Alibaba Shipping Costs

Leeline gets you Alibaba shipping at a low cost. Get an instant quote with different shipping methods. Consult the best ROUTES and shipping methods for your shipment.

We collect your shipment from an Alibaba supplier and DELIVER it to your warehouse. 

Alibaba Shipping Costs

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Free Hassle Shipping From China

Sea Freight

Sea Freight

Get extra protective layers to avoid damage during a rough journey. We supervise loading and unloading. Get your product whole and intact.

Shared containers or spaces for LCL shipment. Cost-effective solutions for both SMALL and big businesses.

Air Freight

Air Freight

Get a short delivery time with Air shipping. We manage Air shipments from Alibaba suppliers to your warehouses. Fast loading and unloading. We handle all the shipping documents for customs clearance.

No need to work on extensive PAPERWORK. 

Railway Freight

Railway Freight

The railway is cheaper and fast. Avoid delays and road traffic with Railway. We offer a real-time Alibaba shipping tracking tool. OPTIMIZE your shipment before shipping.

Saves cost and space for more shipments. 


Door to Door Shipping

Door-to-Door Shipping

Complete door-to-door customized shipping plans for many Alibaba suppliers. Make your shipping strategy.

We collect, merge and repack your inventory. Get real-time tracking for shipping updates.

Alibaba Shipping

Alibaba Shipping

Get your Alibaba shipments at competitive prices. Direct shipment to our warehouses. You get 30 days of FREE warehousing near ports. We handle all extensive paperwork at ports.

Get real-time tracking with different shipping methods.

Shipping To FBA

Shipping To FBA

Get product quality inspection from skilled staff. We replace damaged items with functional items.

Avoid bad REVIEWS and protect the brand’s image. Direct shipment to Amazon warehouses.

Why Choose Us?

Low Cost

You get competitive rates. We optimize your shipment and give you CUSTOMIZED shipping plans. Saves money and space on shipping.

Better Routes

Many routes are available with the same shipping methods. Short ROUTES with low distance. Less charge and more room for profit. Easy to ship at the same location.

Free Storage

Thirty days of free storage at warehouse NETWORK worldwide. Easy to accommodate many shipments and merge them. No need to pay for storage. 

Efficient Infrastructure

Efficient and fast infrastructure for the reliable shipping process. Get ACCESS to cranes and heavy transport vehicles to save money on labor. Easy to handle bulk orders.

Hear it from fellow Products Wholesaler

Leeline has helped me with my Alibaba shipment. It’s been a WONDERFUL experience so far. Their shipment consolidation with short routes has saved me a lot. I recommend LEELINE to every ecommerce site or store owner like me! 

– James, California


Ship From China and Make Big Money

We offer the best wholesale price and high quality products and help you ship from China.


How To Calculate And Save Alibaba Shipping Cost?

Shipping is almost 5% to 10% of your net revenue. Alibaba shipping costs are so expensive. It seems difficult to lower these shipping expenses. 

But I have a solution! You can reduce your Alibaba shipping costs with a few tips. First needs to understand shipping charges and their factors. 

Our Alibaba shipping EXPERTS compile this guidebook. After reading this, you save Alibaba shipping expenses with valuable hacks. 

Keep reading to learn about the Alibaba shipping costs overview. Get to know about the CHEAPEST shipping option. 

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Why is Alibaba Shipping so expensive? 

Alibaba is a B2B marketplace. It connects business. They have a sense of competition between individual Chinese suppliers. They spend a large amount on marketing their services. This increases their costs of OPERATION. 

They have to maintain their staff and services. Most shipping agents need more infrastructure to HANDLE big shipping projects. They outsource them to any small Chinese supplier or agent, increasing costs. 

Every Trade assurance supplier needs to pay commissions to Alibaba. It is around 3% on every transaction, excluding taxes. Agents INCREASE their courier service charges to cover these fees. It contributes a lot too expensive shipping. 

What factors affect Alibaba shipping costs?

