Your Complete Guide to Shipping Freight from Asia to the U.S.

Nine of the United States’ top 20 trade partners are in Asia. Together, these countries traded $1.18 trillion in freight with the United States in 2019 alone, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

If you’re planning on jumping into this market by shipping freight from Asia to the United States, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find our complete guide to moving cargo from Asia—including countries like China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, and more—to the U.S. We’ll show you everything you need to know to get your goods from your suppliers in Asia to your location in the U.S.—safely and easily.

First, let’s start with a few key terms.

If you’re new to logistics, you’ll soon discover that the industry has its own unique jargon. We’ll get you started with the main terms you need to know. If you want to take a deeper dive, check out our Approved Transportation Glossary.

Key Freight Terms

Carrier: The company that actually moves your freight. Freight from Asia may be handled by an ocean freight carrier (also called a steamship line) an air freight carrier, and/or a motor carrier (a trucking company).
Shipper: The individual or company who sends the freight. This will likely be your supplier in Asia. You may also hear this referred to as the consignor.
Consignee: The person receiving the freight. The ultimate consignee in a freight transaction would be you, the buyer.
Freight Forwarder: A company that arranges for freight transportation. Freight forwarders coordinate multiple carriers to get your freight to its final destination. By working with a forwarder, you only have to deal with a single provider, rather than managing all the logistics yourself.

Now that we’ve got the main terms covered, let’s talk about the “how” of shipping freight from Asia.

portrait photo of happy logistics worker with radio transceiver working in port shipping containers.

What Options Do I Have for Shipping Freight from Asia?

When it comes to moving freight from Asia to the United States, you’ll be looking at two main modes of transportation: air freight or ocean freight. In short:

Air freight is faster but more expensive. It’s best suited for light, high-value items.
Ocean freight is cheaper but slower. It’s also the most common mode for international freight transportation.

Not sure which mode is right for you? Learn more about the differences between air freight and ocean freight. By and large, you’ll likely be using ocean freight to move your goods from Asia. You’ll have two options in that arena:

Full Container Load (FCL)

When you choose an FCL shipment, your goods get their own, dedicated container. If you’re ordering enough to fill an entire container, your decision will be simple: FCL is the way to go. However, if you aren’t ordering enough to fill a container, you’ll want to consider the other ocean freight option—LCL.

Less-Than-Container Load (LCL)

LCL cargo doesn’t get an entire container to itself. Instead, several LCL shipments headed to the same destination are packed into a single container together.

You may also hear LCL shipping referred to as a consolidation. Consolidations are handled by freight forwarders, who gather customers’ shipments in their warehouse. Once they have enough for a container load, they pack the cargo into a container and send it to the destination port via ocean freight. They pick up that container on the other side, remove the contents, and keep the cargo moving to its final destination.

Deciding between FCL and LCL? This is where a freight forwarder can add significant value. They can price out both options for you, and help you figure out which type of shipment makes the most sense for your business. It may not be as cut and dried as you think. (Reach out to our experts if you want to start a conversation!) Now that we’ve discussed the main modes of transportation available from Asia, let’s talk about timelines.

Concept of shipping and logistics management. Use smart phone for parcel tracking in the mobile application.

How Long Does It Take Freight to Move from Asia to the U.S.?

That all depends on which mode of transportation you use. Air freight can be as quick as a couple of days, depending on which air freight service level you choose. Ocean freight operates on longer timelines. Just how long are we talking? We shared a few examples below to give you a ballpark.

Average Ocean Freight Transit Times

Shanghai, China to the West Coast: 16-18 days

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to the West Coast: 20-30 days

Hong Kong to the West Coast: 15-22 days

Busan, South Korea to the West Coast: 11-17 days

Keep in mind that these are just the ocean transit times—the time it takes a container ship to move from the origin port to the destination port. That doesn’t mean you’ll receive your goods the day the ship arrives in port. We’ll show you why in the next section.

What Happens After My Cargo Reaches the Port?

Once the vessel carrying your goods from Asia arrives at its destination port, it goes through a few different processes—and a few different hands—before it gets to you:

First, the ship needs to be unloaded. Dockworkers at the port will remove the container with your goods from the vessel.
Next, your container may need to be screened by Customs and Border Patrol.
Then, your container will be made available for pickup at the port.
If you’ve arranged the shipping through a freight forwarder, they’ll pick up your container at the port and bring it back to their terminal.

