Shipping cost calculator from China

This calculator gives an indicative cost of shipping cargo from China. Enter the weight and volume, pick a route, and the figure appears immediately — with no back-and-forth and no waiting for a manager.

What the price depends on

Shipping cost is not built from weight alone. Below is everything that affects it, in order of importance.

Density is the main factor

Density is simple: weight divided by volume. The result, in kilograms per cubic metre, shows how compactly the goods are packed.

Why it matters more than weight. A truck is limited by space as well as by tonnage. A tonne of metal takes half a cubic metre; a hundred kilograms of pillows takes eight. In the second case the carrier is moving air, and you pay for the space.

So the more densely goods are packed, the cheaper the kilogram works out. Between dense and light cargo on the same route the difference is close to twofold.

Goods category

Different groups of goods travel at different rates, reflecting customs burden and how complex they are to handle at the warehouse.

The cheapest are simple low-duty goods: furniture, tableware, fabric, stationery, hygiene products, fasteners. Higher up are auto parts, toys, kids and sporting goods, household chemicals. Higher still is equipment and electronics. Everything else travels at the top rate — motorcycles, cosmetics, accessories, watches, eyewear.

If goods do not appear in any of the reduced-duty lists, they are charged at the general rate. That is why it matters to describe your cargo accurately — otherwise the warehouse figure will come out above your estimate.

When price is charged by volume rather than weight

Light cargo has a threshold. Once density falls below 100 kilograms per cubic metre, pricing switches from weight to volume: you pay for cubic metres, not kilograms.

This is exactly the case with furniture, pillows, empty packaging and inflatable goods. Such cargo weighs almost nothing but fills the whole truck.

Volumetric weight and the 6000 rule

Freight works with two weights. Actual weight is what the scales show. Volumetric weight is what the shipment would weigh at a normal density. You pay for whichever is greater — that figure is called the chargeable weight.

Volumetric weight is calculated with the formula used across the industry:

Length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 6000 = volumetric weight in kilograms.
Or, if you already know the volume: cubic metres × 167.

Where 167 comes from. A cubic metre is one million cubic centimetres. Divide a million by 6000 and you get 166.7. That is the density a carrier treats as normal: one cubic metre should weigh roughly 167 kilograms.

If your cargo is denser, you pay for the actual weight. If it is lighter, you pay for the volumetric weight, because you are occupying space that could have carried someone else's freight.

What it looks like in numbers

A box measuring 60 × 50 × 40 centimetres weighs 8 kilograms. Volumetric weight: 60 × 50 × 40 = 120,000, divided by 6000 gives 20 kilograms. The chargeable weight is 20, not 8 — you are paying for the space, not the contents.

The same box filled with fasteners weighs 35 kilograms. Volumetric weight is still 20, actual weight is 35. You pay for 35: the cargo is dense and there is no surcharge.

How to reduce volumetric weight

• Remove empty space inside the box. Air between goods costs money.
• Ask the supplier to pack tighter and not to use an oversized carton.
• Disassemble whatever comes apart: handlebars, legs, lowered seats.
• Nest items inside one another rather than side by side.
• Skip factory gift packaging if the goods are going for resale.

On light goods repacking pays for itself immediately: every ten centimetres of carton height is worth tens of dollars on a shipment.

Shipment size

Small parcels are charged at a flat rate per kilogram, with density ignored. Above a certain weight the calculation moves to the rate table and the kilogram becomes noticeably cheaper.

Clearance scheme

Cargo scheme — simplified, cheaper and faster, suitable for consumer goods where a full document package is not required.

Delivery with a full document package — official import. Duty, VAT and customs clearance are added to the shipping cost. No single figure can cover them: they depend on the HS code and the invoice value.

Packing and crating

Packing is not included in the calculation. It is quoted by the warehouse in China and depends on the goods: ordinary repacking is inexpensive, while a wooden crate for equipment or oversized items costs noticeably more.

A worked example

A client is shipping chairs: 140 kilograms, 2.64 cubic metres.

• Density: 140 divided by 2.64 = 53 kg/m³.
• That is below the threshold of 100, so the price is charged by volume, not weight.
• Category: furniture — the first and most favourable group.
• We count cubic metres; weight does not affect the price at all.

The typical mistake is to multiply weight by a per-kilogram rate. On cargo like this it produces a figure three times below the real one, and the gap surfaces at the warehouse. That is why the calculator always asks for volume.

Why the figure is indicative

We deliberately call the result indicative. The calculation covers route, weight, volume and category, but the outcome is also shaped by season, route load, packing requirements and the specifics of the goods.

That is why every result carries a WhatsApp button: it opens a conversation with your parameters already filled in, and a manager confirms the exact figure in a minute.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate shipping cost from China?

Enter the route, weight and volume of your cargo, then choose the goods category and clearance scheme. The result appears immediately.

Why do you need the volume and not just the weight?

Because density determines the rate. The same truck carries a tonne of metal in half a cubic metre, or a hundred kilograms of pillows in eight. Space costs money just as weight does.

What is cargo density?

It is weight divided by volume. For example, 140 kilograms in 2.64 cubic metres gives a density of 53 kg/m³. The more densely goods are packed, the cheaper the kilogram.

What is the difference between the cargo scheme and full documents?

The cargo scheme is simplified and does not include a full document package — it is cheaper and faster. Official delivery comes with documents and customs clearance, and duty and VAT are added on top.

Why is the calculated price indicative?

The final rate also depends on the type of goods, the season, route load and packing requirements. A manager confirms the exact figure.

Is packing included in the calculation?

No. Packing and crating are quoted by the warehouse in China and depend on the goods.