There are many ways of moving goods from China to Singapore either by air or by ship, unfortunately transporting goods by road is not possible.
In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about shipping goods from China to Singapore, including key points on the necessary regulations.
When trying to find the cheapest shipping from China to Singapore there are many factors to consider, such as time, cost and location.
How long does it take to ship from China to Singapore?
It is quicker to transport your goods by plane than by ship when shipping between China and Singapore. Any type of ship travels at an average speed of 35km/hour, while a plane can reach 900km/hour. If you are in a hurry then shipping from China to Singapore by air might be the better option.
The shipping route from China to Singapore goes along China’s east coast and along Singapore’s west coast. When considering where to load your goods, you should choose the port that is closest to your warehouse. Before you set off, you will also need to add supplementary rail and road times to your journey.
The table below shows the estimated shipping times from China to Singapore by sea:
Major ports in China
Below is a list of the major ports In China to ship your goods from:
Fang Chenggang
Haikou, Basuo
Dalian
Zhenjiang
Jiangyin
Qinhuangdao
Tianjin
Yantai
Weihai
Qingdao
Rizhao
Lianyungang
Zhoushan
Nantong
Nanjing
Shanghai
Ningbo
Taizhou (North of Wenzhou)
Wenzhou
Changle
Quanzhou
Xiamen
Shantou
Jieyang
Guangzhou
Zhuhai, Shenzhen
Zhanjiang
Beihai
Sanya
Yingkou
Jinzhou
Taizhou (South of Wenzhou).
Major ports in Singapore
Below is a list of the major ports in Singapore to ship your goods to:
Tanjong Pagar
Pasir Panjang
Sembawang
Brani
Jurong
Sembawang
Chinese holidays
If you are shipping your goods from China to Singapore during holiday season, be sure to keep in mind that this will typically add extra time to the shipping. This is especially so when shipping from China to Singapore during the Chinese New Year holiday, since both countries will be on public holidays.
Chinese New Year is usually for about 2 weeks in China. During those two weeks, goods cannot be shipped out. Goods already shipped out will continue the shipping process as per normal. There is also a national holiday for one week between October 1 and October 7.
Peak season for China exports is usually one month to Chinese New Year in January, and the third quarter of every year when goods are shipped from China to Singapore for Halloween, school term-time and Christmas.
What is LCL and FCL Shipping?
In sea freight shipping, LCL stands for Less than Container Load (LCL) and is suitable for shipping a small amount of goods from China to Singapore. If you choose LCL shipping, your goods will share a container with other products, and it is likely they will be handled or move more than if you choose the Full Container Load (FCL) shipping.
LCL shipping is a good choice if your goods are suitable for being shipped in a shared container, not urgently required, and if the goods occupy less than six standard pallets.
FCL shipping on the other hand involves paying a flat rate for rental and transportation of a shipping container from China to Singapore. For large consignments, it is usually the most cost-effective shipping option, occupying at least six pallets in a 20ft container or 12 standard pallets in a 40ft container.
FCL shipping is a good option if your goods must arrive in Singapore by a specific time and date. It’s also a good option if you can fill half the capacity of a standard 20ft shipping container and if your goods are unable to be shipped in a shared container.
Can I Ship from China to Singapore by sea freight on a door to door basis?
Yes. Freight forwarders like CNXtrans which specialize in shipping from China to Singapore have access to special shipping channels that offer full door to door sea freight shipping from China to Singapore which come inclusive of customs clearance and delivery all the way to your address in Singapore. This means that you will not need to hire a customs broker in Singapore. The entire shipment from China to Singapore will ba handled for you on a door to door basis.
How long does it take to ship from China to Singapore by air?
It can take anything from 5 to 14 days to ship your goods from China to Singapore by air, below are some examples of air cargo shipping times from China to Singapore Changi International Airport.
From Guangzhou or Nanjing — 7 days
From Shanghai-Pudong or Shenzhen — 5 days
From Wuhan — 14 days
From Xiamen — 6 days
Should I ship from China to Singapore by air or sea freight?
Generally speaking, because both countries are part of East Asia, sea freight shipping from China to Singapore does not take very long - anywhere between 12-20 days depending on the time of year and the industry conditions at that time.
Therefore, as a long as a shipment is moderately large, unless a shipment is very urgent, it would normally make sense to ship from China to Singapore by sea freight. Shipping from China to Singapore by sea freight is not like shipping from China to North America or Europe where sea freight shipments tend to take longer. Shipping to Singapore or anywhere in southeast asia is generally much quicker and therefore it would only make sense to pay the premium for air freight if the shipment is very urgent.
How large is moderately large? We would generally say about 40-50kg. If your shipment is at least 40kg (all the way to a few thousand kg) and not particularly urgent (where you need in it in a matter of a few days), then it would make more sense to ship by sea freight from China to Singapore.
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