How to compare the cost of a shipment from China
·13 min read read·Delivery Pro China
Shipments from China should be compared by the final cost of the batch at your own warehouse, not by the per-kilogram rate. The rate covers one leg of the chain – the international carriage – while nine more blocks end up on the invoice: domestic delivery within China, payment to the supplier, goods receipt, inspection, packing, insurance, documents, last mile, idle time and storage.
- What we compare
- the total at your warehouse, not the tariff
- Blocks in the cost structure
- 10
- Minimum shipment
- Terms depend on the shipment
- Road freight density threshold
- 100 kg/m³
- Quote validity
- 7 days. Rates change, so compare quotes that are valid on the same date.
Two quotes are comparable only when they cover the same cargo, the same route and the same set of operations. Everything else is a comparison of different things that merely share a unit of measurement.
Why the per-kilogram rate is not the cost of a shipment
The per-kilogram rate describes the price of one leg – the international carriage from the warehouse in China to the destination city. That is roughly half of the operations in a shipment, and not always the more expensive half. Before carriage the goods have to be paid for, collected from the supplier, received, inspected and prepared for transport. Afterwards they have to be documented, brought to the city and unloaded.
Rate logic is convenient for whoever is selling the service: a single figure is easy to compare by ear. The problem is that outside that figure there remain operations which someone will still perform and pay for. If the operator does not do them, you do – with your time, your manager and your losses on defects.
From this follows a simple point: the per-kilogram rate is not a price but a parameter inside a calculation. The question of what a batch costs is answered only by the sum of all blocks, carried through to unloading at your own warehouse.
It is also worth remembering that the rate is unstable. In 2026 carriage rates changed more than 10 times, so every calculation has a shelf life – ours is 7 days. Comparing on the basis of a rate that no longer exists is meaningless even as a method.
Full cost structure of a shipment
Below is the complete list of blocks that make up the cost of a regular shipment. In a particular batch some blocks may be zero – what matters is that each one is deliberately set to zero rather than forgotten during the comparison.
| Cost block | What it covers | What it depends on | How it behaves on the invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic delivery within China | Collection of cargo from the supplier or the market, intercity carriage to the warehouse in Guangzhou, unloading | Distance to the factory, number of suppliers, weight and volume, urgency | Grows with the number of suppliers: every separate collection is a separate invoice |
| Payment to the supplier | Transfer of funds to the supplier, conversion, payment channel fees, confirmation of payment | Payment amount, currency, the supplier's requirements as to the form of payment | Often not shown as a separate line but built into the conversion rate |
| Goods receipt and warehouse operations | Unloading, piece count, labelling, put-away, assembly of a batch from several deliveries | Number of pieces, number of suppliers, waiting time at the warehouse | Appears as a separate line only where the warehouse is the operator's own |
| Inspection of the goods | Reconciliation of SKUs and quantities, sample opening, recording of damage, photo report | Depth of inspection, product range, number of SKUs | Costs money before dispatch and saves it afterwards – but only if the inspection took place |
| Packing and palletising | Repacking of weak factory packaging, strapping, stretch wrap, corner protectors, pallets, transport labelling | Fragility of the goods, delivery scheme, carrier requirements | Adds weight and volume, which means it also affects the carriage price |
| International carriage | The leg from the warehouse in China to the destination city | Destination, product category, cargo density, delivery scheme | This is the per-kilogram rate – one block out of ten |
| Cargo insurance | Cover on the international carriage leg | Declared value of the goods, route, cargo category | Calculated from the value of the goods, not from the weight |
| Documents and formalities | Invoice, packing list, transport documents and, under official import, declaration and payments to the state budget | Delivery scheme, country of import, product code | Minimal under cargo, a separate major block under official import |
| Last mile | Delivery from the terminal in the destination city to your warehouse, unloading | City, distance to the warehouse, need for unloading work | Often left outside the quote and surfaces at the very end |
| Idle time and storage | Waiting for the batch to be completed, vehicle idle time; at some operators – a storage fee from a certain day | Supplier discipline, batch assembly time, seasonality | The only block that grows with time rather than with the cargo |
Note the last row. Idle time and storage are the price of desynchronisation between suppliers, and it is not visible in any rate. At the warehouse in Guangzhou this block is manageable: the batch waits to be completed in one place instead of travelling as three separate shipments.
