Pallet Shipping Cost from China
Pallets, crates and oversized cargo are not priced like cartons: there is a head-haul rate per kilo or per CBM, plus a delivery fee that depends on where the pallet is going and whether anyone at the other end has a forklift. Here is what the September 2026 card actually says.
What a Pallet Costs, by Lane
Indicative bands from our contracted forwarder's card in effect 22 September 2026. A pallet is billed in two parts, so both lines matter.
| Lane | Head-haul | Per-pallet delivery | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK air pallet | RMB 41 per kg | RMB 630–1,200 by postcode zone | 9–12 days + 2–3 working days delivery |
| UK sea pallet | RMB 7.5 per kg | RMB 630–1,200 by postcode zone | 40–45 days sailing + 2–3 working days |
| EU air oversized | RMB 40–54.5 per kg (P) · 48.5–66.5 (C, battery) | included in the lane | 9–12 calendar days |
| EU sea oversized | RMB 10.41–37 per kg, priced by postcode zone and weight tier (50 kg to 2,000 kg+) | included in the lane | 45–55 days |
| Canada oversized truck | per CBM, by city zone | RMB 1,650–3,850 per CBM door to door | 30–40 days |
The UK pallet lane has 22 postcode zones. Delivery is RMB 630 per pallet across the Midlands and the North, rising through RMB 740–860 for the South and Scotland, RMB 910 for inner London, and RMB 1,200 for Northern Ireland. A pallet to Belfast costs almost double a pallet to Birmingham, on the same head-haul.
Europe oversized sea cargo is priced per kilo in 15 weight tiers from 50 kg+ to 2,000 kg+, and the rate falls at every step — from RMB 37 per kg at the bottom to RMB 10.41 per kg on the top tiers. The zone (destination postcode) moves the rate by a few RMB per kilo, the weight tier by tens.
Canada bills per cubic metre with one decimal, at 1 CBM = 400 kg for dense cargo. Vancouver is the cheapest gateway and Halifax the most expensive, which is why the same pallet of furniture can be RMB 1,650 per CBM to Calgary and RMB 3,850 per CBM to Halifax.
Pallet Size, Weight & Packing Rules
| Rule | UK lane | EU sea oversized | US air lanes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum pallet size | 100 × 120 × 200 cm | 2.4 × 2.0 × 2.2 m | crates and pallets go on oversized lanes, not parcels |
| Maximum weight | 800 kg per pallet | 1,000 kg per pallet | — |
| Wooden packing | hinged lids, 10 cm forklift feet | hinged lids, 10 cm forklift feet | wooden crates accepted on oversized lanes only |
| Single-piece limits | recipient needs a forklift | recipient needs a forklift | over 38 kg with girth over 300 cm is refused |
| Free storage at destination | — | 7 days free, then RMB 4–6 per CBM per day | — |
Wood packaging is subject to ISPM 15 heat-treatment marking in most destination markets, and hinged lids matter because customs can ask to inspect the contents without dismantling the crate. If your cargo is stackable, building one tall pallet instead of two half-height ones usually saves both the head-haul and the delivery fee.
How Long Each Mode Actually Takes
From the same September 2026 card. Sea and rail times run from sailing or loading, air times from flight, so add the consolidation and inspection days in China.
| Destination | Air | Rail-truck | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 6–8 working days (P) · 7–9 (C) | — | ≈16 natural days (express) · ≈22 (standard) |
| United Kingdom | 5–7 working days to pickup | 25–30 days to pickup | 40–45 days sailing (pallet lane) |
| Europe (EU) | 8–12 calendar days (P/C) · 9–12 (oversized) | 22–25 days to pickup | 40–45 days LCL · 45–55 days oversized |
| Canada | — | — | 25–30 days to Vancouver · 35–40 to Toronto / MG · 30–40 truck lane |
Air costs roughly three to four times the per-kilo rate of rail-truck and five times the sea rate, but it arrives in 5–12 days instead of 22–55. It pays when the goods are seasonal, high value per kilo, or when a stock-out costs more than the freight difference. For pallets, remember that the air pallet lane adds 2–3 working days of truck delivery after clearance.
Rail-truck to the UK is RMB 13–19 per kg and to Europe RMB 14–23 per kg, with 22–30 day transit — cheaper than air, faster than sea, and it takes the same three import terms to the UK (own VAT, deferred or duty paid). It is the default for mid-value palletised cargo that cannot wait two months for an LCL sailing.
What Pushes a Pallet Above the Band
- Delivery zone. The per-pallet delivery fee is set by destination: RMB 630 in the English Midlands and the North, RMB 740–860 across the South and Scotland, RMB 910 for inner London, RMB 1,200 for Northern Ireland.
- Weight tier. On Europe oversized sea cargo the per-kilo rate falls in 15 tiers from 50 kg+ to 2,000 kg+ — consolidating pallets into one heavier shipment is worth checking before you split it.
- Booking and handling fees. RMB 300 per shipment on the UK air pallet lane, customs documentation handling of RMB 500 via Vancouver and RMB 350 via Toronto on the Canadian lane.
- Waiting and timed delivery. GBP 30 per hour after 15 minutes' waiting, and GBP 30 per shipment for a timed delivery — both avoidable if the receiving site books a dock slot.
- Storage at destination. Europe sea oversized cargo gets 7 free days, then RMB 4–6 per CBM per day. If your warehouse is not ready, that adds up quickly on a 10 CBM shipment.
