Shipping cost is not only about weight
Many buyers only ask for product price, then discover shipping is expensive later. Carriers often calculate by actual weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher. Large but light products can still be expensive to ship.
Information needed for a shipping estimate
- Destination country, city, and delivery address type.
- Total carton quantity, carton size, and gross weight.
- Product type, battery status, liquid, powder, magnet, or fragile details.
- Preferred method: express, air, sea, truck, or railway where available.
- Trade term or delivery term such as EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP, or door-to-door.
Small orders and samples
For samples and small urgent orders, express or air shipping may be practical. For low-value bulky products, express shipping can make the total landed cost too high.
Bulk orders
For bigger orders, sea freight or consolidated shipment is often more suitable. Buyers should compare total landed cost, not only product unit price.
A useful estimate should include product cost, local delivery in China, storage or consolidation if needed, export handling, international freight, destination charges, duties, and final delivery.
How Dylan Sourcing Co helps
We help collect carton information from suppliers, organize goods in China, coordinate consolidation, and communicate shipment details so buyers can compare practical shipping options.