Three of the ten blocks have nothing to do with carriage at all. Payment to the supplier, inspection of the goods and consolidation of several suppliers are work on procurement, not on the cargo. These are the ones most often dropped from the comparison, simply because a freight forwarder does not have them in its service range.
Cargo density and volumetric weight: the mechanics, and why the invoice grows at the same weight
A carrier sells not only kilograms but also space in a vehicle or a container. That is why the invoice is based not on physical weight but on chargeable weight – the greater of the actual and the volumetric weight. On road routes the calculation threshold is 100 kg/m³: denser cargo is charged on actual weight, lighter cargo on volume. On air express there is no threshold at all: a place is charged by volumetric weight, and the coefficient is set by the carrier's rate card on the specific route.
From this follows a rule that is not obvious to a buyer: two batches of 300 kg each can differ in cost by several times. At a threshold of 100 kg/m³, if one takes up 0.6 cubic metres and the other 3 cubic metres, the second one travels as cargo several times heavier. The goods have not become heavier – they have become bulkier, and you are paying for the space taken up.
Density is weight divided by volume, kilograms per cubic metre. The lower the density, the higher the likelihood that the invoice will be calculated by volume; on road routes the threshold is 100 kg/m³. Below are typical situations in which the total grows at the same weight.
- Goods in large cardboard packaging with a lot of empty space inside
- Plastic and textile items – low density with noticeable volume
- Sets and kits in gift packaging: the packaging takes up more space than the goods themselves
- Cargo that cannot be stacked: the space above it is paid for anyway
- Replacement of weak factory packaging with something sturdier and bulkier
- A mixed batch where one bulky SKU sets the dimensions of the whole piece
If you give two operators different dimensions, or none at all, the chargeable weight will come out different and the comparison falls apart before the carriage even starts. The weight and dimensions of each piece need to be recorded once and the same data given to both.
Practical conclusion: before requesting prices it is worth measuring and weighing a typical piece once. At goods receipt we do this for every batch and pass on the actual figures, so from then on the calculation is built on real dimensions rather than on the supplier's data.
What is usually not included in the initial rate
This is the most common reason for the gap between the promised and the final figure. Below are the blocks that most often appear after the quote has been agreed, when the cargo is already at the warehouse or already in transit.
- Collection of cargo from the supplier, especially if the supplier is not in Guangzhou
- Fees and conversion losses on the payment to the supplier – usually hidden in the exchange rate
- Goods receipt and piece count at the warehouse in China
- Inspection of the goods and a photo report: the basic cargo rate does not include this
- Repacking, strapping, pallets and transport labelling
- The difference between actual and volumetric weight: the rate is quoted per kilogram, but the invoice comes by chargeable weight
- Cargo insurance on the carriage leg
- A storage fee from a certain day – at operators where storage is charged; we have no paid storage
- The last mile from the terminal to your warehouse and unloading work
- Payments to the state budget and declaration services under official import
- Re-shipment of missing items as a separate parcel
None of these items is an abuse in itself: each is real work that someone performs. The problem arises when an item is not named at the comparison stage. So the first question to ask about a quote is not how much, but what is included and what is not.
What do the operations before and after carriage cost?
Some components can already be entered into the calculation as specific figures. Below are our prices for packing and cargo collection within China, together with the amount of the carrier's mandatory insurance cover. Data as at 20.08.2026; a quote for a batch is valid for 7 days.
| Operation | Price | Effect on the calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Bag and tape | 5 $ per package | Basic protection for the cardboard; weight and volume hardly increase |
| Cardboard corner with a bag | 6 $ per package | Needed when packages are stacked in several tiers |
| Wooden crate for small boxes | 15–25 $ | For fragile packages: allow for the added volume after crating |
| Crated pallet | 30 $ per cubic metre | Volume increases, so the chargeable weight increases as well |
| Cargo collection within China | At the carrier's actual charge or a surcharge of 20–50 $ | Multiplied by the number of suppliers if there is no consolidation |
| Storage at the warehouse in Guangzhou | No storage charge | The batch waits to be completed without a daily surcharge |
| Mandatory insurance cover | Kazakhstan by road – 5 $ per kg; for the other routes we confirm the cover when quoting | Calculated from the weight and the route and provided by the carrier |
The carrier's mandatory cover applies to loss, theft and non-delivery. Cargo damage is not included in the mandatory cover or in a voluntary policy; liability for damage is determined by the contract of carriage and the applicable convention. Packing and stowage are therefore not formalities in the calculation: see insurance and packing for details.
