Shipping from China to USA comes down to two modes: sea for volume and air for speed, with customs, duties, and inland delivery to arrange on top. Platton is the China to USA freight forwarder that runs all of it on one file: ocean freight and air freight, customs, drayage, and delivery, from factory pickup in China through the US port to your warehouse or Amazon fulfillment center. You get one point of contact, pricing locked at booking, and live tracking on every shipment.
China is the most-shipped import lane into the US, and it is also the one with the most that can go wrong: Section 301 duties, transpacific congestion, and documentation that holds cargo at the port. Platton runs the whole lane as one managed service, so you are not coordinating a forwarder, a broker, and a trucker separately.
Booking, export documentation, the ocean or air leg, US customs, drayage, and final delivery all sit on one file. You track the shipment in one place instead of chasing status across vendors, and one invoice covers the move.
ISF filing, the customs entry, and CBP release run through licensed customs brokers on the same file as the freight. Documents are checked before the vessel arrives, so cargo clears on schedule instead of sitting on a hold.
You get one specialist on the account and live milestones from origin loading through customs release to delivery. When something shifts on the transpacific route, you hear it from us before it becomes a cost.
Before Chinese New Year and in the Q4 rush, space tightens and spot rates spike. Platton's direct carrier relationships hold confirmed space on the China lanes, so your cargo moves at a rate you agreed to at booking.
Ocean freight is the default for China imports: the lowest cost per unit for anything that is not urgent. Platton books FCL and LCL on every major transpacific lane, with confirmed carrier space and full documentation coordination.
Full container load gives you a dedicated 20-foot, 40-foot, 40-foot high cube, or 45-foot high cube container. It is the right call once you have the volume to fill or nearly fill a box, with a lower cost per unit and fewer touches than LCL. Platton holds direct carrier contracts for stable rates and protected space on the main China ports.
Less than container load shares a container with other shippers and is billed by cubic meter, which fits smaller volumes that do not justify a full box. Platton runs weekly consolidations from Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Ningbo, either CFS-to-CFS or full door-to-door. If you source from several suppliers, buyers consolidation combines them into one container before it sails.
Platton ships from every major China gateway, including Shanghai, Shenzhen (Yantian), Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, and Guangzhou. On the US side, cargo lands at LA and Long Beach, New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Seattle and Tacoma, Houston, and Oakland, with drayage and delivery inland from there.
Air freight from China moves in days instead of weeks, which is worth the premium when a stockout, a product launch, or a high-value shipment cannot wait for ocean. Platton books air freight from the main China airports with confirmed space and US customs coordination built in.
Standard air freight balances cost and speed for regular shipments. Express moves the most urgent cargo on the next available flight, and charter is available for oversized or time-critical freight. Platton compares the options against your deadline and budget rather than defaulting to the first flight with space.
Cargo departs from Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), Shenzhen (SZX), and Hong Kong (HKG), the transshipment hub for South China, into US gateways including LAX, ORD, JFK, and ATL. Hong Kong routing often adds capacity and frequency for freight originating in the Pearl River Delta.
Transit time is the first thing importers ask, because it drives inventory planning. The short version: ocean runs a few weeks and air runs a few days. The ocean ranges below are port to port, before customs clearance and inland delivery, which Platton schedules on top; the air ranges are door to door.
Ocean freight to the US West Coast (Shanghai or Ningbo to LA and Long Beach) typically runs about 14 to 18 days port to port. To the US East Coast (via the Panama Canal to New York and New Jersey or Savannah) it runs about 28 to 35 days. Add a few days for customs and drayage to your door. Congestion and blank sailings can move these, which is why Platton flags at-risk shipments early.
Air freight from China to the US runs roughly 3 to 8 days door to door, depending on standard versus express service, the airport pair, and customs. Express on a direct lane is the fastest; standard consolidated air trades a day or two for a lower rate.
There is no single rate for shipping from China to the USA. The cost depends on the mode, the volume, the lane, the season, and the duty on your commodity. Platton quotes the all-in number at booking so nothing appears later. Here is what goes into it.
FCL is priced per container on the lane, so cost per unit falls as you fill the box. LCL is priced per cubic meter, which fits smaller volumes. On top of the base ocean rate sit the fuel surcharge (BAF), terminal handling charges (THC), and documentation fees. Rates move with capacity and season, and Platton locks yours at booking.
Air freight is priced by chargeable weight, the greater of actual and volumetric weight, so dense cargo is more economical by air than bulky cargo. Express costs more than standard. Platton quotes the per-kilogram rate with fuel and security surcharges included.
Beyond freight, a China shipment carries US import duty (including any Section 301 tariff on the commodity), the Merchandise Processing Fee, ISF filing, the customs entry, and customs brokerage. Duty is set by the HTS classification and is the importer's responsibility; Platton helps review the classification and gives an estimated duty figure so there are no surprises at entry.
Landed cost is freight plus duties and fees plus drayage and delivery. It is the number that actually matters for pricing your goods, and it is where importers who only compare freight rates get caught. Platton builds the full landed-cost picture at quote time, not after the container lands.
