Sea or air freight from China for a first order of 100 to 1,000 units

Short answer. In our worked example of a 0.5 kg boxed product, air freight from China to Europe costs about EUR 1.89 per unit at any quantity. A shared sea container costs about EUR 1.51 per unit at 100 units and about EUR 0.45 at 1,000 units, because sea has a minimum charge of one cubic metre. Air typically takes 5 to 10 days door to door, sea typically 26 to 40 days port to port, so below about one cubic metre air is often the better choice for a first order.

This page is general information and not legal advice.

How much does sea or air freight cost per unit for 100, 300 and 1,000 units?

Freight is one line of your landed cost, the full cost to your door. We take one product and change only the quantity. Swap in your own figures:

• The product. A boxed item of 0.5 kg, packed 20 to a carton. Each carton measures 50 x 40 x 30 cm and weighs 11 kg. Your factory gives the real figures on the packing list.
• Air rate. The Freightos Air Index for China to Europe was USD 3.87 per kg in the week of 20 October 2026 (Freightos). At the European Central Bank reference rate of 21 October 2026, USD 1.1234 to the euro (ECB), that is about EUR 3.44 per kg.
• How air is charged. Airlines charge the higher of the real weight and the volume weight. Volume weight is length x width x height in centimetres divided by 6,000, the standard divisor set by the International Air Transport Association, as Maersk explains. Our carton: 10 kg by volume, 11 kg real, so 11 kg is charged.
• Sea rate. A shared container (called less than container load) is charged per cubic metre. One forwarder's published breakdown of May 2026 puts the rate from Shenzhen to Rotterdam, including port charges at both ends but not delivery, at USD 140 to 195 per cubic metre (ShipTogether). We use USD 170, about EUR 151. Forwarders commonly charge at least one cubic metre, even for less (Great Hensen).

Order	Cartons	Weight	Volume	Air freight	Air per unit	Sea freight (shared container)	Sea per unit
100 units	5	55 kg	0.3 m³	about EUR 189	EUR 1.89	about EUR 151 (1 m³ minimum)	EUR 1.51
300 units	15	165 kg	0.9 m³	about EUR 568	EUR 1.89	about EUR 151 (1 m³ minimum)	EUR 0.50
1,000 units	50	550 kg	3.0 m³	about EUR 1,892	EUR 1.89	about EUR 454	EUR 0.45

Air costs the same per unit at every quantity, because it is priced by the kilo. Sea gets much cheaper per unit once you fill the one cubic metre you pay for anyway. At 100 units the saving by sea is only about EUR 38 in total, for a wait of several extra weeks.

What does the table leave out?

The air figure is a market index rate and the sea figure stops at the port, so both leave out fixed charges per shipment, such as customs clearance in Europe and delivery to your door. Two forwarder breakdowns from 2026 typically list USD 75 to 200 for customs clearance and USD 150 to 600 for delivery per shipment (Great Hensen, ShipTogether). Spread over 100 units, a few hundred euros of fixed charges adds several euros per unit, which matters more than the choice of mode. Rates move weekly: treat the table as a method, not a quote.

How long does each option take?

• Air cargo: typically 5 to 10 days door to door (Epic Sourcing, Sino Shipping).
• Shared sea container to Rotterdam: typically 26 to 40 days port to port, plus a few days to collect and load the shared container (Great Hensen). Carriers are gradually returning to the Suez route, and Freightos reports estimates that transits will fully recover in the first quarter of 2027, so schedules can still shift.
• Rail: typically 12 to 20 days (ExFreight). One Chinese forwarder listed shared rail at USD 204 per cubic metre in October 2026 (Sino Shipping), so it sits between sea and air on cost.
• Express courier: simple for samples, but typically the most expensive per kg (Epic Sourcing).

Do I need a full container of my own?

Almost never on a first order. Forwarder guides from 2026 typically put the point where a full container becomes cheaper than a shared one at about 12 to 20 cubic metres (Great Hensen, ExFreight). Our 1,000-unit example fills 3 cubic metres.

Can products with batteries go by air?

Yes, with extra rules. Lithium batteries count as dangerous goods in air transport, and the rule depends on whether the battery is fitted inside the product or packed in the box beside it. Since 1 January 2026, lithium ion batteries of more than 2.7 watt-hours packed with equipment must ship at no more than 30 percent state of charge (DHL, Lion Technology). Many lithium batteries must also have passed the United Nations transport test known as UN 38.3, and the test summary must be available on request. Ask the factory for it before you pay, as set out in CE marking for small electronics. Sea and rail carriers have their own dangerous goods rules, so tell the forwarder about any battery before booking.

Does the freight choice change duty and import VAT?

A little. Transport costs up to the point where the goods enter the European Union are part of the customs value under the Union Customs Code, Article 71, and duty is charged on that value. In the 1,000-unit example, air costs about EUR 1,438 more than sea. At a duty rate of 2.7 percent that adds at most about EUR 39 of duty. Import value added tax (VAT) is charged on top, but a VAT-registered company usually gets it back. The full rules are in import VAT and duty on a first order.

When should I split an order between air and sea?

Split when a launch date is fixed and the sea date is too late. Fly a small first batch for the launch and send the rest by sea. Each shipment carries its own fixed charges, so split only when the time you gain is worth a second set. Plan around Chinese New Year on 6 February 2027: factories commonly close for two to four weeks around it, and a sea shipment for a spring launch should leave well before.

How Equilinq handles freight

On an Equilinq quote, freight is its own line at cost, to your door, next to the goods, China purchasing and handling and our fee, as on our pricing page. Every order is checked at our warehouse in China before it ships. In our landed cost example, 300 caps go by air for EUR 180, an example rate. Import VAT and duty are shown separately; you pay them as importer.

Further reading

Read what 300 units from China really cost delivered to the Netherlands and CE marking for small electronics. To have the factory found and the delivered cost quoted, see Source.