Shipping from China to India: Cost, Time & Options (2026)

Once you've found a supplier, the next question is how the goods get to you, how long it takes and what it costs. The answer depends mostly on how much you're shipping and how fast you need it. This guide compares the three practical options from China to India (sea, air and courier), gives typical transit times to the main Indian ports, and explains what actually goes into the freight bill so you can compare quotes properly.

The short answer

• Sea freight (FCL or LCL): the cheapest per unit; roughly 10 to 20 days port to port, and about 3 to 6 weeks door to door. Best for most commercial orders.
• Air freight: about 3 to 7 days door to door; several times the cost of sea. Best for urgent, light or high-value goods.
• Express courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS and similar): about 3 to 7 days door to door, simplest paperwork; the most expensive per kg. Best for samples and small parcels.
• Overland by road or rail is not a practical route for commercial cargo between China and India today, so almost everything moves by sea or air.

Sea freight: FCL vs LCL

FCL (Full Container Load) means you rent a whole 20-foot or 40-foot container. You pay a fixed price per container whether it's full or not, so it makes sense once your goods fill most of a container: a 20ft holds roughly 25 to 28 CBM in practice, a 40ft roughly 55 to 60 CBM. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your cargo shares a container with other shippers and you pay per cubic metre (CBM), with a minimum charge, usually of 1 CBM. As a rule of thumb, LCL suits shipments of about 2 to 15 CBM; above that, compare it with a 20ft FCL, which is often cheaper and faster.

LCL takes longer than FCL because cargo has to be consolidated at a warehouse in China and separated again (de-stuffed) in India, which typically adds around a week overall. It also carries more handling, so pack well.

Typical sea transit times to Indian ports

• Shanghai / Ningbo to Nhava Sheva (JNPT, Mumbai): about 12 to 18 days port to port.
• Shenzhen / Guangzhou to Nhava Sheva or Mundra: about 12 to 16 days.
• Chinese ports to Chennai: about 12 to 20 days.
• Chinese ports to Kolkata: similar, but often with a transhipment, so allow extra time.
• To inland container depots (such as Tughlakabad in Delhi, or Ludhiana): add several days of rail or road movement from the port.

These are indicative port-to-port times. Door to door, add production and pickup in China, export customs, waiting for the vessel, Indian customs clearance (usually a few working days if paperwork is correct) and delivery from the port. Transit times also vary with the carrier, transhipment and congestion, so confirm with your forwarder at booking. Plan around Chinese New Year: factories and ports slow down for several weeks, and freight rates usually rise before it.

Air freight and courier

Air freight moves cargo on scheduled flights into Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Kolkata, usually within a week door to door. It's charged on chargeable weight: the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (in air freight, typically 1 CBM = 167 kg). Bulky, light goods therefore cost more than their weight suggests.

Express couriers handle pickup, flight, customs clearance and delivery in one service. They're the easiest option for samples and small orders, but the most expensive per kg, and they usually use a different volumetric divisor (often weight in kg = L × W × H in cm ÷ 5000). Commercial goods sent by courier still attract full Indian customs duty and IGST; courier doesn't avoid duty.

What drives the cost

• Ocean or air freight: the base rate, which moves with demand, fuel, season and global events. Rates can change sharply from month to month, so always get a current quote.
• Origin charges in China: pickup from the factory, export customs clearance, terminal handling, and LCL consolidation.
• Destination charges in India: terminal handling, delivery order fees, container freight station (CFS) charges for LCL, and storage if goods sit at the port.
• Customs broker (CHA) fees for filing the Bill of Entry.
• Customs duty and IGST: usually the biggest cost after the goods themselves. See how it's calculated in how to import from China to India.
• Inland transport from the port or airport to your warehouse.
• Cargo insurance: inexpensive compared with the cost of a lost or damaged shipment.

Incoterms: who pays for which part

The Incoterm in your purchase order decides where the supplier's responsibility ends and yours begins. Get it in writing before you pay.

• EXW (Ex Works): you take the goods from the factory gate and handle everything, including Chinese export clearance. Cheapest quote, most work, and risky if your forwarder isn't set up in China.
• FOB (Free On Board): the supplier delivers the goods onto the vessel at the Chinese port and clears export. The most common choice for Indian importers: you control the freight and pick your own forwarder.
• CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): the supplier also pays sea freight and basic insurance to the Indian port. Convenient, but the supplier chooses the carrier, and destination charges can be inflated to make up for a low freight price.
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the supplier delivers to your door with duty paid. Simple on paper, but check how customs value and duty are being declared; you remain responsible as the importer.

Documents you'll need

• Commercial invoice and packing list from the supplier.
• Bill of Lading (sea) or Air Waybill (air).
• Certificate of origin, and any product certification such as BIS registration where required.
• Your IEC and GST details, plus the Bill of Entry filed in India by your customs broker.
• Insurance certificate, if you arranged cover.

Ways to keep shipping costs down

1. Ask the supplier for exact carton dimensions and weights before booking, and get quotes from at least two forwarders on the same basis.
2. Buy FOB rather than CIF so you control freight and destination charges.
3. Consolidate orders from several Chinese suppliers into one shipment; many forwarders offer warehousing in China for this.
4. Move from LCL to a 20ft FCL once your volume is close to it.
5. Book early before Chinese New Year, Golden Week and India's festival season.
6. Get your paperwork and certifications right first time: demurrage and storage at Indian ports add up quickly when a shipment is held.

Find suppliers who ship to India

On IndiaChinaB2B, Chinese manufacturers list specifically to sell to Indian buyers, so they're used to quoting FOB and CIF to Indian ports and preparing the export paperwork Indian customs expects. Every supplier is reviewed before going live, and you contact them directly with no commission. Browse suppliers or post your requirement. Before you pay, verify the supplier, and if you're still choosing what to import, see the best products to import from China to India.