- Peak season. From mid-November to February carriers add peak surcharges and exclude delay compensation, so a November sailing needs a bigger buffer than a June one.
Shipping to a US address and handing the pallet to a domestic carrier? That leg is priced by freight class, which comes from density — the calculator works it out from your pallet dimensions and weight in seconds.
Pallet & oversized questions
How much does it cost to ship a pallet from China?+
It depends on the lane, because a pallet is billed in two parts: head-haul (the freight that gets it to the destination country) and a per-pallet delivery fee that depends on where the pallet is going. On our September 2026 card, the UK air pallet lane is RMB 41 per kg head-haul plus RMB 630-1,200 per pallet delivery depending on the postcode zone, and the UK sea pallet lane is RMB 7.5 per kg plus the same delivery fee. Europe oversized sea cargo runs RMB 10.41-37 per kg, priced by postcode zone and weight tier from 50 kg to 2,000 kg+. Canada is billed per CBM: RMB 1,650-3,850 depending on the city zone.
What size pallet can you ship, and how heavy?+
UK and EU pallet lanes cap a pallet at 100 x 120 x 200 cm and 800 kg for the UK lane, and 2.4 x 2.0 x 2.2 m and 1,000 kg for the EU sea oversized lane. The recipient needs a forklift at both ends. Wooden packing needs hinged lids and 10 cm forklift feet so it can be opened for inspection and lifted without being dismantled - and wood packaging is subject to ISPM 15 heat-treatment marking in most destination markets.
Is pallet shipping cheaper than shipping cartons?+
It usually is, once you pass roughly one cubic metre or 500 kg. Carton lanes (parcel, air and LCL) charge per kilo or per CBM with a minimum chargeable weight per piece, and they refuse anything over 38 kg per piece with a girth over 300 cm on the US air lanes. A pallet consolidates many pieces into one handling unit, which cuts per-piece charges, label work and carton wastage - but it needs a commercial address with a forklift, and it is slower on the air lane (9-12 days plus 2-3 days delivery versus 5-7 days for cartons).
Which modes can carry pallets and oversized cargo?+
Sea, air oversized and rail-truck lanes. Parcel and standard air lanes take cartons only - no wooden crates, frames or pallets. On our card: UK air pallet lane (9-12 days plus 2-3 working days delivery) and UK sea pallet lane (40-45 days sailing), Europe sea oversized (45-55 days via Rotterdam or Belgium-Netherlands clearance) and Europe air oversized, and the Canada oversized truck lane (30-40 days door to door, wooden crates accepted).
How long does freight from China take, by mode?+
Air is fastest: 5-7 working days to the UK, 6-8 to the US, 8-12 days to Europe. Rail-truck sits in the middle: 22-25 days to Europe and 25-30 to the UK. Sea is the slowest and cheapest per kilo: about 16 natural days to the US West Coast on an express vessel, 22 days on a standard vessel, 25-30 days door to door to Vancouver, 35-40 days to Toronto or Europe on LCL, and 40-55 days for oversized sea cargo. Times are counted from sailing or flight, so add consolidation time in China.
What makes a pallet shipment more expensive than the band?+
Delivery distance is the biggest factor: the same pallet costs roughly double to the Highlands or Northern Ireland compared with the English Midlands. On top of that: booking fee (RMB 300 per shipment on the UK air pallet lane), waiting time (GBP 30 per hour after 15 minutes), timed delivery (GBP 30 per shipment), storage after the free window (RMB 4-6 per CBM per day after 7 free days in Europe), long-item and overweight surcharges on oversized sea cargo, and peak-season surcharges from mid-November to February.
Can you build pallets and crate cargo at your warehouse?+
Yes. Suppliers deliver to our Guangzhou warehouse, we check the goods against your order, repack or reinforce cartons, build and stretch-wrap pallets, and crate or frame oversized items for export. If cargo comes from several suppliers we consolidate it into one pallet or crate where the sizes allow, which is where most of the saving comes from.
Do you deliver pallets to Amazon FBA warehouses?+
Yes, on the UK, EU, US and Canadian lanes. FBA pallets need two or more labels per carton, "Team Lift" above 22.5 kg and "Heavy Package" above 15 kg, and the pallet itself has to meet the warehouse height and weight rules - FBA warehouses cap pallets lower than the lanes do, so tell us it is an FBA delivery at booking and we build to their spec. Vancouver FBA warehouses have their own rate line on the Canadian card.
How do I get an exact pallet quote?+
Send the number of pallets, the size and weight of each, what is on them, and the destination postcode or city, plus whether the address has a forklift or a loading dock. We come back with the head-haul plus the delivery fee for your zone, the transit time and the surcharges, usually within one working day. If the goods have not been made yet, we can source them and quote at the same time.
Price Your Lane
UK pallet rates by postcode
All 22 zones with the per-pallet delivery fee, plus the air and rail carton lanes.
USA pallet & air rates by ZIP
Air priority, air economy, Matson express and Yantian sea freight across three US ZIP zones.
Canada per-CBM rates
Vancouver and Toronto LCL plus the 14-zone oversized truck lane.
Our forwarding service
Consolidation, crating, customs and door delivery in one booking.
Send us the pallet count, sizes, weights and the destination postcode, and we will come back with the head-haul plus the delivery fee for your zone.