How long does sea freight from China to Japan take?

DDP sea freight is delivered 15–20 business days after sailing. It sails weekly, with the cut-off on Saturday and sailing on Wednesday, subject to booking; the warehouse takes goods daily until 18:00 (Beijing Time).

I have 80 kg. Air or sea?

Air. Sea DDP starts at 101 kg, so 21–100 kg goes by air, delivered in 5–7 business days. From 51 kg air is billed at the reference price, from CN¥27/kg.

When is a full container worth it?

From around 25 m³. A 20GP is about 33 m³ inside and loads about 25–28 m³; a 40HQ is about 76 m³ and loads about 65–68 m³. FCL is quoted on request.

Why is my light cargo billed at a higher weight?

Both lanes bill the greater of actual and volumetric weight, L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. One cubic metre counts as 166.7 kg, so bulky, light cartons are billed on volume.

Can I send part by air and the rest by sea?

Yes. A common approach is to send a first batch by air to start selling, then restock in bulk by sea.

Air or Sea Freight from China to Japan?

Should you ship from China to Japan by air or by sea? Air freight is delivered in 5–7 business days; sea freight takes 15–20 business days after sailing and costs far less per kg. On Shenma Fastship's DDP lanes both include Japanese duty and import consumption tax and deliver to the door.

The choice comes down to weight, volume and how soon you need the stock. Reference prices for general cargo: air from CN¥27/kg (min. 51 kg) and sea from CN¥18/kg (min. 101 kg). The quote for your goods is binding.

Air vs Sea at a Glance

Transit: air delivered in 5–7 business days; sea 15–20 business days after sailing
Cut-off: air daily at 16:00 (Beijing Time); sea daily at 18:00 at the warehouse, with a weekly sailing (cut-off Saturday, sails Wednesday, subject to booking)
Minimum: air 21 kg per shipment, each carton counted as at least 10 kg; sea 101 kg
Price per kg, general cargo: air from CN¥27/kg (min. 51 kg) (21–50 kg costs more per kg); sea from CN¥18/kg (min. 101 kg)
Cartons on sea DDP: three sides adding up to less than 160 cm, longest side 90 cm at most, up to 30 kg each, one SKU per carton
Both: duty and consumption tax included, volumetric weight L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000

A Rule of Thumb by Weight

Under 21 kg: Sagawa parcel, priced per 0.5 kg
21–100 kg: air freight
From 101 kg and not urgent: sea freight
Around 25 m³ or more: a full container (FCL), quoted on request

Which Cargo Suits Which

Air: samples, first batches of new products, stock-out restocks, small high-value goods
Sea: bulk restocks, furniture, home goods and other heavy or bulky cargo
Both: test a small batch by air, then restock in bulk by sea
Branded clothing, shoes, bags and hats are quoted separately

Frequently Asked Questions

Warehouses

Dongguan
Building 3, No. 4 Chenwu East Road, Houjie Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
Shenzhen
Unit 101, No. 6 Ruikang Road, Hangcheng Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Yiwu
No. 755 Xuefeng West Road, Beiyuan Subdistrict, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
Xiamen
Unit 7-106A, Phase II, Jiasheng Logistics Park, Pulin Road, Guankou Town, Jimei District, Xiamen, Fujian, China
Fuzhou
No. 41 Dutou, Menkou Village, Xiangqian Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
Ningbo
West No. 2, Terminal 2, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Shanghai
Building B7, Lane 3199 Jiasong Middle Road, Huaxin Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China
Qingdao
Unit 101, Building 4, China Eastern Logistics Park, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, Jiaozhou, Qingdao, Shandong, China

We run our own pickup points across China, so we can collect from your door quickly wherever you are. Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao handle our highest volumes, so dropping off there is fast too.

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