From there, you’ll have a few different options, depending on where you’re located.

If you’re close to the forwarder’s warehouse, you can pick up the goods yourself.
If you’d rather have them delivered, your forwarder can arrange for that, too—even if you’re in the middle of the country. Depending on your exact location, your cargo will either be put on a truck for delivery or it may be moved by rail, then by truck.

This is where a forwarder truly shines: They’ll work with you to arrange whatever transportation is necessary to get your goods to the final destination of your choosing—your warehouse, your distribution center, etc. Finally, before we finish up, we’ve got a few tips from our experts to make your shipments from Asia to the U.S. simple and easy.

4 Tips for Shipping Cargo from Asia to the U.S. – Safely and Easily

A good freight forwarder is an essential partner that can make your shipments from Asia much simpler. If you’re new at navigating the world of logistics, a forwarder can save you tons of time by streamlining the process and acting as your single point of contact. It’s definitely a relationship worth exploring if importing cargo from Asia is a critical part of your business.

#1: Choose Your Incoterms Carefully

Incoterms are a set of rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that define the responsibilities between buyers and sellers. In other words, Incoterms make it clear who pays for what when it comes to moving your goods from the supplier’s warehouse to your destination, including costs like carrier charges, export fees, import fees, and insurance.

Incoterms are an important part of your negotiations with your supplier. The Incoterms you choose will 1) determine the price your supplier offers and 2) impact the extra expenses you’ll incur on top of what you pay the seller—all of which will affect your margins.

If you’re not already familiar with the Incoterms rules, we’ll help you get up to speed—fast.

#2: Planning Is Paramount

If you’re shipping goods via ocean freight, there’s a significant lag time between when you place your order and when you receive it. As a result, planning is paramount to ensure you keep enough inventory in stock.

Additionally, ocean prices will fluctuate during periods of higher demand. The more effectively you plan, the better you’ll navigate these periods—and keep yourself from getting stuck paying premium rates because you’re facing an inventory shortage.

As part of your planning process, it’s important to account for two critical time periods:

Lunar New Year – In January/February, factories in Asia—China especially—shut down to celebrate the arrival of a new year in the lunisolar calendar. Order early to beat the rush.
Holiday Season – To ensure they’re fully stocked for the all-important U.S. holiday season, some retailers place their holiday orders as early as late summer. Your freight forwarder can help you calculate a timeline that works for your business, both in terms of timing and pricing.

#3: Understand Your Landed Cost

If you’ve ever seen a full ocean freight invoice, you’ll notice a lot of extra charges—ones that are completely normal for the ocean freight industry. We’re talking about things like drayage, fuel surcharges, terminal handling charges, wharfage, etc. You’ll find a full list of them here.

(In contrast, air freight comes with a flat, $20 handling fee—one of the advantages of choosing air freight!)

This is yet another area in which your freight forwarder can make things simple for you. Often, forwarders will bundle all of these charges together so you get an all-in-one quote that you can count on. This will allow you to get a more accurate picture of your landed cost.

When you know your landed cost, you can make an informed decision on what to charge your customers and protect your margins.

Landed cost: The total cost of moving your goods from your supplier to your buyer.

So when you quote out your freight shipment, make sure all the expenses, fees, and charges are included so you can use those numbers as you calculate your landed cost.

#4: Consider a Long-Term Relationship with a Forwarder

Especially if you’re new to shipping freight from Asia, a relationship with a freight forwarder can be absolutely invaluable for things like:

Finding the right solution for your cargo, including choosing between air freight and ocean freight, selecting the best route, and estimating timelines.
Arranging multiple modes of transportation (ocean/air, rail, truck) to get your cargo to its final destination.
Uncovering efficiencies that can save you money, such as moving to FCL shipments if they make more sense for your business. (Or choosing LCL, if that’s more cost effective!)
Connecting you with a customs broker, just in case your shipment hits a snag.
Tracking your shipment from origin through destination so you know exactly when to expect it.
Answering any questions you have along the way—and explaining any concepts that are new to you.

Your Asia-U.S. Imports Made Simple

Now that you understand the jargon, the options, the process, and the best practices for side of your business off the ground, establish profitable margins, and simplify your logistics going forward.

And if you need some assistance moving your cargo from Asia, we’d be happy to assist. Just reach out to one of our experts for a complimentary consultation. We’ll help you figure out the right logistics flow to maximize your efficiency and minimize your costs.

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