Shipping a container of building materials from China
The factory price is only part of the landed cost. This page walks through freight, packing, documents and duties so you can budget the whole delivery, not just the goods.
FCL or LCL?
FCL (full container load) is your own 20ft or 40ft box, sealed at our warehouse and opened at your door. It is safer for fragile goods and usually cheaper per m³ once you pass about 12–15 m³. LCL (less than container load) shares a container with other shippers; it works for small orders of lighting, hardware or samples, but tiles and sanitary ware suffer from repeated handling. Most villa projects fill one 20ft (tiles + bathrooms) or one 40ft (full finishing package).
What goes into the landed cost
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goods (EXW / FOB) | – | Factory invoice; FOB includes delivery to the port and export clearance |
| Consolidation & export packing | USD 150 – 600 per container | Warehouse handling, pallets, corner protection, film, crates for glass and stone |
| Inland trucking to port | USD 150 – 350 | Foshan to Nansha or Shekou (Shenzhen) |
| Ocean freight 20ft / 40ft | USD 800 – 3,500 | Varies by destination and season; we quote at booking |
| Origin port charges & documents | USD 200 – 400 | THC, seal, bill of lading, customs declaration |
| Marine insurance | 0.2 – 0.5% of value | Always worth it for stone, glass and sanitary ware |
| Destination charges | USD 300 – 900 | THC, delivery order, customs brokerage, trucking to site |
| Import duty & VAT/GST | By HS code | Calculated on CIF value in most countries; we can suggest HS codes for you to confirm with your customs broker |
Packing that survives the trip
Tiles on wooden pallets with corner boards and strapping; sanitary ware in 5-layer cartons with inserts, never stacked more than the carton marking allows; glass and stone in ISPM-15 crates, upright, with moisture absorbers; windows in A-frames; lighting and hardware as top load. We photograph every pallet and the container at 25%, 50%, 75% and full, and send the photos with the packing list.
Documents you will receive
- Commercial invoice and packing list (with HS codes, gross/net weights and volumes)
- Bill of lading (telex release or original, as your bank requires)
- Certificate of origin (Form A / general CO, or a preferential CO under an FTA where applicable)
- Fumigation or ISPM-15 statement for wooden packing
- Test reports or certificates required by your customs (e.g. CE, SASO, water absorption for tiles)
Timeline
Booking 7–10 days before the goods are ready; cut-off 2–3 days before sailing; transit 12–20 days to the Middle East, 20–30 days to Europe and the US East Coast, 25–35 days to South America and Africa; customs clearance 2–5 days. Plan 6–8 weeks from container loading to material on site.
Incoterms in plain language
EXW – you collect at the factory (avoid; export clearance becomes your problem). FOB – the factory delivers to the ship; you pay freight and everything after. CIF – the seller pays freight and insurance to your port; you clear customs. DAP/DDP – delivered to your address, with or without duties paid. We usually buy FOB from factories and arrange freight to your port or door ourselves, so one party is responsible for the whole chain.
Get a landed-cost estimate
Send your material list and destination port. We return a full estimate: goods, packing, freight, documents and an indication of duties.
Container capacity cheat sheet
20ft: ~28 m³ / 24 t – about 900–1,100 m² of 800×800 tiles.
40ft: ~58 m³ / 26–28 t – tiles plus a full bathroom and lighting package.
40ft HC: ~68 m³ – windows, doors, cabinets and light goods.
Planning to buy building materials in Foshan?
Tell us what you need and when you plan to come. We aim to reply the same business day with a realistic plan, price ranges and which markets to visit.