goods (copy, cosmetics, liquid, magnetic, bitcoin miner machine, etc), we will send the goods to Hongkong airport to take flight to Dubai, there are much more flights from Hongkong to Dubai every day, airlines like EK, CX, PO has several flights every day. This option allow us to handle the customs clearance (Shenzhen to Hongkong) easily, and less delivery time.

Part 5: China to UAE Sea Shipping door to door services - DDP

Route 1: Yiwu Warehouse to Dubai: Collect the goods from estern China

Route 2: Guangzhou Warehouse to Dubai: Collect the goods from the Pearl River Delta (except Shenzhen)

Route 3: Shenzhen Warehouse to Dubai: Collect the goods from Shenzhen