International trade between China and Vietnam has been booming in recent years. As two neighboring countries with rapidly growing economies, the demand for goods, raw materials, and components has fueled a thriving trade relationship. A crucial aspect of this trade involves the logistics of shipping goods from China to Vietnam. In this article, we’ll explore the key considerations involved in shipping from China to Vietnam, including shipping prices, time, door-to-door shipping, DDP shipping, and more.

Port Selection: The First Mile

The journey begins at Chinese ports, and selecting the right port of origin is crucial. China boasts a vast network of ports, with Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong being among the most prominent choices for exporters. Your choice of port will depend on factors like proximity to your manufacturing source, transportation infrastructure, and shipping costs.

Destination Ports in Vietnam: The Final Destination

Vietnam has several international ports, including Hai Phong in the north, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south, and Da Nang in central Vietnam. The choice of port depends largely on the location of your final destination within Vietnam. Consider factors like transportation networks and proximity to markets.

Container Selection: Safeguarding Your Cargo

The type and size of containers play a vital role in the safety and security of your cargo. Standard container sizes include 20-foot and 40-foot containers, but specialized containers are available for goods with unique requirements, such as refrigerated or hazardous cargo.

Transit Time: Planning for Delays

Transit times can vary based on factors like the specific ports of origin and destination, the shipping route, and the carrier’s schedule. While it typically takes around 1 to 2 weeks for goods to reach Vietnamese ports from major Chinese ports, it’s important to plan for potential delays due to weather, customs, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Documentation and Customs Clearance: Navigating Regulations

Proper documentation is the backbone of international shipping. Ensure you have essential documents like the bill of lading, packing list, commercial invoice, certificate of origin, and any other documents required for customs clearance in both China and Vietnam. Working with experienced customs brokers can streamline this process.

Incoterms: Defining Responsibilities

Clearly define the Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) with your supplier or buyer. Incoterms specify responsibilities and costs associated with the shipment, including transportation, insurance, and customs clearance.

Insurance: Protecting Your Cargo

Cargo insurance is a prudent choice to safeguard your goods during transit. Ocean freight shipments are exposed to various risks, including theft, damage, or loss.

Regulations and Restrictions: Know Before You Ship

Be aware of specific regulations, import restrictions, or licensing requirements that may apply to your goods in Vietnam. Understanding and adhering to these regulations is crucial to avoid customs issues and delays.

Finding a China carrier that is competitively priced and capable of shipping from China to Vietnam efficiently will ensure your needs are met, whether it’s in terms of maximizing your company’s profits or maintaining inventory integrity. While you won’t be handling the process yourself, it’s important to understand a little bit about how it works so you can work with your freight forwarder to troubleshoot logistical issues and potential pitfalls.

How to Ship from China to Vietnam

International trade between China and Vietnam has been booming in recent years. As two neighboring countries with rapidly growing economies, the demand for goods, raw materials, and components has fueled a thriving trade relationship. A crucial aspect of this trade involves the logistics of shipping goods from China to Vietnam. In this article, we will explore the key considerations, logistics, and processes involved in shipping from China to Vietnam.

Sea Freight from China to Vietnam:

Container Shipping: This is one of the most common and cost-effective methods for shipping large quantities of goods. You can choose between Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL) options depending on the volume of your cargo. It’s important to consider transit times and select the appropriate port of entry in Vietnam, such as Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang.

Bulk Shipping: Bulk shipping is suitable for commodities like minerals, grains, or liquids that do not require packaging in containers. Bulk carriers transport these goods directly in their holds.

Top Chinese seaports for exports to Vietnam:

Main Vietnamese seaports:

• Hai Phong port
• Vung Tau Port
•  Van Phong Port
• Quy Nhon Port
• Quang Ninh Port
• Saigon Port
• Cua Lo Port
• Dung Quat Port
• Chan Ma Port

Upsides to sea freight: Inexpensive, lower carbon footprint than airfreight, can handle all items, FCL and LCL system lets you adapt to your business’s needs.

Downsides to sea freight: Slow

Air freight from China to Vietnam:

The biggest advantage of airfreight is its speed. Items leaving China can arrive in Vietnam within 1-2 days. This is optimal for high-value items since they spend less time in transit. However, there are a few trade-offs for that speed.

Air freight is generally more expensive than sea. It’s also better for small items because airlines have weight and volume restrictions. Airfreight also uses more fuel than alternatives, so if carbon footprint is a concern for you and your company ethic, you’ll want to opt for sea freight.

