Importers who manufacture products and do shipping from China to Philippines for sale have multiple shipping options available including expedited shipping, air freight, and sea freight. Regardless of the method used, most importers trust a Chinese carrier to handle their shipment. That’s because a reputable freight forwarding company can help them manage complex logistics requirements while realizing significant savings through their high-volume shipping arrangements with major carriers and airlines.
Some shipments, such as aerosol cans and strong magnets, are very difficult to ship by air. Other products such as lithium ion battery can be shipped by air, but the necessary documentation is often difficult for suppliers to provide and can only be shipped using special aircraft. Because of this, it is often easier to ship batteries from China via sea freight. Some products may be too heavy or large for air transportation and can only be shipped by sea. There are situations where it would be better to ship products by air. Products with dimensions less than 1 cubic meter are usually ideal for air freight shipments. High-value cargo is sometimes safer to send by air and is sometimes required by China’s cargo insurance companies.
Subscribe to the Ex-works24/7 newsletter
Shipping from China to Philippines
While its a great question, there is no universal “best way” to ship from China. You should carefully consider the following variables:
- Product and Load – what is being shipped and how big is it?
- Destination – is it going to a small office or a warehouse?
- Timing Requirements – do you need it the same week, or can you wait? This is a crucial consideration, especially during the Chinese holidays.
Destination: End-to-end shipping services provided by the most reputable logistic companies in China are capable of delivering shipments to warehouses, small commercial buildings and residential areas. However, there may be times when it may be difficult to ship a container to a location that is not equipped to offload the container. Because of this, the final destination and the manner in which the cargo will be unloaded must be considered in order to define the most ideal shipping schedule. In some cases, buyers may find it easier to send smaller shipments via China Air Freight, while others may benefit from deconsolidation services once the cargo arrives at the Philippine port.
Timing: When cargo is urgently needed, there is no quicker way than shipping by air. For some container shipments by sea, the transit time could be reduced by shipping to Manila and then handling by truck to nearby provinces. If time is not a priority, shipping via ocean freight to a popular port near the final destination and transporting by truck for the final leg of the journey is probably the most cost-effective option.
Method of Shipping from China to Philippines
When time is of the essence, companies will examine all possible options to move their cargo as quickly as possible. If a company were to ship a 40ft container full of clothes from Wuhan to Manila, it would most likely ship it by sea, but how much would it cost if it was needed faster? Below we have created three shipping options for the company to choose from which would allow them to receive their products in as little as 3 days and up to just over a month.
| Route | Freight Cost | Transit time | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai / Manila | USD 25.00 / Ctr | 6 Days | By sea |
| Shanghai / Subic | USD 50.00 / Ctr | 10 days | By sea |
| Shanghai / Manila | USD 25000.00 | 1 day | By air |
This figure shows the exact reason why there is no one-size-fits-all answer as to the best way to ship from China. If the clothes in the container were medium sized t-shirts, the approximate number of t-shirts that would fit in a 40ft container would be 74,000 t-shirts. While $25,000 may sound like a lot of money, air shipping adds an additional $0.74 per shirt to unit cost.
And depending on the markup per product, this could be a viable shipping solution when timing is critical, such as for Christmas sales. However, considering that the same product could be shipped to Manila via sea freight for about $ 25, or 5 cents a shirt, Chinese sea freight is a much cheaper option if timing is not a factor.
Shipping from China
A situation many importers find themselves in is delays caused by Chinese public holidays. Delivery delays are a common occurrence, especially around the Chinese New Year. All major ports in China are open 365 days a year, however not all local airlines operate on major holidays. Below is a list of major Chinese annual holidays, where delays are not uncommon.
- New Years Day – First of January – 1-day
- Chinese New Year – End of January to mid-February – 6-days (often longer)
- Qingming Festival – Early April – 1-day
- Labor Day – Early May – 3-days
- Dragon Boat Festival – End of June – 3-days
- Mid-Autumn Festival – Early October – 1-day
- Golden Week – Early October – 7-days
- China’s National Day – Early October – 3-days
Another delay worth considering is the Christmas/Winter break rush. Chinese factories start fulfilling Christmas orders as early as June, with some suppliers’ congestion only increasing with each passing day before December. Typically, in late November and early December, companies that haven’t taken the time to prepare find themselves in a race against the clock to try to ship their products before it’s too late.
This congestion causes significant delays in air and sea shipments. Shipping terminals and warehouses are so overcrowded with packages that cargo is often lost or temporarily delayed. In previous years, shipments were delayed by more than three weeks as everyone struggled to ship their final productions from China to catch up with the end of the Christmas shopping season. Our team in China regularly witnesses the chaos businesses face each holiday season as buyers order from suppliers late in the season. Our biggest advice is to plan as far in advance as possible.
