How To Ship Chemicals From China?
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Once chemical importers have found the reliable and right chemical supplier, they will confirm the order and arrange payment.
Finally, there is the shipment of chemicals from China to destination countries. The illustration above shows three basic options for chemical shipment.
1. By Air
2. By Sea
3. Inland Shipping.
We will break them down step by step.
Before we start, let’s clarify: Will your freight forwarder charge you by weight or volume?
How Is The Shipping Cost Calculated?
If you ship chemicals by air, courier companies such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS, there will be a 100 extra cost to apply for a Certificate of Safe Air Transportation.
Still, shipping companies will calculate the air shipping cost against the “weight.”
This weight could either be the actual weight of the goods or the volume weight.
Shipping companies charge against the bigger ones.
The equation for volume weight is volume/5000 (divided by 5000), and you calculate the actual volume with CM as the length unit.
For example, if you pack your chemicals in one box with dimensions of 40CM*50CM*60CM, your package’s gross weight is 15kg.
Now let’s do the math: 40*40*60/5000=24kg>15kg.
So shipping companies will charge you 24kg for the shipping cost rather than 15kg.
Estimated shipping cost=90CNY/kg*24=2160CNY+Additional fees from the shipping company.
Please note that this 2160cny has a special discount, about 70% of the official price from TNT.
So you may have to pay (3366/0.7)/6.9=697 USD if you use your TNT account for freight to collect.
1. How To Ship Chemicals By Air
Due to its high cost, shipping chemicals by air is generally for orders in smaller quantities than the other two options, from grams to hundreds of kilos.
Shipping chemicals by air (from airport to airport) would require a Certificate for the safe transport of goods or a certificate of safe transport of chemical goods.
More than one authority can issue certificates, such as DGM, SIMT, etc, Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry Testing Co., Ltd.
You can check one copy of the certificate of safe air transport below for Iron dextran issued by SIMT.
Please note: you need a certificate for all chemicals shipped by air; one copy costs about 100 USD.
Some chemicals, such as Type 3 and 4 hazardous chemicals, are not categorized as safe and suitable for air shipping. The following article will explain how chemicals are classified.
1.1. By airplane (From Airport-To-Airport)
Shipment by airplane always requires a formal customs declaration from China Customs.
However small the value of the good is, exporters must provide the whole set of documents for customs declaration.
Shipping costs by airplane are comparatively lower than those of courier companies like FedEx and DHL.
It is not 100% true when FedEx or DHL gives significant discounts for a certain period.
1.2. By Courier (From Door-To-Door)
1.2.1 FedEx:
The most often chosen courier for international shipment of chemicals.
1). Punctual
2). On-time tracking
3). Competitive prices
4). Medium Customs Clearance Ability
5). Requiring The Certificate of safe transportation by air
1.2.2 DHL:
Our second favorite is slightly more expensive than FedEx but is more punctual and has more straightforward import clearance. (In Dec. 2019, DHL from Hangzhou almost stopped shipping chemicals)
1.2.3 UPS:
The most expensive one, we barely use.
1.2.4 TNT:
Similar to FedEx in every aspect, we prefer FedEx :-).
1.2.5 EMS:
1) Very unpunctual.
2) No On-time Tracking.
3) similar costs for specific areas.
4): The highest chance to pass customs.
5) No certificate of safe transport is needed (Since Dec. 2019, EMS stopped shipping chemicals to many countries till today).
1.2.6 Aramex & Other:
These routes are minimal.
They only ship to the Middle-Eastern areas and require a certificate of safe air transport later on.
They seem to stop shipping chemicals nowadays.
The difference between shipping by air and courier is that a Courier can either ship a minimal quantity of chemicals as a cheap sample or formally declare it in Chinese Customs.
However, shipping by air requires a formal customs declaration for any amount of goods.
2. How To Ship Chemicals By Sea
We divide shipments by sea into 3 categories: FCL, LCL, and others.
You also need a certificate of safe transportation by sea to ship your goods, and this certificate will indicate the chemical type of your goods: dangerous or non-hazardous.
The general process is as follows:
2.1 Who chooses shipment by sea?
Sea freight is often chosen by importers buying chemicals in large quantities in bulk.
Shipping by sea is the cheapest shipping method.
Sea freight should be your most cost-effective option if you import many chemicals.
2.2 Sea Freight vs. Shipment by Air.
Shipping chemicals by sea from China, shipping companies, or your shipping agents would require a Certificate of safe transport similar to that for air transport, but not all shipping companies.
Instead, they would request a Guarantee letter for non-dangerous goods from Shipper.
Shippers must pack hazardous chemicals with hazardous packings, such as UN packing to load the goods.
With special packing, they can ship all types of dangerous chemicals.
The couriers or express companies do not ship hazardous goods, such as the most common types of type 6, type 9, etc.
Of course, dangerous chemicals have higher costs compared to common goods.
3. Ship Chemicals By In-land Vehicles
For Inland shipping of chemicals, it is suitable for neighboring countries connected by land and not divided by oceans, such as countries with roads or railways.
It is the safest shipping method for chemicals among all the 3, so theoretically, you can ship any chemicals this way.
If you have any different ideas on those shipping methods, comment.
If you are fed up with your current shipping agents, we can recommend you the best agents we know for a change.
This is a well-detailed and informative guide on shipping chemicals from China. The breakdown of air, sea, and inland shipping options—along with the cost calculations and certificate requirements—makes it incredibly helpful for importers handling sensitive goods. I especially appreciate the clarity on hazardous versus non-hazardous classifications and customs documentation. Choosing the right method based on volume, safety, and cost is critical. For chemical importers, this post truly simplifies a complex process. Great resource for businesses expanding internationally!
Thank you for your kind comment, importing chemicals and APIs from China is getting more complicated than before, you have to find the professional suppliers and shipping agents to avoid any customs delays.