Express Shipping
from China, door-to-door in days.
We book DHL, UPS and FedEx express services at forwarder rates — roughly 30–50% below public list prices — and manage the customs side for importers, e-commerce sellers and Amazon FBA businesses.
Door-to-door pricing within one hour. B2B shipments only.
When a B2B buyer in Hamburg needs samples from a Shenzhen supplier inside three working days, express shipping from China is the only option that gets there in time. This page covers how much express shipping from China costs per kilogram, how long it takes, and when it beats air freight or sea freight for your shipment.
What is express shipping from China?
Express shipping means the integrated courier networks — DHL, UPS and FedEx — collecting a shipment from your supplier’s door, clearing export and import customs, and delivering to the final address on a single tracking number. In freight terms, it’s the fastest tier but also the most expensive per kilogram. It sits above air freight from China, which needs a 21 kg minimum, and well above sea freight from China, which only makes sense once you cross roughly 100 kg.
Speed when it matters
The fastest way to move a shipment — often 1–5 working days door-to-door. Ideal for samples, replacement parts and time-critical stock.
Below the 21 kg threshold
Air freight needs a 21 kg minimum — express doesn’t. It’s the only urgent option for small, lightweight shipments.
Clearance handled
Export and import clearance is built in. Choose DDP and we pay duty and VAT on your behalf — no surprises at the door.
B2B clients only. We handle commercial samples, replacement parts, small production runs and time-critical stock — not personal luggage or individual parcels. Moving 8 kg of prototypes to a buyer in the US? That’s us. Sending a suitcase home? That’s not.
Express shipping transit times
Door-to-door estimates for standard express shipments collected in Shenzhen. Actual time depends on the courier, origin city and how smoothly destination customs clears the shipment.
| Destination | Door-to-door transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3–4 working days | Formal entry now applies to all China shipments |
| United Kingdom | 3–5 working days | VAT handled at checkout for consignments under £135 |
| Germany / EU | 3–5 working days | B2B low-value goods now need formal H1 declaration |
| Canada | 3–4 working days | Customs and tax requirements vary; confirm before shipping |
| Mexico | 5–7 working days | Customs and tax requirements vary; confirm before shipping |
| Australia | 1–3 working days | Customs and tax requirements vary; confirm before shipping |
| New Zealand | 1–3 working days | Customs and tax requirements vary; confirm before shipping |
Peak season adds 1–3 days. The weeks around Black Friday, Christmas and the run-up to Chinese New Year are the worst. If your deadline is fixed, book early and don’t cut the estimate close.
Express shipping cost per kg
Express is priced by chargeable weight — the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight = L × W × H in cm ÷ 5,000.
10 kg box, 40×30×20 cm
Volumetric weight is (40×30×20) ÷ 5,000 = 4.8 kg, so you’re billed at the actual 10 kg.
6 kg bulky item, 60×50×40 cm
Volumetric weight comes to 24 kg — so you pay for 24 kg, not 6. Repacking to cut dead volume is often the fastest way to lower the bill.
Cut dead volume first
Before switching carriers, tightening packaging is usually the cheapest and fastest way to reduce your express invoice.
| Weight bracket | Typical rate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 – 20 kg | USD 24 – 220 | Highest per-kg rate; a minimum charge applies |
| 21 – 99 kg | USD 225 – 797 | Volume discount kicks in around 21 kg |
| 100+ kg | ~USD 780 | Often worth comparing against air freight here |
These are forwarder rates, not walk-up prices. Our express rates run roughly 30–50% below public list rates because we move volume and pass the discount on. Fuel surcharges, remote-area fees and customs disbursement sit on top, so we quote door-to-door rather than per-kilogram in isolation.
DHL vs UPS vs FedEx from China
The right courier depends on destination and shipment profile. There is no single best answer, but here is how we pick in practice. We quote all three and recommend the one that fits the lane.
DHL Express
Best for: Europe, Middle East, most of Asia.
Strongest EU network, predictable clearance, good for B2B.
UPS
Best for: United States, Canada.
Fast and reliable on North America; strong for heavier small parcels.
FedEx
Best for: US, EU and budget-sensitive lanes.
Often the cheapest courier from China to the UK on lighter consignments.
