News

In modern days, China is the world’s largest exporter and producer of industrial goods. Similarly, UAE is a major hub for logistics in the Middle East.  This guide will talk about shipping from China to UAE: available modes of transportation, transit times, cost, and how can UKR Shipping LLC help with delivery.

Modes of Shipping From China to UAE

There are two modes available for shipping from China to UAE:

1. Ocean freight.
2. Airfreight.

Ocean Freight From China to UAE

Ocean delivery takes longer but is usually cheaper than air freight. It’s the right option to choose if the cargo is bulky, heavy, and the deadline allows waiting for it.

Sea delivery uses containers of different sizes and dimensions. Some of the most widespread ones are 20’ and 40’ foot ones.

Based on how the containers are loaded, ocean freight splits further into two types, FCL and LCL.

• FCL, or Full Container Load. As the name suggests, a whole container is used to ship the goods of only one shipper. It’s a great option if there is enough cargo to fill a 20’ and 40’ foot container.
  • FCL is safer – there is less chance of damage to the goods.
  • Delivery is faster than LCL since it can be shipped immediately.

• LCL, or Less than Container Load. With LCL, goods from multiple shippers share space within one container. The shipper only pays for the space their goods occupy.
  • LCL is most efficient economically if the volume of cargo is not enough to fill a 20’ and 40’ foot container.
  • LCL usually takes longer to arrive than FCL – since there is a need to wait until the container is fully loaded, and there is also handling, deconsolidation and logistics.

When to choose ocean freight:

• A transit time of 20 to 25 working days is fine.
• Cargo is heavy (over 100 kg) or has a big volume.
• The goods are not too expensive or delicate.
• Ocean freight costs much less than air freight, so it’s the way to go if the shipper wants to save money.

Transit time for shipping from China to UAE for ocean delivery depends on the port of departure and arrival, whether FCL or LCL is used, custom procedures, and can take between 20 to 38 days.

UKR Shipping can ensure transit time by sea within 20 to 25 working days.

Air Freight From China to UAE

Airfreight is a great option for cargo that is small in volume or is less than 100 kg in weight. It is much faster than ocean delivery but also way more expensive.

The delivery time depends on the airport in China where the cargo departs from, availability of space on the airplane, custom clearance, security processes, and can take anywhere from 2 to 10 days.

UKR Shipping can ensure air freight delivery time of 5 to 7 days.

When to choose air freight:

• The goods must arrive quickly.
• The cargo’s weight is less than 100 kg – in this case, air delivery might actually be close to the cost of ocean freight.
• It may have cheaper insurance – a shorter time in transit often translates into lower premiums.
• The goods are fragile, delicate, or of high value. Airports have stricter security checks and procedures. There are also fewer handling points compared to ocean delivery. This makes airfreight safer.

Major Shipping Ports in China and UAE

Given that China is a big country, cargo’s transit time depends a lot on the ports of origin and destination. There are 34 major shipping ports and over 2000 minor ports in China. Three major seaports in China are:

• Port of Shanghai, UN/LOCODE: CN-SGH. Shanghai is the largest port in the world and has often been designated as one of the four large port megacities across the globe. It operates since 1842 and handled 514 million tons of cargo in 2019.
• Port of Shenzhen, UN/LOCODE: CN-SNZ. It connects to 131 international freight routes and handled 194.9 tons of cargo in 2018.
• Port of Guangzhou, UN/LOCODE: CNGZG. Gives direct access to nearly 300 ports across 80 countries, and is one of the busiest in mainland China. Port of Guangzhou handled 600 million tons of cargo in 2018.

UAE has 12 commercial trading ports, aside from oil ports. Three major shipping ports and destinations in UAE are:

• Port of Jebel Ali, UN/LOCODE: AEJEA (Dubai). It provides a connection to over 150 ports throughout the globe and is considered the largest in the Middle East. Jebel Ali is well connected to Dubai International Airport, the city, and Airport Air Cargo Village, and deals with shipments to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Northern Africa. There are regular cargo ships coming from ports of Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou to Dubai.
• Zayed port, UN/LOCODE: AEMZD (Abu Dhabi). This is a dead-water seaport that was in operation since 1972. It allows businesses to store and distribute goods from within port premises, thus cutting down on transit times.
• Rashid port, UN/LOCODE: AEDXB (Dubai). This is a manmade port that is located within the heart of the city. Port Rashid is the only one in the Middle East to receive ISO-9002 accreditation and the security certificate of excellence by the IMS (International Maritime Security).

Major Airports in China and UAE

These are the three leading airports in China (based on cargo throughput in 2020, by Statista):

• Shanghai Pudong Airport (IATA: PVG). It’s a major aviation hub of East Asia, that reached 3.69 million metric tons of cargo throughput in 2020. Airfreight forwarders that operate in Shanghai Pudong include UPS Airlines, DHL Aviation, Lufthansa Cargo, FedEx Express, and Air China Cargo.
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (IATA: CAN). It handles over 1.8 million tons of cargo and is the fourth-largest cargo airport. Among the forwarders here are UPS, Air France Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, and Korean Air Cargo.
• Beijing International Airport (IATA: PEK). It handles over 2 million tons of cargo annually and is classified as a 4F facility, meaning it is able to handle wide-body equipment. Air China Cargo, DHL Aviation, FedEx Express, and Lufthansa Cargo are among airfreight forwarders that operate in this airport.

The three leading airports for international air freight in UAE are:

• Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB). It offers advanced cargo handling facilities and a specialized center to process delicate and perishable goods. Connects to multiple airports in China: Chongqing, Beijing-Capital, Shanghai-Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu.
• Al Maktoum International Airport (IATA: DWC), Dubai. It is located 40 km away from Dubai International Airport and is linked to it by expressway. Connected airports in China: Guangzhou, Shanghai-Pudong, Wuhan.
• Abu Dhabi International Airport (IATA: AUH), Abu Shabi. Connects to Chengdu, Beijing-Capital, Shanghai-Pudong airports in China.

What Do We Offer

• Air Cargo and Sea Cargo services from China to UAE.
  • Shipping Time:
    1. For Sea Cargo: 20 to 25 working days.
    2. For Air Cargo: 5 to 7 days.

• Fulfillment Services (Storage, Picking & Packing based on orders, Delivery to customer).
• Delivery to Amazon FBA based on appointments.

Why Ship with UKR Shipping LLC?

• We can coordinate with your supplier, even if he speaks only Chinese.
• Book a pickup to your warehouse to collect the goods if your supplier can’t send them to us.
• We send SMS with rate confirmation once we received your cargo in China. You can confirm your rate from a link sent in SMS to your phone.
• We can do an inspection of your goods in our Chinese warehouse.
• Our team will inform you if your goods are in bad condition and need repacking. We also can assist with it.
• In the case of ocean freight, you will get your goods 22 days after the goods are loaded.
• Maximum – 30 days after the cargo is shipped to the Chinese warehouse.
• We can arrange door-to-door shipping of goods: from your supplier’s pickup place to your door in UAE.
• We can deliver to Amazon warehouse. (with an additional charge of 200 AED).
• You can track your cargo with a shipping code on our website.
• We provide customer support via Whatsapp. Our staff will respond to all your questions.
• We offer various convenient payment options. E.x., Cash on delivery/Card on delivery – you don’t pay until you receive your goods to door.

Do you have a cargo to ship? Get an instant quote here: ad.ukrshipping.com/get-price-quote