Global efficient sea freight forwarding services
Importing and dropship imports from China present tremendous opportunities for eCommerce.
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Importing goods from China has cost advantages due to the manufacturing power stretching from Hong Kong to Beijing. Harnessing that power for your sales activities while using a reliable, experienced freight forwarder like Barrington Freight can smooth your way to the profitable import of merchandise from China. Contact us to get a competitive quote for your China to UK import shipping.
Importing from China to the UK
Why import from China? Post-Brexit trade deals and Amazon dropshipping make it more accessible to source products to sell online via Amazon or eBay. Changing perceptions about China-sourced products have reshaped eCommerce, and we only have to look around our homes to appreciate the diversity and quality of modern goods from China.
Options for importing from China to UK
Depending on the size and value of your shipments, you have got several options:
Courier from China to the UK
For small, high value, or very urgent deliveries, using a courier service for express shipping may be your best choice as door-to-door delivery times are considerably less.
Pros: speed, security and cost-effectiveness for small, high value, low volume consignments, usually without delays.
Cons: expensive with poor environmental impact.
Airfreight from China to the UK
Typically taking between six and 18 days from China to your delivery address. As a guide, air freight will be cheaper than courier for shipments over 100 kg (FOB) or 200 kg (EXW China).
Pros: speed but not as fast as courier services, convenience and security, trace and track consignments, and usually limited delays.
Cons: expensive and a poor carbon footprint.
Sea Freight
For over 100kg of goods, sea freight is usually cheaper than air freight and is the primary shipping method for relatively low value but high volume goods and has a favourable environmental footprint. It is essential to factor in enough lead time for the door-to-door journey. Sea shipping can be done by full container load or by sharing a container
Pros: Low cost, excellent carbon footprint compared to airfreight.
Cons: door-to-door, China to UK shipping time is typically six weeks, cost of port duties and taxes, harder to track consignments, basic freight rates are subject to fuel and currency surcharges.
Shipping costs from China to the UK
You can read more on Costs to Import from China here. Costs of shipping calculations consist of the following:
- Shipping costs by ship, plane, or train
- Import duty from China to the UK is made up of customs duty and, if applicable, ‘excise duty’
- Value Added Tax (VAT) payable
- Marine insurance
Read the complete list of our top tips here for import, calculating the landed cost of your goods, shipping terms and arranging to ship.
Our top tips for Importing from China
- Understand your import objectives.
- Get an EORI number before you import from China.
- Source suppliers carefully.
- Use a well-drafted contract to reduce risks.
- Choose a suitable freight method for your China to UK shipping.
- Understand your shipping costs.
- Keep in HMRC’s good books by sorting paperwork and payments.
- Keep up to date with Brexit’s impact on China’s imports.
- Understand the applicable UK Trade Tariffs.
- Know your commodity codes.
- Be aware of the taxes and duties on UK imports.
- Find out if you need an import licence for goods from China.
List of Chinese Ports
We are friendly, easy to work with, honest and we do not charge the earth.
The quickest way to get help if you are considering importing from China is to get in touch so we can talk you through the process and advise on the best approach for your business. We are your experienced China import to ensure your goods reach the UK on time, in perfect condition and ready to boost your bottom line. For more information about how we can help, reach out to our sales team on 01268 978660 or email sales@barringtonfreight.co.uk.
Top Tips
2023-11-14
The guys at Barrington are brilliant! I've used them for my shipments for around 12 years now and they never let you down. Always happy to help with anything!
David Darrock
2023-11-10
Barrington Freight are extremely helpful and professional, promptly answering any questions or queries. Communication from them has been great and they have taken the difficulty out of importing freight.
Scott Glazebrook
2023-11-01
Our business is the supply of high end luxury furniture and as such we rely on Barrington Freight to provide a 5* delivery service which they have done time and time again.
Reliable, friendly and efficient sums up this great approachable freight forwarding business.
Krishan Dhillon
2023-11-01
10/10, dealt with everything start to finish. Customer service was friendly and helpful
Sharmane Barrett
2023-10-20
We had a last minute request and Lee was fantastic in helping us to arrange transportation and facilitate delivery from Europe, very quickly with no hiccups. I would highly recommend.
Simon Edgecombe
2023-10-16
HAVING USED MANY SHIPPERS TO IMPORT OUR GOODS FROM THE USA (NONE OUTSTANDING) I DECIDED THIS TIME TO HAVE A SEARCH AROUND TO SEE IF I COULD FIND A BETTER OPTION. I FOUND BARRINGTON FREIGHT AFTER EMAILING MANY OTHERS, SOME OF THEM (UPS,DHL,FEDEX) SIMPLY TOOK SO LONG TO CONTACT ME, THAT IT BECAME STUPID, SIMON AT BARRINGTON CAME BACK TO ME VIRTUALLY STRAIGHT AWAY WITH A VERY GOOD PRICE, ALSO GOOD SHIPPING TIMES. NOW A SERVICE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE RESULTS, AND THEY WERE AS GOOD AS THEIR WORD. HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THEM AND SIMON AT BARRINGTON FREIGHT WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON WE GO TO NEXT TIME, WELL DONE!!
Emir Danial
2023-09-26
Brilliant EXW freight forwarding services from China to the UK. Professionally done, readily available for support, and our shipments were trackable. There were last minute issues on regards to customs clearance and redirecting of goods that we take responsibility for, but with their quick action, we were able to swiftly solve it all in much less than 24hrs. Fantastic experience working with Simon and his team, will continue to engage them for the foreseeable future. Thanks again Simon and the BF team!
Tom Gilbey
2023-09-18
Barrington Freight was brilliant from start to finish. We had a very good shipping experience with them.
Dean Marsh
2023-09-09
What a superb company especially Simon Poole the agent who handled all my inquiries even worked over weekend to clear and arrange for my items to be removed from airline shed to save us storage charges Then when there were a little issue with the airline loosening items he dealt with it very quickly. We will only use him for our import Clearence’s now
Tilly H
2023-08-10
I highly recommend Barrington freight. Simon could not do enough for me and as a first time user of freight services I was anxious. Simon guided me smoothly through the whole process from start to finish. I am beyond pleased with the service I was given.
