Trade relations between China and Italy date back to the days of the Chinese Empire and ancient Rome. Today, steel, furniture, clothing and plastics are the goods most commonly exported by traders from China to Italy.

Navigating the complexities of shipping from China to Italy requires understanding the various factors that affect the overall cost. This guide takes an in-depth look at shipping costs from China to Italy, the key considerations that impact shipping costs, and the options available to businesses involved in cross-border trade.

There are many routes from China to Italy, but the lowest-cost route is not necessarily the fastest or cheapest. Air cargo is one of the most expensive travel routes, but it is also one of the fastest. The most popular shipping option is sea shipping, which takes longer than air shipping but is also cheaper. Air freight is expensive but fast, making it the best option for last-minute shopping or delivery.

There are many factors that go into calculating shipping costs from China to Italy. China’s freight forwarders, cargo types, and destinations will all have an impact on costs.

An important factor is whether you use containers or LCL, but a less time-consuming method (such as air freight). Another factor is which freight forwarder you use to ship your goods. The final factor is how long it takes for your goods to be shipped from China to Italy, which may vary depending on where in China your goods are shipped.

Shipping Costs from China to Italy (updated March 2025)

Shipping Mode	Shipping From China to Italy (Cost)
Sea freight LCL (per cubic meter)	$100 – $200
Sea freight FCL (20ft container)	$2,600 to $4,500
Sea freight FCL (40ft container)	$3,250 to $5,250
Rail transport FCL (40ft container)	$6,800 to $8,800
Air Freight (100kg)	$4 to $9 per kilogram
Express Cost (30kg)	$12 per kilogram

Your quote for air or sea freight from China to Italy will take into account:

• The nature of the goods you are sending
• You choose air or sea shipping
• The weight, volume and dimensions of your shipment
• Your preferred delivery method – door to door, port to port, port to door or door to port

Not sure whether to choose sea shipping or air shipping? You can always request a quote for both. If your shipment weighs less than 100kg, shipping by air is almost as economical as using an ocean carrier, and much faster. Shipments weighing more than 100kg will almost certainly cost less to ship from China to Italy.

COST OF SHIPPING 20FT & 40FT CONTAINER FROM CHINA TO ITALY

How much does it cost to ship a container from China to Italy? The average price to ship a container from China to the UK is US$3,050 to US$5,850.
Shipping costs to ship an entire container from China to Italy depend on the size of the container (20ft or 40ft) and the timetable route, please contact Basenton Logistics for detailed rates for shipping your container from China to Italy major container ports.

Cost Of Shipping 20ft Container From China To Italy

The average price to ship a 20ft container from China to Italy is from $2850 to $4250. The shipping timeline to ship a 20 foot container from China to Italy ranges depending on the route.

Cost Of Shipping 40ft Container From China To Italy

The average price to ship a 40ft container from China to Italy is from $4050 to $5850. The shipping timeline to ship a 40 foot container from China to Italy ranges depending on the route.

CONTAINER SHIPPING RATES FROM CHINA TO ITALY

These are the average prices to ship a container from China Italy with the cheapest rates for loading and shipping containers from the major ports in China to Italy for 20ft and 40ft containers (FCL) with all types of cargo such as: commercial cargo, vehicles, or personal effects for international shipments from China to Italy.

Container shipping service from China to Italy	Type of container	Ocean freight rates from China to Italy:
How much does it cost to ship a container from Shanghai China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3150 20FT average price from: $4550 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Shenzhen China to Italy.	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3150 20FT average price from: $4550 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Ningbo-Zhoushan China to Italy.	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3150 20FT average price from: $4350 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Hong Kong China to Italy.	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3250 20FT average price from: $4650 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Guangzhou China to Italy.	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3550 20FT average price from: $4850 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Qingdao China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3550 20FT average price from: $4850 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Tianjin China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3250 20FT average price from: $5150 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Dalian China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3850 20FT average price from: $5050 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Xiamen China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3850 20FT average price from: $5250 40FT
How much does it cost to ship a container from Yingkou China to Italy	20 foot container FCL 40 foot container FCL	average price from: $3850 20FT average price from: $5350 40FT

HOW MUCH IS THE AIR FREIGHT PER KG FROM CHINA TO ITALY

The cost of air freight from China to Italy is approximately US$5-12 per kilogram. For example, for a 100kg standard cargo, the cost of air freight from China to Italy is approximately US$850, and the transit time is 7 days. It costs just $8.50 per kilogram.

Departure Airport (China)	Arrival Airport (Italy)	Cost Range (USD/kg)
Shanghai Pudong	Fiumicino	$5.0 – $10.0
Guangzhou Baiyun	Fiumicino	$5.5 – $9.8
Beijing Capital	Fiumicino	$5.5 – $8.8
Shanghai Pudong	Malpensa	$6.5 – $9.2
Guangzhou Baiyun	Malpensa	$6.5 – $9.5
Beijing Capital	Malpensa	$5.3 – $9.6
Shanghai Pudong	Gorillo	$5.6 – $8.9
Guangzhou Baiyun	Gorillo	$6.0 – $9.6
Beijing Capital	Gorillo	$5.5 – $10.0

We discussed billable weight in the air freight section. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you know your billing weight before using air shipping from China to Italy. The following other factors also affect shipping costs:
Fuel Surcharge
screening surcharge
risk surcharge
Automatic manifest surcharge
Cargo Danger Surcharge (You must pay before shipping as dangerous goods require special permits and handling.)

These fees are set by airlines based on their operating costs. Airlines often modify these fees to reflect market changes based on factors such as seasonality, international fuel prices and time of year. Air freight costs vary depending on the airline, route, and season. For example, if two airlines both fly from China to Italy, the cost of cargo shipped during peak season may be different than the cost of cargo shipped during low season.

