Short answer: in late 2026, shipping one 40ft container from China to the US West Coast costs about USD 7,900–8,000 in ocean freight; LCL runs about USD 95–165 per CBM; and air freight about USD 5.0–8.5 per kg at 100–300 kg. A complete DDP door-to-door cost is these ocean or air rates plus origin handling, US clearance, duty and final delivery — typically adding USD 1,000–2,500 to a container and USD 500–1,200 to an LCL shipment, depending on port pair, season and the HS code of your goods.
| Mode | Indicative rate | Transit time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL, 40ft → US West Coast | USD 7,900–8,000 per container | 14–20 days port-to-port | 25+ CBM, full container of one supplier |
| FCL, 40ft → US East Coast | USD 10,100–10,600 per container | 25–35 days port-to-port | 25+ CBM, delivery near East Coast markets |
| FCL, 20ft → US West Coast | USD 4,400–5,200 per container | 14–20 days port-to-port | 15–28 CBM, heavy cargo |
| LCL (sea, shared container) | USD 95–165 per CBM, port-to-port | 18–30 days, plus consolidation | 2–15 CBM, multi-supplier orders |
| Air freight (standard) | USD 5.0–8.5 per kg at 100–300 kg | 3–5 days airport-to-airport | Urgent or high-value cargo under 2 CBM |
Figures are indicative market benchmarks for late 2026 from the Drewry World Container Index (October 2026) and published forwarder rate cards (November 2026). Rates move weekly with peak season surcharges and general rate increases, and vary by port pair, carrier and cargo type. Always confirm with a dated quote.
Four blocks build the landed cost. A "USD 8,000 container" is only the second block.
The duty rate is a property of the product, not the route: it follows the HS/HTS classification and the applicable China-specific tariff measures at the time of entry. That is why two shipments with identical freight can land at very different total costs.
Sea LCL and air freight are both "weight or measure" priced, so the billable quantity is the larger of weight and volume:
| Mode | Formula | Charging unit |
|---|---|---|
| Sea LCL | max(actual tonnes, CBM) | Per CBM or per 1,000 kg, whichever is higher |
| Air freight | max(actual kg, CBM × 167) | Per chargeable kg |
| FCL | Per container, regardless of load | Per 20ft / 40ft / 40HQ |
A well-built DDP rate absorbs all six into one number; a port-to-port or FOB quote absorbs none of them.
| Line | Port-to-port / FOB quote | DDP door-to-door quote |
|---|---|---|
| China pickup and export clearance | Excluded | Included |
| Ocean or air freight and surcharges | Included | Included |
| US import clearance, ISF, bond | Excluded | Included |
| Duty and Section 301 tariffs | Excluded | Included |
| Delivery to door or FBA warehouse | Excluded | Included |
| Cargo insurance | Optional | Optional, quoted separately |
Baton Logistics (Shenzhen Baton International Logistics Co., Ltd., founded 2003) runs DDP, DDU and LDP door-to-door from every major China city — Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Tianjin, Dalian and Hong Kong — to 100+ countries, using contract rates with COSCO, OOCL, APL, Evergreen, Maersk and HMM and 25,000+ m² of warehouse and CFS capacity across 10+ facilities.
Freight pricing is driven by eight data points. Send all eight and a dated quote can be issued without a follow-up round of questions:
Baton replies to enquiries within 12 hours and issues a freight solution and quotation within 30 minutes once cargo details are complete. Ninety-plus documented case shipments with weight, volume and port data are published on the site for reference.
Around USD 7,900–8,000 to the US West Coast and USD 10,100–10,600 to the US East Coast in October 2026 (Drewry World Container Index), ocean freight only. Origin handling, US destination charges and import duty are billed separately unless the quote is DDP door-to-door.
LCL below roughly 15 CBM at USD 95–165 per CBM plus destination handling; FCL above 15–20 CBM, where the container cost is spread over more volume. Air freight only pays off when speed or cargo value justifies the premium.
Port-to-port ocean transit is about 14–20 days to the US West Coast and 25–35 days to the East Coast; air is 3–5 days airport-to-airport, or 5–8 days door-to-door including clearance and delivery.
Supplier pickup, export declaration, main freight, US clearance, ISF and bond, duty and tariffs, and final delivery to your address or FBA warehouse — one price. Excluded: duty arising from a different HTS classification than declared, and demurrage caused by late documents or a receiver unable to accept delivery.
CFS handling, ISF and bond, CET/VCP exam fees, demurrage and detention, chassis and drayage, and PSS or GRI surcharges. Ask for each by name before booking.
Chargeable weight is the higher of actual weight and CBM × 167 kg. A 6 CBM shipment weighing 800 kg is billed at about 1,002 kg. Sea LCL uses the same weight-or-measure logic at 1 CBM = 1,000 kg.