Sea freight from China to Dubai.
FCL and LCL between our Guangzhou facility and our Dubai warehouse. Customs handled both ends, one invoice, one point of contact.
Full ocean freight scope, no hand-offs.
FCL consolidation
Full container loads out of our Guangzhou facility. We book the carrier, seal the box at origin, and deliver to our Dubai warehouse or direct to Amazon FBA inbound. Both are part of the same shipment, no extra handling fees.
LCL groupage
Less-than-container loads consolidated with other SamVertex shipments. Pay for the cubic metres you actually use.
Any major Chinese port
Shanghai, Shenzhen (Yantian), Ningbo, Guangzhou (Nansha). Tianjin, Qingdao, Xiamen on request.
Customs documentation
HS code classification, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin. We prepare and file everything on your behalf at both origin and destination.
Marine cargo insurance
Optional all-risk insurance priced at roughly 0.15 to 0.3 percent of CIF value. Worth it on shipments over USD 20,000 or on fragile goods.
Supplier coordination at origin
We deal directly with your Chinese supplier on pickup scheduling, loading supervision, and documentation handover. Your WhatsApp chat stays business-focused, not logistics-tactical.
Three steps, one invoice.
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You place the order with your supplier
Tell them to ship to our Guangzhou facility. We send you the exact shipping address and contact info to forward. Supplier handles domestic delivery to us via their usual carrier.
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We receive and consolidate
Your goods arrive at our Guangzhou facility. We receive, inspect, photograph any damage, and hold until you are ready to ship. Multiple suppliers can consolidate into one shipment.
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We ship, clear, and deliver
Export paperwork in China, ocean passage to Jebel Ali, UAE import customs, delivery to our Dubai warehouse or direct to Amazon FBA inbound. One invoice, one timeline, one point of contact.
Transit times by origin port.
| Origin port | FCL (days) | LCL (days) | Lane notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 22 to 28 | 28 to 36 | Highest volume lane, most sailings per week. |
| Shenzhen (Yantian) | 22 to 28 | 28 to 36 | Strong for South China manufacturing clusters. |
| Ningbo | 24 to 30 | 30 to 38 | Good alternative when Shanghai is congested. |
| Guangzhou (Nansha) | 24 to 30 | 30 to 38 | Our LCL consolidation hub, best for mixed suppliers. |
| Tianjin | 28 to 34 | 34 to 42 | Good for North China consolidations. |
| Qingdao | 26 to 32 | 32 to 40 | Reliable second option for Shandong suppliers. |
| Xiamen | 24 to 30 | 30 to 38 | Smaller lane, works well for Fujian-based suppliers. |
Transit times are port-to-port, typical conditions. Add 3 to 5 days for customs and drayage to our Dubai warehouse. Peak season (Chinese New Year, Golden Week, pre-Christmas) adds 5 to 10 days across all lanes.
Incoterms, in plain English.
Ex Works. Buyer takes over at the supplier's factory door.
You (or we, on your behalf) pay for everything from the factory gate onward: local trucking in China, export clearance, ocean freight, import clearance, delivery. Full control, most paperwork. Makes sense when you want line-by-line visibility on every cost and your supplier is cheaper ex-works than on any other incoterm.
Free On Board. Supplier delivers to the origin port and clears it for export.
Supplier handles trucking to the port and Chinese export customs. You pay ocean freight, destination charges, and UAE clearance. The industry default for China-UAE trade. Clean hand-off at the port, and most Chinese factories quote FOB by default.
Cost, Insurance, Freight. Supplier pays to get it to the destination port, insured.
Supplier covers freight and marine insurance to Jebel Ali, you handle UAE import clearance and delivery from there. Looks tidy, but supplier-arranged freight is almost always priced higher than forwarder-arranged. We generally recommend FOB plus our own freight and insurance over CIF.
Delivered Duty Paid. Goods arrive at your UAE door with all duties and taxes paid.
Everything is bundled: freight, insurance, UAE import duty, VAT, last-mile to your warehouse or FBA center. One invoice, no surprises. Best fit for sellers who want a landed-cost number before the shipment leaves China. This is our default quote for first-time customers.
Built for sellers who ship in volume.
Amazon FBA sellers, quarterly inbound
Bulk restocks from Yiwu and Guangzhou suppliers, consolidated into one FCL or two or three LCLs, landed in time for prep and FBA injection.
Shopify brands sourcing from multiple suppliers
Three or four Chinese suppliers per shipment, consolidated at our Guangzhou facility, shipped as one consignment. One timeline instead of four.
Noon sellers scaling SKU count
New product lines landing every quarter. We handle the freight and import paperwork while you focus on catalog, pricing, and ads.