We optimise for speed and predictability, not a logo. Most customers care more about reliability than the name on the box — so we quote all three carriers and recommend the one that fits, rather than pushing a single courier.
Express vs air freight vs sea freight
Most confusion we see comes from mixing up these three modes. Two thresholds decide everything: air freight starts at 21 kg (below that you can’t book it at all), and sea freight only becomes cost-effective around 100 kg. Express is fastest, air freight is the middle ground, and sea freight is slowest but cheapest.
| Weight | Fastest | Balanced | Lowest cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 21 kg | Express | — | Sea freight (pricey per kg, fine if you can wait) |
| 21 – 100 kg | Express | Air freight | Sea freight |
| Over 100 kg | Air freight | — | Sea freight |
Urgent or not
Urgent means express. Non-urgent means sea freight at a less attractive unit rate — air freight isn’t even an option.
Three lanes
Urgent goes express, balanced goes air freight, patient goes sea freight.
Air vs sea
Urgent goes air freight, cost-driven goes sea freight. Express stops making sense once you cross 100 kg — air freight gives you similar speed for less money.
How express shipping works
Shorter than sea or air freight because the courier handles most of it. Here’s the sequence we run on our side:
You send the details
Dimensions, weight, pickup address, destination and any value or compliance info. HS codes must be accurate — guessing here causes holds at the border.
We quote door-to-door
One number covering pickup, freight, fuel and customs handling. No surprise line items after pickup.
Pickup from your supplier
We collect in Shenzhen and across major Chinese cities, consolidate if you buy from multiple factories, and check the packaging.
Export declaration in China
We handle the Chinese export paperwork so the shipment leaves clean.
Import clearance at destination
For DDP shipments we clear and pay duty and VAT on your behalf; for DAP you handle import entry.
Final delivery & proof
Signature or POD on delivery, tracking on one number from pickup to door.
First-time importer? DDP shipping from China removes most of the friction — we take responsibility for duty and VAT so your customer isn’t surprised by a bill at the door.
Customs, duties & DDP by destination
This matters more than the freight itself. The low-value exemptions that used to let small shipments through without duty are disappearing — and the B2B rules are what actually affect you.
The $800 exemption was cancelled for China and Hong Kong goods on 2 May 2025. A global suspension followed on 29 August 2025, it stayed paused through 2026, and it becomes permanent on 1 July 2027.
Every shipment from China to the US, no matter how small, now needs formal or informal entry and duty. Budget for it on every parcel — there’s no more “under $800, no duty” shortcut.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection — verified Aug 2026.
Standard VAT is 20%. Consignments at or under £135 have VAT collected at the point of sale by the seller or marketplace; above that, import VAT and any duty are due on entry.
Post-Brexit the UK sits outside the EU system, so a separate UK EORI is required for commercial imports.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs — verified Aug 2026.
B2B low-value goods no longer qualify for simplified H7 clearance and must use the formal H1 declaration. That’s the real operational shift — the reason to use a forwarder who files correctly.
Source: European Commission — IOSS — verified Aug 2026.
EU detail worth knowing: a €3 temporary customs duty (per declaration line) runs from 2026-07-01 to 2028-07-01 — mostly a B2C distance-sales measure, and mostly noise for B2B clients. A separate handling fee is set in autumn 2026 and not yet in force. For Germany specifically, see our shipping from China to Germany page.
Express shipping for Amazon FBA
Express works as a top-up channel for FBA — moving a small urgent batch into a fulfilment centre when sea freight is too slow and you haven’t hit the 21 kg air freight minimum. See our Amazon FBA prep page for the full first-leg options.
Restricted & sensitive goods
Batteries (especially lithium), liquids and cosmetics are the usual offenders — extra paperwork, higher surcharges, and in some lanes outright restrictions. For lithium batteries, send the spec before booking: they need UN38.3 documentation and a carrier that accepts the commodity on your lane. If it’s not a plain box of dry goods, tell us before you book.
Express shipping FAQ
How long does express shipping from China take? +
How much does express shipping from China cost per kg? +
What is the cheapest courier from China to the UK? +
What is the difference between express shipping and air freight? +
Do I have to pay customs duty on express shipments from China? +
Can you ship lithium batteries by express from China? +
Need a door-to-door quote?
Send the dimensions, weight and destination — we’ll come back with forwarder-rate pricing within one hour.
Get your free quote →