RAIL FREIGHT COST FROM CHINA TO ITALY

Rail transportation from China to Italy will be cheaper than air transportation and a little more expensive than sea transportation.

Although costs vary by season, shipping a full container load by rail from China to Europe typically costs about $4,000 to $6,000.

On the other hand, the average rail freight price (including customs duties and customs duties) for LCL cargo is $3/kg. Rail freight logistics can be streamlined with the help of freight forwarders, who can move goods door-to-door, but at a higher cost.

To find out the shipping costs from China to the rest of Europe, you can click:

What is the cheapest shipping method from China to Italy?

Sea freight is the cheapest way to ship goods from China to Italy
Several factors make it cheaper than air or rail shipping
. Sea shipping has the longest routes and therefore has many ports to choose from. For example, one of the most popular ports in China is Shanghai. In Italy you can find seaports such as Genoa and Venice. Depending on which port your shipment originates from and is destined for, you may be able to save on shipping costs by choosing a port that is closer to your destination.

Ocean shipping has more options for large shipments. The larger your shipment, the cheaper it is to ship each item by sea freight than by air or rail. This is because each shipping method has its own limitations on the types of items that can be transported each way and the space those items take up in a container.

Factors affecting shipping costs from China to Italy

• Freight Type:
  Sea freight is generally more cost-effective than air freight, but slower.
• Container size:
  The size and type of container used in ocean shipping affects cost, with larger sizes being more expensive.
• weight and volume:
  Shipping charges are calculated based on weight or volume (whichever is greater).
• distance:
  The distance between origin and destination affects the cost.
• Freight Class:
  Classification of goods according to their nature and characteristics affects costs.
• Transportation route:
  The specific routes and ports involved may affect costs.
• Transportation time:
  Faster options such as air freight often cost more than slower options.
• Fuel price:
  Fluctuations in fuel prices can affect overall transportation costs.
• Duties and taxes:
  Import duties and taxes on arrival in Italy account for the total cost.

How Long Does it take to Ship from China to Italy

The shipping time from China to Italy depends on the selected mode of transportation, the departure and destination, and whether there is transshipment. Generally, Sea freight takes 30 to 45 days, and air freight takes 3 to 7 days.

POL (Port of Loading)	POD (Port of Discharge)	Transit time
Qingdao	Genoa	32-38 days
Qingdao	Naples	30-37 days
Qingdao	La Spezia	35-40 days
Shanghai	Genoa	32-39 days
Shanghai	Naples	31-37 days
Shanghai	La Spezia	33-39 days
Shenzhen	Genoa	30-38 days
Shenzhen	Naples	31-39 days
Shenzhen	La Spezia	32-40 days

Door to Door Shipping from China to Italy

Door to Door service is a comprehensive shipping solution that simplifies the logistics process by handling every stage of shipping from the supplier’s location in China to the recipient’s address in Italy. This service ensures a seamless and hassle-free experience as the freight forwarder takes care of all aspects, including pickup, transportation, customs clearance, and final delivery.

Two common terms associated with door to door services are DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid):

• DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid): Under DDU terms, the seller is responsible for shipping the goods to the destination but does not pay import duties or taxes. The buyer must deal with customs duties and any associated fees when the goods arrive.
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): DDP is a more comprehensive service where the seller assumes all responsibilities, including shipping, customs clearance, and payment of import duties and taxes. This provides a complete end-to-end solution without the buyer having to deal with customs-related complexities.

DDP Shipping from China to Italy

Shipping your goods on DDP terms saves you money on shipping costs and saves you time and money by not having to worry about taxes and duties. Using a freight forwarder like Basenton Logistics will make every step easier for you. DDP shipping from China to Italy can be done in many different ways: sea freight, rail freight or air freight. You will need to prepare some documents for your Chinese factory to fill out when exporting your goods from China.

DDP shipping is a popular shipping method in Italy. It is also known as door-to-door (D2D) shipping. In this type of shipping, the consignee can receive the shipment at their doorstep without any additional charges.

The recipient needs to arrive at the address where they wish to receive the shipment and sign for delivery. The company then delivers it to them and is responsible for any damage or loss that may occur during shipping. DDP is a very secure mode of transportation as it does not require the involvement of any third party for successful delivery of goods.

DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. This means that the seller pays all costs associated with the delivery of your goods. This includes shipping and insurance costs. This is in contrast to FOB (free on board), which means you pay for everything up to a specific point in time. After that, the buyer takes over and must pay the remaining fees.
This is a very popular method of transporting goods between Italy and China, used by businesses from all walks of life

Goods need to be cleared through customs in China before being exported. They will be sent to our warehouse in Shenzhen, or you can specify us to pick them up from your China factory. In Italy we use our business partners as importers for import declarations, so VAT and EORI are not required. We manage all customs clearance procedures from China and Italy. Arrange door-to-door delivery by express companies such as UPS and DPD.

DDP shipping is best for Amazon FBA shipping, business addresses, private addresses.

Customs clearance documents for goods imported from China to Italy

Complying with Italian import regulations is critical, including customs duties and compliance with specific requirements.

Detailed documentation requirements:

• Accurate and complete documentation is critical to successful customs clearance:
• commercial invoice
• packing list
• Certificate of Origin
• Bill of lading

Understanding the complexities of shipping from China to Italy is critical for businesses to make informed decisions. By considering sea and air freight options, transit duration, customs regulations, and the selection of a reliable logistics partner, businesses can ensure a successful international shipping experience between China and Italy. For an accurate and tailored cost estimate, it is recommended to consult an experienced Chinese freight forwarder Basenton Logistics, please keep in mind that rates may vary depending on market conditions and specific requirements.