China → United Kingdom
Shipping from China to the UK
Sea and air freight out of China to UK ports and airports, with the goods collected from your suppliers, consolidated in Yiwu and shipped under one delivery term you agree in writing before anything moves.
Most UK importers do not have one supplier in China; they have four, in three different provinces, all quoting ex-works and none of them willing to hold the goods. That is the part we take on. We collect from each supplier, bring everything into the warehouse in Yiwu, check it against what was ordered, and hold it until there is enough to load. What leaves China is one shipment with one set of documents rather than four consignments arriving at a UK port on different days.
From there the question is only how far you want us to carry it. Under FOB we deliver the goods on board for the UK port you name and hand the bill of lading to your own forwarder. Under CF or CIF we arrange the sea freight to that port as well, with or without cargo insurance. Door to door runs through to the final UK address and is quoted as a single figure so you can compare it against the cost of arranging the same journey in pieces.
Full container is the cheaper option per cubic metre once you are filling most of a box, and it moves faster at both ends because nothing has to be deconsolidated. LCL makes sense below roughly fifteen cubic metres, and air is worth it when the goods are light and valuable or when a retail deadline is closer than the sailing schedule allows.
One thing worth saying plainly: we are a freight forwarder, not a customs broker, and we have no UK entity. Import declarations, duty and VAT at the UK border are handled by you or by your customs agent. Under door to door we coordinate with whoever is doing that, but the declaration is not ours to make.
Sea and air on this lane
Sea freight — FCL and LCL
A 20ft or 40ft container to Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway, or a part-container slot when you are not filling one. FCL is cheaper per cubic metre above roughly fifteen cubic metres and avoids deconsolidation at the UK end; LCL is the sensible choice below that, at the cost of a few extra days while the box is stripped.
Air freight
Into Heathrow, Manchester or East Midlands, typically four to eight days airport to airport depending on the routing and how quickly the goods clear the origin airport. Worth the premium for high-value or light cargo, samples, and anything replacing stock that has already sold out.
Questions we get on this lane
How long does shipping from China to the UK take?
Around 32 to 42 days port to port by sea, depending on the origin port and whether the sailing is direct or transhipped, plus the time to collect and consolidate the goods in China beforehand. Air is roughly four to eight days airport to airport. Both are planning figures rather than guarantees — we give you the actual schedule for your booking once the sailing or flight is confirmed.
Can you collect from several suppliers in China?
Yes, and it is most of what we do on this lane. Give us the address and contact for each supplier and we collect from all of them, receive the goods into the warehouse in Yiwu, check them against the order and ship them as one consignment.
Should I use FCL or LCL?
Roughly fifteen cubic metres is the crossover. Below that, LCL usually costs less overall even though the rate per cubic metre is higher. Above it, a full container is normally cheaper and faster, because the box is not opened and stripped at the UK end. Send us the volume and we will price both.
Do you handle UK customs clearance, duty and VAT?
No. We are a freight forwarder and have no UK entity, so the import declaration is made by you or by your customs agent. We provide the shipping documents needed for it, and under door to door we coordinate with your agent, but we are not the declarant and cannot act as importer of record.
Is the cargo insured?
Only under CIF, or if you have arranged your own policy. Under warehouse delivery, FOB and CF the goods travel without cover from us. On door to door, say in your request whether you want insurance included and we will quote it that way.
Have a shipment in mind?
Send the goods, the destination and the term you want. You get a written price for that term, or an honest answer that it is not the right one.