4 shipping methods from China to Germany: time and shipping cost

If you are importing goods from China to Germany, you have several transportation options available, including sea, air, train, and express. Each of these methods has its own shipping costs and delivery times. In this post, I will provide a detailed explanation of each so that you can make an informed decision about which option is best for your needs. Please refer to the source for more information.

• How long does sea freight take?
• How much does sea freight cost?
• What is the air shipping time?
• How much does air shipping cost?
• What about railway freight time & cost?
• How about the express time & cost?

Sea Freight Time

The time for sea shipping depends on the distance between the departure port and the destination port. When transporting goods from Guangzhou to Hamburg, it takes approximately 30 days, and from Shanghai to Hamburg, it takes 31-35 days. There are two options for shipping to Germany by sea: fast and slow. If you choose slow shipping, the transportation time mentioned above will take an additional week.

This shipping time is under normal conditions. During peak seasons or Chinese major holidays, such as the Chinese New Year Festival and National Day, the total shipping time will become longer, as goods will have to wait at the port. You can contact your freight forwarder to arrange shipping in advance to avoid delays.

Sea Freight Cost

There are two types of sea shipping: FCL and LCL, which are charged by different standards.

FCL is charged based on container types and numbers. In FCL shipping, your freight forwarder books entire containers to only fill your goods. For example, from Ningbo to Hamburg, the price of a 40HQ container is $1,250. If you have three containers of goods:

• FCL sea freight fee = $1,250 x 3 = $3,750

LCL is charged per CBM. Since your cargo is too small to fill an entire container, you must share the container space with others. For example, if you have a general cargo of 5CBM, also shipped from port to port, your freight forwarder quotes you $15/CBM:

• LCL sea freight fee = $15/CBM x 5CBM = $75

The above price is from port to port. If you want to deliver the goods to your designated place, forwarders can also arrange them for you. They will quote you an all-inclusive price for the whole shipping process because they need to help you deal with customs clearance and pay clearance fees. For example, the all-inclusive price to your door of LCL is $1.3/kg, and you ship goods of 750kg:

• All-inclusive shipping cost = $1.3/kg x 750kg = $975

In addition, the sea shipping rate is often changing. You need to contact your freight forwarder to get a real-time shipping rate. You may also find different shipping agents quote you different prices because forwarders get agency prices from different shipping companies.

Air Freight Time

It takes approximately 1-2 days with a direct flight from a China airport to a German airport and 5 days for transit. If you need to deliver goods to your door, it takes another 2 days, including the time of customs clearance and local logistics.

Whether you choose a direct flight or transit, the total shipping time, even to your door, is approximately 8 days, much shorter than sea shipping time. Note that some airlines have flights every day, and some only have 3-4 flights a week. You can ask your freight forwarder to get the specific time.

Air Freight Cost

Air freight fee is charged based on the larger one of the actual weight and DIM weight.

Actual weight is the total weight of goods and packaging on the scale. The DIM Weight = Total Shipment Volume （cm³) / 6000 = Total Shipment Volume (CBM) * 167kg

Suppose you transport 750kg (5CBM) of general cargo from Shanghai to Hamburg by air, and the price is $3/kg. Then the calculation is:

• DIM weight = 5CBM x 167kg = 835kg
• DIM weight > the actual weight (750kg), so forwarders charge you by DIM weight.
• Then the shipping fee = $3/kg x 835kg = $2,505

Note that this is only the price of shipping from a China airport to a German airport. If you want to deliver to your place, you also need to pay import customs clearance fees and local delivery costs. Don’t worry. Freight forwarders can also help you deal with such issues.

Here is an all-inclusive price for your reference. Suppose you want to send the cargo mentioned above (actual weight 750kg, volumetric weight 835kg). The all-inclusive price your forwarder quotes you is $4.5/kg:

• All-inclusive air freight cost = $4.5/kg x 835kg = $3,757.5

In addition, air freight rates also change in real-time. It is recommended to confirm the price with your freight forwarder.

Railway Freight Transit Time

Your cargo could also be shipped by railway freight from China to Germany. The delivery time is between air shipping and sea shipping, depending on the departure station. For example, it takes 11 days from Xi’an to Hamburg and 18 days from Yiwu to Duisburg.