Keep in mind that airfreight normally only involves delivering goods to an airport in Vietnam, not to the inventory’s ultimate destination. Additional transportation accommodations must be made to get your shipment to its final destination. The exception, of course, is if you’ve arranged for door-to-door transportation. As discussed above, door-to-door delivery allows arrangements to be made to transport the goods from the airport to their end destination, as well as clearance through Vietnamese customs.

Top Chinese airports for exports to Vietnam:

• Beijing Capital International Airport
• Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport
• Xi’an Xianyang International Airport
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
• Hong Kong International Airport
• Kunming Changshui International Airport
• Shenzhen Baoan International Airport
• Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport

Vietnam international airports for imports:

• Hanoi Airport (HAN)
• Hai Phong Airport (HPH)
• Danang Airport (DAD)
• Hue Airport (HUI)
• Nha Trang Airport (CXR)
• Dalat Airport (DLI)
• Vinh Airport (VII)
• Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN)
• Phu Quoc Airport (PQC)

Upsides to airfreight: Fast

Downsides to airfreight: Expensive, high carbon footprint, constraints on what type of items can be shipped via air

The best way to ship from China to Vietnam

Sea freight is one of the most preferred way, that many people choose sea freight for shipping from China. One of the most important reason is that the cost of this way is very reasonable compared to other modes of transportation. Some conditions are specific for sea freight that they are as the following:

Benefits of ocean freight:

Suitable for a wide range of products
Large volume shipping
Most environmentally friendly within all modes of transport
Economical and cost effective.
Extensive worldwide coverage
Multiple carrier options

Sea shipping is different in that sea carriers charge per container rates for shipping in standard containers. While weight can factor into the price for sea freight, their charge tends to be primarily based on the size of a shipment. If you are shipping less than a container load, your price will likely be determined by cubic meter. With larger and heavier shipments, shipping by sea tends to be the more cost-effective route.

Benefits of air freight:

Quick transit
Reliable arrival and departures
Enhanced level of security for your cargo

Shipping from China to Vietnam, the best shipping method depends on your specific needs and priorities. Basenton can help evaluate options and recommend the most appropriate solution for your unique situation.

Shipping Cost from China to Vietnam

Shipping from China to Vietnam, Typically, you will hear that shipping by ocean is cheaper than shipping by air when shipping by road isn’t an option. This is usually true, however, this is not necessarily in all instances. Airlines bill you by what is called a chargeable weight when utilising this as a shipping method. Chargeable weight is calculated from a combination of both the size and the weight of a shipment. As a shipment gets smaller, the increments between the prices is and sometimes air will even end up being cheaper than sea freight.

Let’s see some shipping cost for 20ft and 40ft containers of the ship.

From	To	Cost for 20’ Container	Cost for 40’ Container
Shanghai port	Ho Chi Minh	$500-1300	$1250-2550
Guangzhou port	Ho Chi Minh	$550-1250	$1320-2040
Lianyungang Port	Haiphong	$600-1500	$1500-2200
Jiangmen Port	Haiphong	$500-1500	$1250-2000
Tianjin port	Haiphong	$600-1600	$1300-1800
Shenzhen	Ho Chi Minh	$600-1200	$1200-1700

Shipping time from China to Vietnam

Shipping Mode	Transit Time	Suitability
Sea Freight (LCL and FCL)	10-20 days	Suitable for less urgent shipments
Air Freight	5-10 days	Best for urgent shipments
Express Shipping	3-5 days	Ideal for time-sensitive goods

How long does it take to ship by sea from China to Vietnam?

• Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh City – 8 to 14 days FCL
• Guangzhou to Ho Chi Minh City – 10 to 15 days FCL
• Shenzhen to Ho Chi Minh City – 9 to 16 days FCL
• Huangpu to Ho Chi Minh City – 10 to 24 days FCL
• Lianyungang to Haiphong – 10 to 22 days FCL
• Jiangmen to Haiphong – 10 to 22 days FCL
• Shanghai to Haiphong – 13 days FCL, 7 days LCL
• Dalian to Ho Chi Minh City – 10 to 22 days FCL
• Qingdao to Haiphong – 10 to 18 days FCL
• Tianjin to Haiphong – 13 days FCL
• Zhongshan to Ho Chi Minh City – 8 to 17 days FCL

How long does it take to ship by air from China to Vietnam?

• Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh – 3 to 7 days
• Shenzhen Ho Chi Minh – 2 to 5 days
• Shanghai to Hanoi – 5 days
• Beijing to Hanoi – 5 to 8 days
• Guangzhou to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh -3 to 7 days

If you are interested in the time from China to other countries, you can read the corresponding links below:

Door to Door Shipping from China to Vietnam

Door to Door is a unique service provided by freight forwarders. This method can be achieved by air and sea freight.

