Importing from China to the UK in time for Christmas

As a business importing goods from China, when is the best time to order your stock to sell at Christmas?

When should you think about ordering goods from China and what are your options? This article deals with ordering in time for Christmas. If you’d like to find out more about importing from China to the UK, please see our FAQ page on importing from China to the UK or our page for first time importers.

Transit Times - Sea Freight from China to the UK

As China is such a vast country, shipping time does depend on which area your goods are coming from.There is typically a transit time from most Chinese ports to UK ports of around 4-5 weeks. This does not account for any delays during transit such as bad weather or other disruptions. The transit time from around the Shanghai area is around 30 days port to port, whereas the time for goods from northern China is around 45 days.

Air Freight from China to the UK

Getting your goods via air freight can be much quicker (although it is more expensive) with transit times of around between five and fifteen days.

Getting to port within China

On top of the transit times, as China is such a vast country (42 times the size of the UK), there are the delivery times to and from ports to consider.

Other Delaying Factors

There will be customs checks at both ends of the journey plus time to load and unload goods at the Chinese and UK ports.

Order your goods now to be ready for Christmas

We recommend you place your orders as soon as possible (we’re writing this in early October 2023) to ensure they arrive by Christmas. Please contact us asap to discuss your options.