Customs is where China shipments most often stall, because Chinese goods carry Section 301 tariffs on top of the normal duty. Getting the classification and the paperwork right before the vessel arrives is what keeps cargo moving.
Every import is classified under an HTS code that sets its duty rate. The importer of record is responsible for the correct classification and for paying the duty. Platton reviews the HTS codes you provide against your product and prior entries and flags mismatches, but the final classification and duty responsibility stay with you.
Section 301 adds a tariff on many China-origin goods on top of the base duty. Lists 1 through 4A generally run 7.5% to 25%, and the 2024 US Trade Representative review raised several categories further, including electric vehicles to 100% and semiconductors to 50%. These rates change, so Platton checks the current HTSUS for your commodity rather than quoting a stale number. For a deeper duty and tariff review, customs compliance covers Section 301, duty estimates, and country-of-origin questions.
ISF is filed at least 24 hours before the vessel loads in China, and a late or inaccurate ISF carries a $5,000 penalty per violation. Platton coordinates ISF, the entry, and CBP release through licensed customs brokers, and checks the commercial invoice and packing list against the shipment before arrival, so the clearance runs on schedule.
Most importers do not want to manage the pieces of a China shipment separately. Platton runs the full door-to-door move, and offers DDP for importers who want the simplest possible arrangement.
Platton picks the cargo up at the supplier's factory in China, handles export documentation and China export clearance, and moves it to the port or airport. You do not coordinate a separate origin agent; it is the same file.
With DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), Platton coordinates everything through to your door with duty and clearance handled, so you receive the goods without touching the customs process. It is the hands-off option for importers who want a single all-in price from factory to warehouse.
For sellers sourcing from China, Platton ships directly into Amazon fulfillment centers. That covers FBA prep and labeling (FNSKU), carton and pallet compliance with Amazon's receiving requirements, delivery appointment booking, and routing to the assigned FC. You can also route through a Platton warehouse for prep or storage before the goods go inbound to Amazon, handled through Amazon FBA prep.
Every China shipment runs the same sequence, and Platton owns each handoff:
Booking and pickup: confirm the mode, book carrier space, and collect the cargo at the supplier in China.
Export and documentation: prepare the commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading, and clear China export.
Main leg: ocean or air transit to the US port or airport, with live tracking.
US customs: ISF and entry filed through licensed customs brokers, duty calculated, CBP release.
Drayage and delivery: pull the container or cargo from the port and deliver to your warehouse, DC, or Amazon FC.
Ocean freight runs about 14 to 18 days to the US West Coast and about 28 to 35 days to the East Coast, port to port, before customs and inland delivery. Air freight runs about 3 to 8 days door to door. The mode, the port pair, and customs set where you land in those ranges.
There is no fixed rate. Ocean FCL is priced per container, LCL per cubic meter, and air by chargeable weight, plus surcharges, duty (including Section 301), and fees. Cost depends on your volume, lane, season, and commodity. Platton quotes the all-in landed cost at booking.
Ocean freight is the cheapest per unit, and FCL is cheapest once you can fill a container. For smaller volumes, LCL or buyers consolidation keeps cost down without a full box. Air is faster but costs more, so it pays off only when speed is worth the premium.
Choose ocean when cargo is heavy or bulky and the timeline allows a few weeks, which covers most goods. Choose air when a shipment is urgent, high value for its weight, or small enough that the air premium is minor. Platton compares both for your specific shipment.
Section 301 adds a tariff on many Chinese imports on top of the base duty, generally 7.5% to 25% across Lists 1 to 4A, with higher rates on some categories after the 2024 review. The rate depends on the HTS code, and it changes, so Platton checks the current tariff for your commodity.
FCL gives you a whole container, billed per box, which is cheaper per unit once you have the volume. LCL shares a container and is billed per cubic meter, which fits smaller shipments. Platton runs both and tells you where the break-even falls for your cargo.
The core set is the commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill, plus the ISF data for ocean shipments and any product-specific certificates your regulators require. Platton prepares and checks the package so nothing is missing at customs.
Yes. By law the customs entry must be filed by a licensed customs broker. Platton coordinates the whole clearance and files through licensed customs brokers on the same file as the freight, so you deal with one team.
Yes. Platton ships from China directly into Amazon fulfillment centers, with FNSKU labeling, carton and pallet compliance, delivery appointments, and routing, or through a Platton warehouse for prep first.
DDP, Delivered Duty Paid, means Platton handles the full move including duty and customs, and delivers to your door with nothing left for you to clear. It is the simplest arrangement, with one all-in price from factory to warehouse.
Ocean from Shanghai, Shenzhen (Yantian), Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, and Guangzhou; air from Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), Shenzhen (SZX), and Hong Kong (HKG). If your supplier ships from another Chinese port, Platton arranges the origin leg to it.
FCL and LCL on every transpacific lane.
standard, express, and charter from China.
ISF, entry, and CBP release through licensed customs brokers.
Section 301, duty estimates, and HTS review.
port pickup and container delivery after customs release.
prep, labeling, and inbound to Amazon.
the other Asia lanes Platton runs.
the other Asia lanes Platton runs.
