Costing

Shipping cost from China to the Philippines

Most forwarders make you ask. Here is the number: ₱8,500–₱11,000 per CBM by sea, all-in, depending on what you are shipping and how much of it. Air freight runs ₱400–₱750 per kilo. The detail below explains which end of those ranges you land on.

Sea freight — what sets your rate

Two things: your commodity class and your volume.

Household goods, apparel and daily items are the cheapest class — ₱9,250/CBM under 5 CBM, falling to ₱8,500 at 20+ CBM. Appliances, furniture and toys run ₱9,000–₱10,000. Electronics, machines and batteries carry more compliance handling at ₱10,000–₱11,000. The full grid is on our rates page.

A worked example: 8 cartons at 60×50×40 cm is 0.96 CBM. Apparel, so Commodity 1 at the ≤5 CBM tier: 0.96 × ₱9,250 = about ₱8,880 all-in — duties, port fees both ends, and warehouse fees already inside that figure.

Why two similar-looking shipments get different quotes

Sea freight bills on volume (CBM), with a weight allowance of 500 kg per CBM. A cubic metre of cushions is volume-limited; a cubic metre of tiles hits the weight ceiling and bills on total weight instead. Same space, different price — which is why you should always give a forwarder both dimensions and weight. If you are unsure how CBM is measured, see what CBM is and how it is priced.

Air freight — when speed is worth it

Billed per kilo with a 1 kg minimum, 5–7 days from our China warehouse. Ordinary goods ₱400–₱490/kg, sensitive items (liquid, powder, food, powerbanks) ₱490–₱600, gadgets ₱650–₱750. For samples and rush restocks this is almost always the right call; for bulk it rarely is. The full comparison is here.

What “all-in” has to mean

Ours covers customs duties and taxes, port fees in China and the Philippines, the freight itself, warehouse fees, tracking, and free delivery in covered Metro Manila areas. That is the whole journey. The reason to be pedantic about this: an ₱8,000/CBM quote that excludes duties is more expensive than a ₱9,250 quote that includes them, and you find out at claiming.

The three questions that make quotes comparable

1. What is the per-CBM rate at my volume? Tiered pricing means a headline rate may not be yours.
2. What is the weight allowance per CBM, and the charge beyond it? A cheap rate with a tight allowance is the oldest bait in freight. Ours is 500 kg per CBM; past that a shipment bills on total weight at ₱21–25/kg by commodity, whichever is greater. See rates.
3. What exactly is inside “all-in”? Get the list, not the adjective.

Any forwarder who will not answer all three in writing is telling you something. More on vetting in our legit-check guide.

Be careful with “7–15 day” transit claims

You will see forwarders advertise 7–15 days. That is usually port-to-port sailing time only — it leaves out consolidation before departure and customs clearance after arrival. Our 15–25 days is warehouse to warehouse, everything included. Compare like with like, or you will plan stock around a number that was never the full journey. The day-by-day breakdown is in how long sea freight takes.

What changes your cost

Density. Heavy-and-small versus light-and-bulky, as above.
Commodity type. Different goods carry different duty rates (typically 3–30%) — see import duties and taxes explained.
Accurate details. A quote assumes the dimensions and weight you gave. If the actuals differ, so does the price — measure properly.
Season. Rates and space tighten before Chinese New Year and in the Q4 peak.

Beyond China

We also run lanes most Philippine forwarders do not: Hong Kong from ₱18,500/CBM, South Korea from ₱20,500/CBM, and Taiwan at ₱950 per cubic foot. Same all-in basis.