We confirm the current voluntary insurance rate when quoting – there is no public rate card for it. The price per kilogram is noticeably higher for a small batch, so it is better to model larger shipments when calculating annual costs: fixed operations – collection, goods receipt, packing and the last mile – are spread over more weight.
How to compare two quotes on a like-for-like basis
To compare two quotes, first make sure they cover the same scope of services. Below, we call this normalising the quotes. The method is simple: list the components, note which provider covers each one, and add the missing components until both quotes cover the full scope. If a provider does not handle a component, include it anyway – using either its monetary cost or the value of your own time.
| Block | Operator A | Operator B | How to build up to the same set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection from the supplier | Included in the rate | Charged separately | Request the collection amount from B and add it to B's total |
| Payment to the supplier | Through the operator, fee stated | You pay yourself | Add your own bank's fee and conversion losses to B |
| Goods receipt and piece count | Yes, part of the warehouse operation | No | Either accept the risk or cost out your own goods receipt as actually performed |
| Inspection of the goods | To a brief, with a photo report | No | Add to B the expected losses on defects and the cost of resolving problems after import |
| Packing and pallets | As actually required, with the weight increase stated | Not discussed | Clarify who packs and how this changes the chargeable weight |
| Chargeable weight rule | By volumetric weight, factor stated | By actual weight | Recalculate both quotes under the same chargeable weight rule |
| Insurance | Mandatory carrier cover is specified: for example, $5 per kg for road freight to Kazakhstan | Not offered | Ask how much mandatory cover applies on the route and what it includes: loss, theft and non-delivery |
| Documents | Invoice and packing list | Invoice only | Check which set your accounting department needs and make up the difference |
| Last mile | To the warehouse, unloading as a separate line | To the terminal | Add delivery from the terminal and unloading to B |
| Storage | Storage is free, there is no paid storage | Not stated | Ask whether there is a storage fee and from which day it is counted |
| Quote validity | 7 days | Not stated | Request a validity period: without one the figure cannot be put into a comparison |
| Total at your warehouse | Sum of all lines | Sum of all lines plus the build-up | Compare only these two figures, not the rates |
Once the quotes have been put on a like-for-like basis, the difference between them often reverses. A low freight rate stops looking cheap after collection, goods receipt, packing, insurance and last-mile delivery are added. This is not an argument against low rates; it is an argument for calculating the full cost.
A method for comparing on a real, upcoming batch
What you should compare is not an abstract kilogram but a specific batch that you intend to order anyway. In an abstract calculation the winner is always whoever is bolder in their promises. A real batch is tested by facts.
The nearest typical purchase: your usual suppliers, usual product range, usual volume. Not the one that is most critical on timing.
List of items and quantities, number of suppliers and their cities, weight and dimensions of each piece, value of the goods for insurance, city and unloading address.
Ask for prices by component, using the cost-structure table. A single figure with no breakdown is only an estimate, not a quote.
Quote validity, the chargeable weight rule, what happens if the dimensions change, who pays for idle time.
Build each one up to the same set of operations using the table above and obtain two figures at your own warehouse.
After receiving it, compare the facts with the calculation line by line, and do the same for the timing of each stage.
One batch shows the price. Two show whether the process is repeatable, and for regular purchasing that matters more.
This test can be run without touching your current arrangement: moving to a new operator starts with a single batch running in parallel with your existing contractor. A small batch is usually enough to obtain every line of the calculation and every stage of the timeline; its price per kilogram will be higher than for a larger batch, and that needs to be considered when comparing it with your current contractor.
Why you should compare the cost at your own warehouse, not the tariff in an advert
The tariff in an advert is an entry point into a conversation, not the price of your shipment. It is calculated for the densest cargo, the most convenient destination and the minimum set of operations. Your cargo almost never matches all three conditions at once.
The cost at your own warehouse is the only figure that has anything to do with your economics. It includes everything that happened before and after the carriage leg, and it is divided by the quantity of goods you can actually sell.
Hence the way to calculate unit cost: the total at the warehouse is divided by the quantity of usable goods. If you divide by the quantity ordered rather than the usable quantity received, unit cost will be understated by exactly the defects and the shortfall.
