1
Express courier
Best for samples and small runs. Door to door in a few days, with customs handled by the courier. The cost per kilo is the highest of the three, so it suits a few cartons rather than a pallet.
Fastest
Wholesale · Shipping
How orders ship and clear customs
Three ways out of Dongguan, the documents that travel with your boxes, and what DDP and DDU actually change for you.
Freight options
Three ways to ship.
The right choice depends on volume and how soon you need the boxes on shelf.
2
Air freight
A middle option for orders too large for courier and too urgent for sea. Transit is measured in days, and the shipment is charged on chargeable weight — the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight.
Middle
3
Sea freight
The cheapest per unit for volume orders. Transit is measured in weeks, and packaging is bulky, so most full production runs ship this way. Port-to-port or door-to-door depending on your terms.
Cheapest per unit
4
Documents & duties
A commercial invoice and packing list travel with every shipment; certificates are added when the destination or product requires them. Duty and tax depend on the destination country and the classification of the goods.
Paperwork
Shipping
How packaging behaves in transit.
A box that looks right on a table can still arrive dented. Four things decide whether it does.
1
Flat or assembled
Folding cartons and mailers ship flat and take far less volume. Rigid boxes are assembled by hand and ship assembled, so they cost more to move.
Volume
2
Cartons, not boxes
Freight is quoted on outer cartons. How many finished boxes fit in one carton is set by the box size and how it is packed, not by weight.
Packing
3
Volumetric weight
Air and express charge the greater of actual and volumetric weight. A light but bulky box is priced on the space it takes.
Air & express
4
Protection in the pack
Inserts, tissue and dividers stop movement inside the box. They are cheaper than replacing a damaged order.
Protection
Planning
Count back from your in-store date.
Worked example for a 1 December shelf date: sample, production, freight and clearance, counted backwards.
1
01 · Start with the date
Write down the day the boxes must be on shelf or in the warehouse — not the day you would like to order.
Day 0
2
02 · Subtract clearance and freight
Sea freight from Shenzhen is measured in weeks; air in days. Customs and duty add time at destination, and DDP shipments clear before delivery.
Weeks to days
3
03 · Subtract production
10-20 working days after sample approval. Working days exclude weekends and public holidays, and factory closures around major holidays are confirmed on your quote.
10-20 days
4
04 · Subtract sample approval
About five days for the sample plus courier time, then however long your own team needs to sign it off. That final block is the one buyers forget.
About 5 days +
Terms and packing
DDP
Delivered duty paid: the seller arranges carriage, duty and tax, and the buyer receives the goods without a customs step.
DDU / DAP
Delivered duty unpaid: the seller delivers to the destination, but duty and tax are settled by the buyer on arrival.
Packing for transit
Boxes ship flat where possible, assembled orders are packed in outer cartons, and every lot is checked before it leaves the factory.
Buyer questions
Shipping questions.
Methods, paperwork and what happens if something goes wrong.
Send your product size and quantity and we will answer with specifics.
Next in this guide
Shipping decides when it arrives. The next guide covers how to check the factory before you order.
Get a quote
Ask about shipping
Send your destination, quantity and deadline. We reply within 12 hours.
Email
sales@boxeschina.com
Phone
+86 132 1510 9191
Factory
Weiyuan Road, Humen Town
Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523900
Hours
Mon-Fri, 9:00-18:00 (Beijing time)
Inquiry
Send the details
Share your product, size and quantity.