What factors affect Alibaba shipping costs scaled

Several factors affect Alibaba’s shipping price. Here are a few of them:

  1. Size & weight

It is an obvious factor. Large and heavy products have more shipping charges than SMALL and LIGHT products. Large products take more space and labor to move. Consolidate International orders to save space and labor costs. 

  1. Distance and Shipping methods

Every shipping mode has a different cost. Air and express shipping is more EXPENSIVE than Sea freight. Also, the distance adds up to the cost. The larger the distance, the more cost will add up. 

  1. Alibaba Commission and customs fees

Alibaba charges 3% on every transaction. Agents increase their prices to cover this cost. Alibaba logistics has an extra fee. Every country has different customs fees. So CUSTOMS and IMPORT TAXES also include in the shipping price. 

  1. Extra services

Packaging and STORAGE are extra services. Insurance cost adds to the shipping expenses. Some offer them as free services but try to discuss this agreement. So you avoid hidden fees.

How to calculate the Alibaba shipping cost?

How to calculate the Alibaba shipping cost

Here is how you can evaluate Alibaba shipping costs. You use an online shipping calculator. But this is a vague idea. Here is another way to calculate the shipping price.

First, confirm shipment with your RELIABLE supplier. If it is ready, then he may recommend you any shipping company. But you also calculate your exact shipping price. 

The actual Shipping cost is VARIABLE. Here are the steps to calculate the shipping price.

Step 1: Go to the Alibaba logistics search bar. Search freight forwarders with your requirements. Start filtering them with reviews and ratings. 

Step 2: Get a shipping QUOTATION sample with your shipping weight and dimensions. Also, provide relevant details. Try to get quotes with reliable shipping options (Air, Sea, Express, or Standard). Easy to get competitive shipping rates.

  • Standard Shipping: This is a cheap and economical method for small parcels. This is a basic shipping mode. 
  • Express Shipping: It is the fastest shipping mode. It comes with size and weight LIMITATIONS. It is a suitable shipping method for small and urgent parcels. 
  • Air freight: This takes 6 to 10 days and is expensive. You can send large quantities but with size and weight limitations. 
  • Sea Freight: This takes 15 to 30 days, depending on the distance. It is the cheapest shipping method for large & Bulk quantities. 

Step 3: Ask for extra services (Storage, shipping insurance, packaging, and branding). Try to discuss a complete shipping strategy. Compare FINAL QUOTES with different agents.

Step 4: Add 3% Alibaba commission and customs broker charges. (Customs has a chart of charges). Alibaba trade assurance has a 3% commission on every transaction. 

Step 5: Add all charges and discuss in agreement. You have the final cost. Try to go with an AGREEMENT to avoid Hidden charges. 

Alibaba shipping costs to USA, UK, and Europe

Alibaba shipping costs to USA UK and Europe scaled

The freight cost depends on the Distance, shipping method, and size and weight of the shipment. Yet It is international shipping, so the customs and IMPORT TAXES apply. 

Here is the cost estimation or overview

China to Europe

Three shipping modes are available from China to Europe (Air, Sea, and Railway). Air express charges are almost 4 to 8 USD per KG. Yet Rail is cheaper but takes transit time. 

No doubt Sea freight is the CHEAPEST option! 20 ft standard container costs around 1100$ to 1500$. Don’t forget Customs, import taxes, and extra services also add to the cost. 

China to UK

There are three SHIPPING MODES available, like in Europe. Yet every method costs more than Europe. Air freight costs around 3$ to 6$ per KG. 20 ft Standard ful container load costs around 1300$ to 1600$. 

Shipping to the UK is expensive, and import taxes and customs apply. It takes more shipping time than in Europe. 

China to the US

There are two shipping modes available when it comes to US. Sea freight and Air freight. Sea freight has two popular routes. China to East coasts or West coasts. China to the East Coast is more EXPENSIVE than the west coast. Also, transit time to the East Coast is more than on the west coast. 

