How long does freight take from China to US?
Shipping from China to the US is either done by air or ocean freight. As such, the freight duration for both vary. Shipping from China to US by air which is the fastest, takes up to five days. At the same time, ocean freight from China takes up to 40 days, depending on the shipping routes.
You might wonder why it takes days to freight goods from China to the US by air when a flight from China to US is less than 24 hours. The reason is that air-cargo transit involves various shipping processes that are not common to normal flights.
Some of these shipping processes include consolidation at the departure airport, export custom procedure, unloading at the destination airport, and import customs clearance. Also, indirect flights are used for freight that will involve transshipment time (involving several waiting hours or a day or days). That is why air freight from some destinations in China to the US might take more than 5 days. Here are few examples:
| Port of Loading | Port of Departure | Transfer Time |
| Shanghai（SHA） | Sacramento(SAC ） | 2-3Days |
| Shanghai（SHA） | Detroit（DTW） | 3-4Days |
| Shanghai（SHA） | Houston（IAH ） | 3-5Days |
| Shenzhen（ SZX） | Atlanta（ATL ） | 2-5Days |
| Shenzhen（ SZX） | Miami(MIA) | 2-5Days |
| Shenzhen（ SZX） | Dallas(DFW) | 2-5Days |
| Beijing(PEK) | San Francisco(SFO ) | 3-5Days |
| Beijing(PEK) | Dallas(DFW) | 3-5Days |
| Beijing(PEK) | Houston(IAH) | 2-5Days |
| Xiamen(XMN) | Detroit（DTW） | 5-7Days |
| Xiamen(XMN) | Los Angeles(LAX ) | 5-7Days |
| Xiamen(XMN) | Houston（IAH ） | 5-7Days |
| Wuhan(WUH) | New York(JFK) | 2-5Days |
| Qingdao( TAO) | New York(JFK) | 3-5Days |
| Qingdao( TAO) | Houston（IAH ） | 3-5Days |
| Qingdao( TAO) | Chicago(ORD) | 3-5Days |
In comparison, the duration of sea freight from China to US is determined by the origin port in China and the destination port in US. Ocean freight from China to US can take between 25 to 40 days. Below are examples of ocean-freight transit duration between ports in China and the US:
| POL | POD | T/T |
| GUANGZHOU | LAX | 13-18days |
| GUANGZHOU | MIAMI | 30-41days |
| SHANGHAI | Atlanta | 25-32days |
| SHANGHAI | Boston | 30-31days |
| SHANGHAI | Chicago | 16-31days |
| POL | POD | T/T |
| Guangzhou | Miami | 30-42days |
| Shanghai | Los Angeles | 14-20days |
| Shanghai | New York | 25-32days |
| Shanghai | Seattle | 11-25days |
| Shenzhen | New York | 21-40days |
| Shenzhen | Miami | 37-42days |
| Shenzhen | Los Angeles | 13-40days |
| Shenzhen | Chicago | 22-40days |
| Qingdao | Los Angeles | 18-24days |
| Qingdao | New York | 29-44days |
| XiaMen | Los Angeles | 14-17days |
| XiaMen | New York | 28-43days |
| Ningbo | Oakland | 13-20days |
| Ningbo | Long Beach | 12-16days |
| Ningbo | Norfolk | 31-35days |
| Ningbo | Savannah | 21-35days |
| Ningbo | Baltimore | 21-43days |