In this method, the freight forwarder picks up the parcel from the Chinese warehouse and delivers it to the destination specified by the customer. There are several advantages to this service, the most prominent of which are:

• Saving money
• Saving time
• Effortless (since the freight forwarder takes care of everything for you, such as customs clearance, you can hand over the goods to the freight forwarder in China and then deliver it to Vietnam without any stress!!)
• It is effortless tracking.

Door to Door Delivery is a service that assists you with international shipping, whether it is DAP or DDP. Door to Door Delivery options are generally divided into two categories: Truck Delivery and Express Door to Door Delivery.

Truck Shipping is the delivery from the originating station to your door by truck. Truck Shipping is the most common method and the shipping time takes about 1 to 2 days. The cost of this method is cheaper than express service, but the cost is higher than ground service

DDP Shipping from China to Vietnam

Ship your goods via DDP terms and you save time and money by not having to worry about taxes and fees. Using a freight forwarder like Super In’l Shipping will make every step of your journey easier. DDP shipping from China to Vietnam can be done in a few different ways: by sea, by road, by rail, or by air. When your Chinese factory exports your goods from China, you will need to prepare some documents for them to fill out.

DDP shipping is a popular method of shipping in Vietnam. It is also known as door-to-door (D2D) shipping. In this method of shipping, the consignee receives the goods at their doorstep without having to pay any additional fees.

The consignee needs to be at the address where they want to receive the goods and sign for them upon receipt. The company then delivers the goods to them and is responsible for any damage or loss that may occur during shipping. DDP is a very safe method of shipping because it does not require any third party involvement to successfully deliver the goods.

DDP stands for “Delivered Duty Paid”. This means that the seller pays all costs associated with the delivery of the goods. These include shipping and insurance costs. This is the opposite of FOB (Free on Board), which means you pay all costs up to a certain point in time. After that point in time, the buyer takes over and pays the remaining costs.
This is a very popular way to transport goods between Vietnam and China, used by businesses from all walks of life.
The goods need to be cleared by customs in China before exporting. They will be delivered to our warehouse in Shenzhen, or you can specify us to pick up the goods from your Chinese factory. In Vietnam, we use our business partner as the importer for import declaration. We manage all customs clearance procedures in China and Vietnam.
The last mile delivery will be arranged by the courier

DDP shipping is best suited for Amazon FBA shipping, commercial addresses, and private addresses.

Learn more: DDP Shipping from China

Shipping time from China to Vietnam for DDP shipping

• DDP air freight from China to Vietnam takes about 5 to 8 days.
• DDP rail freight from China to Vietnam takes 8 to 15 days via LCL
• DDP road freight from China to Vietnam takes 6 to 12 days via LCL
• DDP sea freight from China to Vietnam takes 10 to 25 days LCL time

Documents required when shipping from China to Vietnam

Bill of Lading (A sea bill of lading is a document issued by a shipping company or its representative in exchange for receiving goods for shipment. If the bill of lading has been given as a receipt for RECEIVED FOR SHIPMENT, it indicates the goods’ receipt by the relevant shipping company, but it does not show the goods’ definite shipment. The bill of lading is called ON BOARD. And the bill of lading, called “AIR WAYBILL or AIR CONSIGNMENT NOTE” or “AIR FREIGHT NOTE,” is usually issued in 12 copies, 3 of which are commercially important and the rest copies are for the airline interior.)

Invoice (It is a document containing information about the goods or goods sold that the seller issues in the name of the buyer.)

Certificate of Origin (it is a document issued by the Chamber of Commerce of each country for export goods and issued for each export item. This document certifies the place (country) of manufacture of the goods, and it is part of the documents that the buyer needs to clear the goods through customs so that it will be sent to the buyer along with other documents in due time)

Packing List (the list of all items to be shipped)

Test or Inspection Certificate (it is issued by international investigation companies)

Insurance ( all items must be insured)

Not all of these are necessary in every case, and document requirements vary based on the shipping method. Staying well-informed about current regulations and consulting with your freight forwarder will help ensure you always have the proper documentation prepared for your shipment.

If you’re not sure what documents you need or feel lost when preparing your documents, contact us. We offer help preparing commercial invoices as well as import and export customs clearances for each shipment.

Shipping from China to Vietnam Experts

Shipping from China to Vietnam, Basenton Logistics is large enough to handle any shipping job but small enough to care about your needs. Our goal is to tailor shipping solutions for all kinds of clients. Whether it’s express freight, railway freight, or air freight from China. No matter how large your shipment is, we can help to handle, no matter how small your shipment is, we can help to arrange. We are working 24/7 for your shipments. We’re here to help you get started today.