“Shipping from China to Japan – Shipping Methods
Since China and Japan are the largest economies in Asia, trade flows between the two countries have become very important. As a freight forwarder in China, a large part of our customers are Japanese importers. Based on our experience in trade between the two countries, we observed that the same questions are often asked to us, regarding customs clearance procedures, the most suitable way of shipping… We thought it would be a good solution to create a dedicated article Program topic.
Air Freight from China to Japan
Air freight from China to Japan is one of the important modes of transportation, and although it is expensive, many people choose it for cargo transportation. If you want to use this method, you must know all the details. Air freight is the ideal method for these conditions:
When the cargo is less than 200 kg
when the goods are in good condition
It’s best to remember that air freight is not suitable for oversized shipments. In air freight, goods can be shipped in Express or Classic. In Express, all shipments arrive at the destination within 1 to 3 business days, but in the second way it takes 4 to 8 business days.
Shipping from China to Japan
Sea freight is the most common way to ship items from China to Japan, mainly because of its versatility and reliability. While rail and air freight have restrictions on what they can carry, almost everything can be shipped by sea, including very large and heavy items (such as cars). The main disadvantage of sea freight is its timetable. Other shipping methods deliver within days, while ocean shipping takes weeks. Items typically take 5-7 days to reach their destination, depending on the type of shipment and specific departure and arrival ports.
Ocean freight operates under the same FCL and LCL container system as rail freight. Consider container size when choosing shipping size and getting a price estimate, as prices for FCL and LCL are different. We can help with commercial invoices, customs clearance and insurance for your shipments.
Shipping time from China to Japan
Air Freight 1-2 days
Ocean Freight 5-7 days
What are the benefits of air and sea freight?
The benefits of shipping by sea:
Suitable for a wide range of products
bulk shipping
Most environmentally friendly of all shipping methods
Economical and cost-effective.
Extensive global coverage
Multiple carrier options
Ocean freight differs in that ocean carriers charge standard container shipping rates at container rates. While weight can affect ocean freight prices, they tend to be charged primarily based on the size of the shipment. If you are shipping less than the container load, your price may be in cubic meters. For larger and heavier shipments, ocean freight is often the more cost-effective route.
Advantages of air freight:
fast transit
Reliable arrivals and departures
Improve the safety level of cargo
Why is Qingdao important for shipping from China to Japan?
Qingdao Port is one of the largest seaports in China and is located in the Yellow River Basin on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. In 2011, it merged with the largest port in South Korea and three other ports in China to establish a transportation and logistics hub in Northeast Asia, with more than 450 ports. Now it connects to more than 130 countries around the world. One of the natural advantages of this port is the depth of water, the absence of ice and mud. Qingdao Port consists of three areas:
Qingdao Old Port
Huangdao Oil Port
Qianwan New Port
The port provides loading and unloading services, warehousing and logistics services for containers, coal, iron ore, crude oil, grains and more. The port also provides passenger services. The port has a capacity of millions of tons and can carry a variety of public goods, bulk cargo and large equipment.
Qingdao Port is the most innovative port in China’s port competitiveness in recent years. It covers 9.6 million square kilometers of Chinese land and is recognized as the best Chinese port to satisfy customers. It has been China’s second largest foreign trade port for many years, the world’s largest iron ore import port and China’s largest crude oil import port. Qingdao Port has always been one of the most beautiful ports, ensuring no pollution to the environment.
Necessary documents
Japanese import license
The entire customs clearance process begins when your shipment enters Japan. You will receive an import license, which you should fill out. You will then present your own import license to the Director of Customs and include the import license in the import declaration. The import declaration must detail the exact value and quantity of the items you are importing. It must be issued to the corresponding customs counter, while your goods are already in the customs warehouse. In addition, the import declaration form must be in triplicate.
Certificate of Origin (CO)
As you can imagine, a CO is an official document proving the origin of your shipment. It witnesses that your goods are made up of goods produced in a specific region of China. A notary or government must issue this document to make it valid.
Bill of Lading (BL) or Air Waybill
After the Certificate of Origin, the Bill of Lading is the second most important document to clear your goods through customs. CO provides the necessary details about your shipment, while BL provides information about the shipment. It also certifies the payment process between the importer or freight forwarder and the carrier. A Letter of Credit (LC) will then be issued. An air waybill and a bill of lading are basically the same document, but one is by air and the other by sea.
This example details the information provided by BL:
1 = Shipper
2 = Consignee
3 = Notifying Party
4 = Ship number
5 = Port of Loading / Port of Discharge
6 = Receipt/Delivery Location
7 = container number
8 = Description of the goods
9 = net weight
10 = size/volume
Other files
Licenses, certificates… (if any)
Customs Payment Note
Proof of insurance (if any)
commercial invoice
Packing List
At last
This article provides all the necessary information for shipping from China to Japan. As you know, there are many local and international companies in China. Multinational corporations are so famous that anyone who comes to China just needs to do a search on the Internet. But many experts believe that local companies are one of the best options for shipping from China to anywhere in the world.”