How sea freight pricing works.
Sea freight rates move with the market. We quote shipment by shipment rather than publish a rate card that would stop being true by next week.
LCL makes sense when you have less than a container of stock. Priced per cubic metre with a 1 CBM minimum to keep the consolidation math honest. Typical lane rate: USD 90 to 140 per CBM, ex-origin, before duties.
FCL makes sense from roughly 15 CBM up. 20ft or 40ft, standard or high-cube. Ocean and clearance combined into a single quote; duties and VAT at UAE import are separate and payable on your behalf at cost.
Send us the origin port, ready date, approximate CBM or container size, and the incoterm you want us to deliver at. We come back with a quote the same day, itemised line by line.
Rates spike 30 to 60 percent in the 4 weeks before Chinese New Year and in the September to November pre-Christmas window. Book at least 6 weeks ahead for these periods or expect premium lane rates.
Common mistakes sea freight shippers make.
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Undervaluing shipments to reduce duties
UAE Customs cross-checks against supplier invoices and industry databases. Getting caught means penalties that exceed the savings, plus future shipments flagged for inspection.
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Skipping marine insurance on high-value cargo
Ocean carriers limit liability to roughly USD 500 per container under standard bills of lading. A USD 30,000 shipment of goods, if lost, pays out USD 500 without insurance.
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Choosing FOB when DDP is cheaper at low volumes
Under FOB you pay origin handling fees twice (once to the supplier's freight forwarder, once to yours). At small LCL volumes, DDP's bundled pricing often wins.
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Wrong HS codes
HS classification determines duty rates. One digit wrong can double your duty bill or trigger a customs hold. Always confirm classification with your forwarder before shipping.
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Booking too late before Chinese New Year
Factories close for 2 to 3 weeks. Ports jam with last-minute bookings. Rates spike. Book 6 weeks out or risk missing the window entirely.
Questions real sellers ask.
How long is the transit from China to Dubai?
Shanghai to Jebel Ali FCL runs 22 to 28 days port to port. Shenzhen and Ningbo are in the same range. LCL adds 5 to 10 days on top for consolidation at both ends. Budget another 3 to 5 days for customs and drayage to our warehouse.
What happens if a shipment is flagged at customs?
If Dubai Customs selects the container for inspection, we handle it. That means booking the inspection slot, being physically present at the yard, and clearing any query on the commercial invoice or HS codes. Inspection delays typically add 2 to 5 working days; we tell you the same day the flag lands.
What is the minimum shipment size for LCL?
One cubic metre. Below that, air freight or express courier is usually cheaper once you factor in the fixed per-shipment handling and clearance costs that apply no matter how small the load is.
Which Incoterms do you work with?
FOB to DDP as standard. FOB means your supplier gets the goods to the origin port and we take it from there. DDP means we deliver to your door in the UAE with all duties paid. CIF, CFR, EXW, and DAP are also fine; tell us where you want the responsibility handover and we price around it.
Which Chinese ports do you ship from?
Shanghai, Shenzhen (Yantian), Ningbo, and Guangzhou (Nansha) are our strongest lanes. We also load from Tianjin, Qingdao, and Xiamen on request. If your supplier is inland, we arrange trucking to whichever origin port makes the best schedule and rate.
How do I calculate CBM for my shipment?
Length x width x height in metres, multiplied together. A standard Amazon-destined carton of 60 x 40 x 30 cm is 0.072 CBM. LCL minimum is 1 CBM, so if you are below that, talk to us about express courier or consolidating with a later sea shipment.
What is demurrage and detention, and who pays?
Demurrage is the charge for keeping a loaded container at port past the free days (usually 5 to 7). Detention is the charge for keeping an emptied container outside port past the free days. Both are paid by the consignee. We clear containers within free days as standard.
Can I ship directly to Amazon FBA instead of your warehouse first?
Yes, for FCL. We deliver the container straight to Amazon's UAE fulfillment center. For LCL, goods must land at our warehouse first for deconsolidation, then we deliver to FBA from there.
What happens if goods arrive damaged?
We photograph and log any visible damage at our warehouse receiving step. If insured, we file the claim. If uninsured, we document for your records and work with the carrier on whatever limited liability remains.
Jebel Ali vs DP World vs Hamriyah, does it matter where we land?
For our operation, yes. We prefer Jebel Ali for sailing frequency and clearance efficiency. Hamriyah works for Sharjah-bound cargo. DP World generally refers to the Jebel Ali terminal. Tell us your destination in the UAE and we route accordingly.
Ready to ship?
Send us the supplier invoice and ready date. We price the shipment, build the timeline, and take it from there.