Shipping from China to UK takes a number of accounts into consideration. If you do any mistake and break the law, importing goods from China to the UK will become problematic. You may end up giving a penalty. But doing it the right way will save a lot of money. The first thing that you must do is search for the right courier. The courier agency must be insured, licensed and experienced. Every firm is not capable of delivering goods properly. Try to get a free quote so that you can decide which one to accept.
Many courier agencies do some part of the transporting job and indulge with a partner service bureau on the other side. But it is okay till your appointed organisation is trustworthy and has no complaint registered against it so far. You can avail the tentative dates of your parcel shipping from China to UK and can make prior setups for your future business. The transit times get affected by the location of the manufacturer and supplier. Extra time is required in both China and the UK for loading and unloading, customs clearance procedures, etc.
If your cargo is shipping from Southern China to the UK, it will probably take 21 to 25 days on the waterways. Additionally, around 7 to 14 days can be taken into account in both the countries. You can calculate approximately 6 weeks for the whole shipment. If the parcel is supposed to be shipped from Northern China to the UK, it may take around 31 to 36 days via waterways. Extra 7-14 days can be counted which finalizes to approximately 8 weeks. In the case of shipping from Central China to the UK, around 26–31 days with 7–14 days as an extra, can be considered. It can take a total of 7 weeks approximately.
You have to be very careful about the customs while shipping from China to the UK. Don’t forget that your parcel will go through customs checks. It’s similar to importing goods from any non-EU country, it’s mandatory. After the arrival of your parcel in the UK, it will be attended by a range of customs invoices detailing related to the shipment’s value and contents. If your goods are rated more than the limit of £390, you need to pay customs duty which is around 2.5% for the cargo that is worth up to around £630. However, it depends on the items.
Choose the best delivery option according to your circumstances. The normal regular China post will take around 2 to 5 weeks for the entire shipment. Tracking and tracing online can be done. It is the cheapest delivery option for small parcels. The express courier rendered by the courier company is the most common and trustworthy method people adopts. The company will take care right from uploading your goods to the delivery at your doorstep. The availability of air freights have made it easy to transport large goods over 500 kg from China to the UK.
If you select sea freight, you have to wait longer as it takes more time to carry goods via ocean. Various kinds of cargo can be shipped. Whatever you do, think and discuss with a reputed courier representative to get the best advice.