Besides Xi’an and Yiwu, there are many rail ports in China to Germany, such as Zhengzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, Xiamen, etc. You can choose the port with the shortest distance to ship your cargo according to your current situation.

Railway shipping times can be easily affected by port congestion. The China State Railway Group alters train schedules according to congestion and special material needs, which can cause delays ranging from 2-3 days to 7-10 days.

When the China Railway Express crosses the border, the railway plate needs to be replaced with that of the other country before departure. Weather, epidemics, and staffing can also cause delays in transit time.

What is the cost of railway freight?

Railway shipping has two modes of transportation: FTL and LTL. Your goods are usually delivered directly to your location by train, but there are few direct arrivals at the station. The railway shipping cost is between sea freight cost and air freight cost. FTL is charged by container type and number, similar to FCL shipping. FCL cost to door is much lower than FTL cost. For specific prices, please consult your forwarder.

LTL is charged per kg. It means your cargo is too small to fill the whole truck and should share the space with other people’s cargo. Here is an example of LTL calculation: suppose you have 150kg of general cargo, and the shipping price is $1.3/kg.

• LTL shipping fee = $1.3/kg x 150kg = $195

From the above, we can see that railway freight cost is almost half of air shipping cost, and transit time is about 2 weeks shorter than sea shipping time. If you are in a hurry to receive goods and don’t want to pay high shipping fees, railway freight is an ideal option.

Please note that railway shipping prices are subject to change. Contact your forwarder to get real-time shipping prices.

What is the shipping time and cost of express?

In addition to the above three shipping methods, express delivery is also a common way to ship goods from China to Germany. You can use DHL, UPS, and FedEx to ship your goods. They usually take around 1 week to get to your location. If you send your goods from Yiwu, it may take 6-9 days to reach locations that are not close to city centers in Germany. The specific transportation time is related to the delivery distance.

The calculation of express cost is similar to that of air freight. It also charges the heavier one by comparing the actual weight and DIM weight. But the formula in express delivery is slightly different.

• In express, you need to know that DIM weight = Total Shipment Volume (cm³) / 5000 = Total Shipment Volume (CBM) * 200kg.
• For goods ＜ 20kg, the minimum charging unit is 0.5kg, like 12.5kg charged for 12.3kg. The first weight is 0.5kg and the excess part is the additional weight. They have different charging standards. Your forwarder quotes you the price per 0.5kg. For example, the price of the first weight is $21.6/0.5kg and the additional weight is $5.8/0.5kg.
• For goods ≥20kg, the minimum charging unit is 1kg, like 22kg charged for 21.2kg. Your forwarder quotes you the price per kg.

Here is an example: Suppose you have a batch of general cargo–10 cartons of 703040 (cm) and each weighs 13kg. You will send it from China to Germany by FedEx. Your forwarder quotes you $6.3/kg. Then the express shipping fee is calculated as:

• DIM weight = 703040 (cm³) x 10/5000 = 168kg
• Actual weight = 13kg x 10 = 130kg
• DIM weight > actual weight, so the chargeable weight is charged by 168kg
• Then the total express fee = $6.3/kg x 168kg = $1,058.4

The above prices are quoted by freight forwarders, and may be more expensive if you contact express companies directly. Many freight forwarders cooperate with major international express companies and can get a better price, which will be about 20%-50% cheaper than the official price, and the shipping time is the same as the official one.

In addition, some forwarders can offer you other services like free packaging, warehousing, product inspection, etc., saving you time and the cost of shipping.

In summary, sea shipping is the cheapest among all shipping methods and is suitable for a large volume of goods that is not urgent to be received. Railway freight is ideal for both shipping time and cost and is a popular shipping method from China to Germany. The other two shipping methods take a shorter time, but the price is also higher. Choose the most suitable transportation method according to your current situation and budget.

As a leading sourcing company, Onestopimport can help you source premium quality goods and solve any problems that occur. We also have long-time cooperative freight forwarders, so we can offer you competitive prices to ship your goods to your location.