Air freight from China –  A Walhalla for importers

In this day and age when things depend on speed, to stay competitive you need to deliver goods safely and quickly to the customer. Air freight is the only option that has the ability to respond to this. It can also easily make up for the shortcomings of other shipping methods. Here we want to look at air freight from China, one of the world’s largest manufacturers.

Air freight from china at a glance

Approximately 60% of global air freight is operated between North America, Western Europe and Southeast Asia. Air freight is a key bridge for China’s economy, which encompasses the entire world and exports everywhere. For example, basic and sensitive goods are shipped from China to the USA by air within 24 to 48 hours. But with ships it takes 30 days.

China is currently the second largest air cargo market after the US. It has more than 20 major airports:

• Beijing Capital International Airport. It is the busiest airport in Asia. It has most international routes and is equipped with three terminals with modern services.
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It is one of the three major airports in China. This airport also operates many flights to North America and Europe.
• Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. It is the busiest airport in midwest China. Also it is geographically closer to Europe than most international airports.
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. It offers numerous flights to Australia and New Zealand. Guangzhou Baiyun has two terminals and its access to the city is very easy.

There are three options for air freight from China:

• Standard air freight. It is cost effective for goods weighing between 150 and 500 kg.
• Express courier. It is the fastest and most expensive method. Express is suitable for small goods weighing 50 to 150 kg.
• Regular post. This method is used for small and light goods such as samples and documents. China Post has several options for you. It is the cheapest.

Types of air cargo

In air freight from China, choosing the right shipping method plays an important role in safe delivery and an efficient supply chain. If you want this, you need to know what kind of goods air freight is suitable for.

General cargo. They are like pharmaceutical, jewelry and electronics, luxury products, samples and documents.They need more safety. Because the value of these goods is high, and if they are damaged during transportation, there will be heavy financial losses.

Special cargo. Goods that are sensitive to temperature and time. Aircraft are equipped with temperature regulators and can carry goods at low and high temperatures, such as perishable, drugs, vaccines, plants and seafood. In addition, goods that require special conditions or dangerous goods are transported in this way, such as live animal, cut flowers and chemical products.

Why rely on air freight when importing from China?

Air freight from China offers a package of modern services and many benefits.

Competitive Advantage. It is true that it costs much more than sea freight and land freight. You can easily separate yourself from the competitors and be first class. First, use sea shipping for bulk and primary volumes. If demand increases prematurely, you can easily replenish your inventory in a fraction of the time.

Speed. Speed is the main feature of air transport over other methods. In a rapidly changing world, you can meet customer needs in no time. This pros is very effective in your credit and customer satisfaction. On the other hand, the customs clearance process is not as complicated as sea freight. Hence its time is shorter. In some airports, everything is done electronically, which saves time.

Accessibility. By air freight you can easily reach places that are neither close to the road nor to the sea. In addition, for times when natural disasters restrict access to any aid method. This method is possible.

Security. You can easily ensure the safe delivery of goods by air freight from China. Because the possibility of pirated and robbery is zero. In addition, airports are very strict in inspections. Also, due to the limited capacity of aircraft, the volume of many goods is not placed in it and greatly reduces the possibility of damage to the cargo.

Warehousing. Air freight does not require long-term storage and most shipments do not stay at airports. Therefore, its costs, which accounts for about 25% of the total costs, are less than sea freight. Also, warehousing of goods is done with up-to-date facilities and equipment. For example, storehouses for perishable goods have temperature-controlled rooms.

Disadvantages

To make sure you choose air freight services right, you need to be aware of its cons.

High cost. Air freight from China is about 16 times more expensive than sea freight. Because it is both faster and uses modern technologies.

Volume limit. Cargo air crafts are bigger than passenger ones. They have more wheels and doors. But again, their capacity is less than ocean-going ships. Therefore, bulk and very large goods can not be moved with them.

Strict rules. Governments have restrictions on the import and export of goods by air. Most dangerous goods are not allowed to be carried by plane.

Air and environmental pollution. Due to their age, cargo planes emit more carbon than ships and trucks. In addition, due to their high speed, their fuel consumption is high.

How much does air freight from China cost you?

If you have a business and are constantly dealing with this method, airlines will consider lower rates than the market for you and large loads. But if you are going to use it sometimes, it is not cost effective for shipments larger than 400 kg.

Air freight costs from China depend on several factors:

Freight rates. Air freight rates typically range from $ 1.50 to $ 4.50 per kilogram. A very good way is to use consolidated air freight service. As a result, you can find lower rates. To calculate it, you must first measure the actual weight of the product. Then calculate the volumetric weight based on the following formula. Each number was higher, consider as chargeable weight.

(L×H×W)167⇒ Volumetric weight

Packaging. You should use light yet durable packaging materials. Because its weight affects your costs. Also using a pallet minimizes the risk of damages. Because China Airlines handles a lot of goods and yours may be in a dangerous situation.

Insurance. There is no excuse for not using insurance in shipping. But unlike sea freight, you can easily use the cheapest insurance. Because there are not many risks to your product.

Peak season. It is when all businesses are preparing for Chinese holidays such as Golden Week and New Year. Costs skyrocket due to constraints and high demand. On the other hand, congestion of customs and warehouses, delays in loading and unloading and lack of capacity, also lead to additional costs.

Flight services. Depending on your needs and the conditions of your goods, there are several flights with different costs, such as next flight out and charters.

There are also some additional costs such as:

• Fuel surcharges
• Airport transfers
• terminal handling
• Shipping from warehouse to cabin
• Pickup and delivery
• Local costs

Air freight from China time

Your transit time is shorter than any other shipping method. But delays, unexpected problems and goods with special conditions, have an effect on it. In peak season, for example, your goods will definitely arrive later than other days due to the congestion. Or if you carry magnetic goods such as magnets, nickel or cobalt, they will do a magnetic inspection. They do this to prevent signal interference before loading. So the type of goods even affects your transit time.

Standard air freight from China takes 7-12 days. Express couriers such as FedEx, UPS and DHL takes 3-4 days. But the regular post delivery time is 2-4 weeks.

Always try to consider the nearest airport to China as a destination. Because the shorter the transit time, the lower the costs.