20 ft container from China costs from 1500$ to 3000$. Air freight is more expensive than in Europe and Uk. Air express freight costs 3$ to 6$ per KG. It has more distance and takes more fuel. CUSTOMS and import taxes add up to the shipping cost. 

There is no exact estimate for the cost. Shipping fee is variable as fuel prices. OFF-SEASON and PEAK SEASONS have different costs. 

Better to contact a shipping agent. Give clear shipment details with exact locations. Discuss extra services. You get the exact cost.

How to reduce Alibaba shipping costs?

How to reduce Alibaba shipping costs

Here are a few ways to reduce the Alibaba shipping cost

1. Many quotes and negotiations 

Try to contact many contract LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS providers. Get quotes with different shipping methods. They have different prices. Then negotiate about pricing. Show them future potential. Short routes are cheaper, so try to get quotes on short routes. 

For example, China to US west coast is cheaper than China to US east coast. Different routes with the same freight type have different pricing. Select cheaper routes with NEGOTIATION. 

2. Cheap shipping options

Low costs Sea freight or standard shipping is popular. These shipping methods are slow. If you manage inventory timely, you avoid expensive shipping methods. 

So try to book in advance and have extra inventory to avoid delays. Bulk orders have low shipping fees (Per pound comparison). It is also easy to negotiate with bulk orders.

3. Shipment Optimization

You optimize your shipment before shipping. It saves you space while shipping. Lowers down the weight and DIMENSIONS of boxes. Cost-effective for a small private label business. Easy to store and manage inventory.

Inspection save Alibaba shipping costs on damaged products. Filter out damaged products before shipment, and no need to pay for their shipping.

4. Advance bookings or Off season

Advance booking gets you a good discount. Companies give discounted deals for advance booking. AVAIL it. Also, schedule your short shipments in Off seasons. There is less demand for shipping services, and easy to negotiate. Gets you a good deal!

5. Mixed modes of transportation

Mixed transportation strategy can save you a lot, coming from experience. Rail is cheap and fast. Include rail to transport goods to ports. 

Use the right type of vehicle for fuel saving. Try to organize shipment for less labor cost while LOADING and UNLOADING. These are extra tips that help you to save Alibaba shipping costs. 

Looking for the Best China Freight Forwarder?

Leeline helps you ship from China to Anywhere in the World!

FAQs about Alibaba Shipping Costs

How does Alibaba shipping work?

There are INDIVIDUAL shipping agents and companies on Alibaba. You search for agents with your requirements and filter them out. Get quotes and negotiate. Agree, and they’ll handle your shipment.

How much is shipping from Alibaba?

It depends on Size, weight, shipping distance, and location with the shipping method. There is no exact ESTIMATE. Better to contact agents there. They give you an exact quote based on your shipment details. 

Do I pay customs if I buy from Alibaba?

If you are importing, you must pay customs and import taxes. Every country has customs and import taxes. Every international trade SHIPMENT has to pay Customs duties and import taxes. 

Which is cheaper: Alibaba or AliExpress?

Alibaba is cheaper for bulk buying. Aliexpress is cheaper for SINGLE QUANTITIES. Both have different business models. Alibaba is B2B and connects businesses. While Aliexpress is B2C and connects sellers with customers. 

What’s Next

Alibaba shipping is very costly. You reduce your Alibaba shipping with shipment optimization and the right shipping route. But it needs expert advice from SKILLED staff for optimization. 

Well, no worries! We help you optimize shipment and choose the right route for lower costs. 

Contact us to get Quote Now! Instant quotes with many shipping methods so EASY to choose from.

Do you want ship Goods from China To Global?

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Hey, I’m Sharline, co-founder of  Leeline. We’ve helped 5000+ customers shipping from China.

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Sharline leeline founder

Article by:

Sharline Shaw

Hey I'm Sharline, the founder of Leeline. With 10 years of experience in the field of sourcing and shipping in China, we help 2000+ clients import from China,Alibaba,1688 to Amazon FBA or shopify. If you have any questions about sourcing and shipping , pls feel free to contact us.

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