Many express delivery companies provide parcel delivery services to China, but it is highly recommended to research and compare multiple services based on where you are from and what you are trying to send in order to find the best fit. Be sure to consult whichever service you decide to employ regarding the size and contents of your packages, as every company has unique restrictions. Here are some important factors to consider when planning to ship personal belongings to China.

Prohibited or Restricted Items

Below is a list of some common items prohibited or restricted from delivery to China.

Prohibited
Domestic cooking devices that use gas Riel; video game consoles used with a television; video games and other games operated by coins; other video games; worn clothing (especially famous name-brands); printers or other input-output accessories for computers and other components of automatic data processing equipment; electric rice cookers; wired phones： video tape recorders; record players and compact disk recorders; CDs： mobile communication equipment; digital cameras; television sets; imitation guns; " DARK-1 E" / " DARLIE" brand toothpaste; anything marked as " Made in China" ; baby milk formula powder and other powders; certain medications and syringes (with or without needles); liquids; gels; food; embargoed materials and political materials.
Restricted
Leather products; turntables; white goods; musical instruments must be shipped in a hard case.

When choosing a service, consider whether your priority is speed or price.

Some of the fastest options can ship to Shenzhen from the U.K. or the U.S. within two working days. Some of the cheapest services with good reputations take between four and seven working days. Actual times vary by case depending on the place of origin and the contents in the parcel due to customs checks.

Of course, prices also vary depending on the situation, but for general reference, a 1 kg parcel from the U.K. or the U.S. can cost as little as 17 or US$40, respectively, and a 30kg parcel can cost 134 or US$330, respectively.

Some services allow you to customize your order and save either on delivery time or cost by choosing between door to door service, or dropping off and picking up at ports or pick-up points.

Just remember most ports charge for demurrage, a storage fee charged by the port for each extra day they have to store your parcel. There is usually a short window of days after your container' s arrival before you begin getting charged, but clarify the details before scheduling the delivery to ensure you will be in the city in time.

 

When scheduling delivery times, remember to consider China' s public holidays and factor in that the date on the solar calendar often changes by the year, because the traditional holidays are based on the lunar calendar. Please refer to page 13 for a list of Chinese Public Holidays.

Pro-forma invoice

Before sending anything, you * II need to fill out a document called a pro-forma invoice that lists all of the items in your parcel, print out at least five copies and attach them to the outside of your parcel in an envelope. This tells the customs officials what is in your parcel and helps the process move as quickly as possible. Most services will provide you with this form.

Taxes and fees

Depending on the contents of your parcel, additional customs fees very well may apply. Generally, if the value of your parcel is less than 800 RMB, you won' t be liable for extra fees.For items weighing over 20 pounds, the value added tax rate is usually between 12 and 17 percent.