- Delivery leg
- air
- Lead time
- 12–20 days to the consignee's address, as at 20 August 2026
- Rate and insurance cover
- confirmed when quoting
- Shipment weight
- from 50 kg
- Import arrangements
- We agree who will act as importer of record and how the import will be structured for the destination country.
A lead time of 12–20 days to the consignee's address
The Europe route runs on the air leg: 12–20 days to the consignee's address, data as at 20 August 2026. That is a lead time to the address rather than to the airport: delivery inside the country of the consignee is already included. The spread depends on what is in the shipment, the destination city and how loaded the carrier is.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Leg | Air |
| Lead time | 12–20 days to the consignee's address |
| Start of the count | Hand-over of the shipment to the carrier after goods receipt at the warehouse in Guangzhou |
| Minimum shipment weight | From 50 kg |
| Weight calculation | Volumetric weight at 167 kg/m³ (1:6); there is no density threshold |
| Freight rate | Confirmed when quoting, the quote is valid for 7 days |
| Insurance cover | Confirmed when quoting for the specific route |
| Import arrangements | We agree who will act as importer of record and how the import will be structured for the destination country. |
The lead time is built up from legs: collection of the cargo from the supplier, goods receipt and measuring at the warehouse in Guangzhou, building up the shipment under consolidation, packing, export release from China, the flight with handling at the arrival airport, and the last mile to the address. We confirm the figures for each leg when quoting. Lead times on the other routes: Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Published air rate structure
| Method | When it is chosen | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Air, first weight bracket | Base rate at the start of the shipment | ¥350 per kg |
| Air, subsequent weight | Further on within the same shipment | ¥120 per kg |
| Air, general goods | Simple categories and large shipments | From ¥90 per kg |
We accept shipments from 50 kg.
Since July 1, 2026, the EU has abolished the €150 duty-free threshold for goods from outside the EU: duty is charged regardless of the shipment's value. For a commercial shipment the import scheme and the full document set therefore have to be agreed before dispatch.
How the Europe route differs from the road routes
The difference is not only in speed: the weight calculation changes, and so do the document set and the packing requirements, and with them which goods it makes sense to put into a dispatch.
| Criterion | Europe, air | Road routes |
|---|---|---|
| Lead time | 12–20 days to the consignee's address | Calculated separately for each route |
| Weight calculation | No density threshold, volumetric weight at 167 kg/m³ (1:6) | Road routes do not apply volumetric weight: density uses measured volume, and below 100 kg/m³ the rate card uses cubic-metre rows |
| Insurance cover | Confirmed when quoting | On some routes there is a confirmed figure, for example Kazakhstan – $5 per kg by road |
| Suitable cargo | Compact goods with a high value per kilogram | Bulky and heavy shipments |
| Documents | Assembled before hand-over to the carrier, depends on the country of the consignee and the category | The set depends on the supply scheme |
| Packing | For transhipments and handling at air terminals | For a long road journey and stacking inside the vehicle |
What we prepare on the documents
- Invoice and packing list based on the actual contents of the shipment after goods receipt at the warehouse.
- Full consignee details: legal name, delivery address, contact person and telephone, because delivery runs to the address.
- The supplier's documents for the goods: certificates, data sheets, technical documentation.
- Requirements by country of the consignee and by product category are confirmed when quoting: there is no single document set for the whole of Europe.
- The product code is determined with the customs broker before dispatch because it sets both the duty and the permit requirements.
- An importer would otherwise coordinate a China agent, payment service, carrier and broker; DPC covers the first three under one agreement, while the customs broker files the declaration.
- Labelling of the places is agreed before packing.
- Under the default model you remain the importer of record and your customs broker files the declaration. Customs clearance is an additional service on request, and DPC is not a customs broker.
Cargo and official import call for different document sets, and the set has to be assembled before the cargo is handed to the carrier. Which documents your category needs is confirmed when quoting.
Packing for the air leg
On the air leg a place goes through more transhipments than in a vehicle: the warehouse, the departure terminal, the aircraft, the arrival terminal and courier delivery to the address. Factory packing is often designed for one move rather than for that chain. So we agree the packing before dispatch, once the shipment has been measured.
- Crated pallet – for fragile and high-value goods in large places.
- Cardboard corner with a bag – for boxes with soft corners and for stacking.
- Wooden crate – for small heavy places: equipment, glass, ceramics.
- Bag and tape – basic protection of cardboard against moisture.
Packing prices are published on the pricing page and are current as at 20 August 2026. Repacking pays for itself twice over: it lowers the risk of damage and it reduces the volumetric weight.
Insurance on the European routes
We confirm the insurance cover on the European routes when quoting: we have no confirmed figures for Europe. The mandatory cover is provided by the carrier and its amount depends on the route. We confirm the current voluntary insurance rate when quoting as well. Cover by route is set out on the pricing page.
