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Sea freight from China

Sea freight is the cheapest way to move volume from China to the UAE. We run regular weekly LCL and FCL departures from major Chinese ports into Jebel Ali, with consolidation at our SamVertex Guangzhou facility on the origin side and customs clearance at destination. One operator from factory floor to your shelf in Ras Al Khor.

What is included

Section titled “What is included”
  • Origin pickup from your supplier’s factory anywhere in mainland China.
  • Consolidation at our Guangzhou facility for LCL or for multi-supplier FCL stuffing.
  • Ocean freight on weekly schedules to Jebel Ali (sea).
  • Customs clearance at Jebel Ali with broker work, entry filing, and release coordination. See customs.
  • Last-leg trucking from port to our Ras Al Khor warehouse so cargo lands as live inventory.
  • Live milestones in your account from “picked up at factory” through “loaded on board” through “arrived UAE”.
  • Documents handled centrally: bill of lading, packing list, commercial invoice, certificate of origin where needed.
  • Cargo insurance available on every shipment, optional but recommended for higher-value cargoes.

How a sea freight shipment works

Section titled “How a sea freight shipment works”
  1. Quote and booking. You share supplier address, cargo-ready date, dimensions, weight, HS codes if known. We quote LCL or FCL and book vessel space.
  2. Pickup from supplier. Our truck collects from the factory in any mainland Chinese city.
  3. Consolidation at our Guangzhou facility. Cargo is consolidated, weighed, photographed, and prepared for stuffing.
  4. Loading and sailing. LCL stuffs into a shared container; FCL stuffs into your own 20ft or 40ft. Bill of lading issued.
  5. In transit. 25 to 40 days door to door depending on origin port and vessel schedule. Status updates land in your account at each milestone.
  6. Customs clearance at Jebel Ali. Our broker files the entry; duties and 5% VAT are paid on your behalf and passed through at cost.
  7. Trucked to Ras Al Khor. Cleared cargo lands at our warehouse and goes live as inventory. See warehousing.

LCL versus FCL

Section titled “LCL versus FCL”

Pick the right mode for your cargo volume.

  • LCL (Less than Container Load). The right call when your shipment is below ~15 cubic metres. We share container space with other shippers, consolidate at our Guangzhou facility, and de-consolidate at our Dubai warehouse. Slightly slower because of consolidation steps; much cheaper than air for the same volume.
  • FCL (Full Container Load). The right call from ~20 cbm upward. The container is sealed at origin and only opened at our Dubai warehouse, so there is no in-transit re-handling. Available in 20ft (~28 cbm usable) and 40ft (~58 cbm usable, plus high-cube for taller cartons).

Pricing

Section titled “Pricing”

Headline LCL rate per cubic metre:

AED 499 per cbm

A minimum charge applies on small LCL shipments. FCL is quoted per 20ft or 40ft container including standard origin handling, ocean freight, and destination charges. Customs clearance at Jebel Ali is a separate line item; duties and 5% VAT are passed through at the actual amount Customs charges. Full breakdown in freight pricing.

Best fit for sea freight

Section titled “Best fit for sea freight”
  • Planned restock cycles where you can order 30 to 60 days ahead of need.
  • Bulk inventory that ships in cartons or palletised volume.
  • FBA inbounds where the unit economics matter more than the speed to shelf. See Amazon prep.
  • Multi-supplier consolidation where you have two or three POs from different Chinese suppliers ready around the same window.

Common mistakes to avoid

Section titled “Common mistakes to avoid”
  • Splitting LCL into many small shipments when one consolidated load would clear the LCL minimum charge once instead of three times.
  • Underdeclaring HS codes to lower duty. Customs catches this at random inspection and the resulting fines plus delay cost more than the duty saved.
  • Skipping insurance on high-value cargo because the freight rate looks cheap. The institute clauses are narrow without all-risk cover.
  • No commercial invoice on samples so customs holds the cargo at Jebel Ali. Always include a commercial invoice, even if zero-rated.
Section titled “Related”
Air freight from China Faster transit when you need stock in days instead of weeks.
Customs clearance UAE clearance at Jebel Ali and Dubai International, with duties pass-through.
Warehousing Where cleared cargo lands and goes live as your fulfilment inventory.
Amazon FBA prep Factory to FBA shipping with prep at our Guangzhou facility or in Dubai.
Freight pricing Per-cbm LCL, per-container FCL, customs, and pass-through duties broken out.
Freight FAQ The questions sellers ask us most about freight from China.