The approach has a side effect: it makes arguing about rates pointless. The conversation moves from the question of whose kilogram is cheaper to the question of whose batch is cheaper at my warehouse. The second can be verified, the first cannot. How we calculate is described on the cost structure page.
How to calculate the cost of ownership on regular shipments
One batch shows the price. Regular shipments show the cost of owning the arrangement – everything you spend over a quarter or a year, including what never reaches a forwarder's invoice.
- Staff time on coordinating suppliers, correspondence and reconciliations
- Losses on defects and shortfalls that could not be claimed back from the supplier
- The cost of returning or replacing goods from the country of import instead of from Guangzhou
- Money tied up: prepayment plus the carriage time until sale
- Lost sales due to a missed deadline and the cost of an emergency top-up shipment
- Idle time while waiting for suppliers who are running late
- Separate shipments instead of consolidating several suppliers into one
- Rebuilding the process when a manager or a contractor changes
Most of these lines are reduced not by a discount but by repeatability. When every shipment runs the same way – one payment channel, one receiving warehouse, one inspection brief, one packing scheme – the number of exceptions falls. Along with the exceptions, the invisible part of the costs falls too.
So for regular purchasing it is more accurate to calculate not the price of a batch but the price of a year: take the 12-month purchasing plan, calculate the total at your own warehouse under each arrangement and add the lines from the list above. The difference between arrangements is usually greater than the difference in rates.
Transit time also belongs in the annual calculation: the cost of having money tied up in goods is calculated by the number of days in transit. International carriage takes 10–15 days by road to Kazakhstan; 15–20 days on the accelerated route or 20–35 days on the economy route by road to Uzbekistan; a 4–7-day flight plus 3–4 days for collection from Poland and customs clearance into Ukraine; and 12–20 days by air to the consignee's address in Europe. A breakdown by leg is on the delivery times page; country-specific terms are set out for Kazakhstan and Europe.
Over a one-year horizon the choice of delivery scheme also comes into play. Cargo and official import produce a different cost structure and a different set of documents, and at a regular volume this choice affects the economics more than the per-kilogram rate. That too needs to be calculated on your own product range rather than in general terms.
Checklist before you compare
- The cargo is described identically for everyone: items, quantities, suppliers, cities
- The weight and dimensions of each piece are recorded, not estimated by eye
- The chargeable weight rule is stated: on road routes the threshold is 100 kg/m³, while air express uses the carrier's factor
- For each of the ten blocks it is clear whether it is included or not
- The quote validity and the recalculation rules are stated
- It is stated where delivery ends: the terminal or your warehouse
- It is stated whether unloading is included
- It is established whether there is a storage fee and from which day it is counted
- It is clear who pays for idle time
- Both figures are brought to a total at your warehouse per unit of usable goods
To test the method on your own figures, gather the data for your nearest batch and request a breakdown in the calculator. Common questions are in the questions section.
FAQ
Why am I not given a per-kilogram price straight away
Because the per-kilogram rate is the price of one block out of ten, and it cannot be calculated without the dimensions of the cargo. What is needed is the weight and volume of each piece, the destination, the product category and the delivery scheme: cargo or official import. After that we provide a breakdown by block, and the calculation is valid for 7 days.
How do I tell whether a cheap quote is genuinely cheap
Build it up to the full set of operations and compare the total at your own warehouse. Add collection of the cargo from the supplier, the payment fee, goods receipt and piece count, inspection, packing, insurance, the last mile and unloading. If even one of these blocks appears after the quote has been agreed, the initial rate was not the cost of the shipment.
Why are different amounts invoiced for the same weight
Because what is calculated is the chargeable weight – the greater of the actual and the volumetric weight. On road routes the threshold is 100 kg/m³; air express has no density threshold, and a place is charged by volumetric weight using the carrier's factor. Two batches of 300 kg with volumes of 0.6 and 3 cubic metres will travel at different amounts, even though the scales show the same thing.
Is it worth calculating the whole economics if I ship in small batches
Yes, and you can start with a single small batch. At a small volume the share of fixed operations in the total is higher, so collection of the cargo, goods receipt and the last mile affect unit cost more than the carriage rate. We provide the full breakdown by block at any volume from the minimum shipment upwards.
We will cost out your next batch block by block
Send us the list of items, the suppliers and the unloading city – we will return a cost breakdown rather than a single figure.
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