Damage is not included in the insurance cover; liability for damage is determined by the contract of carriage and the applicable convention. The carrier's mandatory cover applies to loss, theft and non-delivery.
Weight, volume and density
On air express there is no density threshold at all: a place is paid for on volumetric weight at 167 kg/m³, the 1:6 conversion. On road routes volumetric weight is not added on top of the route's density rows; the applicable row or cubic-metre basis is stated in the quote. We calculate density from the measured volume after goods receipt, once the shipment has been weighed and measured at the warehouse.
Shipment weight is confirmed when quoting. If there is not enough volume, we top it up through consolidation of several suppliers into one dispatch, and storage while the shipment is being built is free: warehouse in Guangzhou.
How a supply to Europe runs
Importers often split this work between a China agent, a payment service, a carrier and a customs broker. We combine the first three under one contract: supplier verification, contract and payment through our Hong Kong company, export clearance from China, transport and the document set for the broker. Under the default arrangement your broker files the declaration in the destination country and you remain the importer and owner of the goods; if needed, we arrange clearance as a separate service without hiding that division of responsibility.
We take the weight, dimensions, number of places, consignee address and product category, and check off the documents required.
We verify the payee details and arrange settlement with the factory.
We recount the places, weigh and measure them, verify the SKUs and take a photo report.
We choose packing for the transhipments, label the places and draw up the packing list.
We prepare the transport documents, hand over the shipment and record the insurance cover for the route.
We follow the shipment along the route and coordinate receipt at the address.
Who this service is for
The route is used by companies working with VAT; businesses selling through official retail and chains that require documents for the goods; European marketplace sellers whose platforms check the legality of the import; manufacturers whose components enter production cost; and importers who no longer want to risk a shipment on a grey-market scheme.
Send us the weight, dimensions, number of packages, product category and delivery address. We'll prepare a quote and confirm the documents needed for your route.
What is decided before shipping
- Who acts as importer of record and whose legal entity appears on the declaration
- Whether the goods need certification or marking in the destination country
- How the customs broker classifies the goods, because the product code sets the duty and permit requirements
- Which contract, invoice, packing list, export and transport documents the destination country requires
- Whether air or sea and a consolidated shipment or container best match the lead time and budget
FAQ
How long does air delivery from China to Europe take?
12–20 days to the consignee's address, data as at 20 August 2026. The count starts from the hand-over of the shipment to the carrier after goods receipt at the warehouse in Guangzhou. Collection of the cargo from the supplier and building up the shipment are counted separately. The published air structure is ¥350 per kilogram for the first weight bracket, ¥120 for subsequent weight and from ¥90 for general goods; the dated quote confirms the rate for the product and destination and is valid for 7 days.
Is the 12–20 days to the airport or to the door?
To the consignee's address. Delivery inside the country of the consignee is included in that period, which is why we need the full address and a contact person before the cargo is handed to the carrier. Data as at 20 August 2026.
What sum is the cargo insured for on delivery to Europe?
We confirm the insurance cover on the European routes when quoting: the mandatory cover is provided by the carrier and depends on the route. Loss, theft and non-delivery are covered. We confirm the current voluntary insurance rate when quoting as well.
What happens if the goods arrive damaged?
Damage is not included in the insurance cover; liability for damage is determined by the contract of carriage and the applicable convention. That is why packing is agreed before dispatch, with the transhipments at the terminals in mind. We photograph the condition of every place at the warehouse in Guangzhou before hand-over to the carrier.
Who will be the importer, and do you handle customs in Europe?
Under the default model you are the importer of record: the contract, declaration and goods are registered to your legal entity, and the input VAT stays yours. DPC is not a customs broker; your broker files the declaration, while we handle logistics, documents and supplier payment. Clearance can be arranged as an additional service without changing who owns the goods. Import under a contractor's contract is a different model: the goods are not yours on paper and there is no input VAT to reclaim.
How is weight calculated if the cargo is light and bulky?
On the air leg there is no density threshold at all: a place is paid for on volumetric weight at 167 kg/m³, the 1:6 conversion. On road routes volumetric weight is not added on top of the route's density rows; the applicable row or cubic-metre basis is stated in the quote. Volume and weight are fixed at goods receipt, and before that the quote is preliminary.
Is there a minimum weight for a dispatch to Europe?
We accept shipments from 50 kg. Storage while the shipment is being built is free, so waiting for it to fill does not add to the cost.
Do you help with product certification?
Yes. Requirements depend on the product and destination country, so they are checked before shipment together with the product code. Some certificates and test reports come from the factory; others are prepared separately by an accredited participant for the importer. Goods without the required documents can be stopped at the border.
Can you pay the supplier on my behalf?
Yes. Supplier payment can be handled through our Hong Kong company under the same operating arrangement as the shipment. The published fee for an official contract is 1.5–2.2% depending on monthly volume; market intermediaries charge 3–20%. We verify the beneficiary details against the invoice before transfer.
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