OriginShipping from Vietnam
Our own teams in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, for the fastest-growing origin for US importers.
Origins / China
Shipping from
China to the US.
Shipping from China, run by nine offices of our own: Tianjin in the north to Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the south.
China
China is still the deepest manufacturing base in the world for tools, outdoor power equipment, furniture, electronics and sporting goods. The rules around it have never been busier, so the team on the ground matters more than ever.
Our own people sit in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Yantian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, Dalian, Tianjin and Hong Kong, close to the factories and the ports they ship from. They manage orders, suppliers, bookings and consolidation at the source, so problems get solved in the time zone they start in.
Many of our customers buy from China and its neighbors at once. With our own teams in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Sri Lanka too, you can run China and “China plus one” sourcing through one partner, with every PO on one live picture in OWL Vision from PO issuance to final delivery.
At a glance
China at a glance.
Hong Kong is a separate customs territory with its own rules, and a useful hub for air freight and consolidation.
- [01] Our offices
- Shanghai · Shenzhen · Yantian · Ningbo · Qingdao · Xiamen · Dalian · Tianjin · Hong Kong
- [02] Local time
- --:--
- 13 hours ahead of New York and 16 ahead of Los Angeles on US standard time. One hour less while US daylight saving time is on.
- [03] Main seaports
- Shanghai · Ningbo · Yantian · Qingdao · Xiamen · Tianjin
- Every major Chinese port has direct US sailings.
- [04] Main air gateways
- Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · Hong Kong (HKG) · Guangzhou (CAN) · Shenzhen (SZX)
- Airport to airport, direct US service typically takes three to five days.
- [05] Currency
- Renminbi (CNY)
- Hong Kong dollar (HKD) in Hong Kong.
- [06] Business language
- Mandarin
- Cantonese in Guangdong and Hong Kong. English is common at trading companies, less so on factory floors.
- [07] Biggest holiday
- Chinese New Year
- Late January to mid-February. Factories commonly close for two to four weeks.
- [08] US goods imports, 2025
- $308.7 billion
- US Census Bureau. Hong Kong is counted separately.
Transit times
How long it takes.
Indicative port-to-port days on the water. Expedited services from Shanghai can reach Long Beach in about 10 to 11 days, and many importers rail East Coast cargo inland from the West Coast instead of sailing all the way.
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Shanghai Los Angeles / Long Beach Direct
11–19 days
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Ningbo Los Angeles / Long Beach Direct
13–22 days
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Yantian Los Angeles / Long Beach Direct
14–20 days
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Qingdao Long Beach Direct
18–24 days
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Shanghai New York Via Panama or Suez
32–45 days
Indicative port-to-port ranges from published carrier schedules. They shift with the season, the carrier and congestion, so ask us for current sailings on your lane.
What it makes
Tools, furniture, electronics and much more.
Whatever you make, there is a cluster for it. Sales offices and factories are often in different cities, so we confirm the real factory address before the first PO.
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[01] Zhejiang
Tools and hardware
Power tools, hand tools, hardware and cookware from Yongkang, Ningbo and Cixi, shipped through Ningbo.
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[02] Jiangsu
Outdoor power equipment
Mowers, engines and outdoor power tools from the Suzhou and Changzhou region, shipped through Shanghai.
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[03] Guangdong · Zhejiang
Furniture and lighting
Furniture from Foshan, Dongguan and Anji, and lighting from Zhongshan.
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[04] Guangdong · Jiangsu
Electronics
Components and finished electronics from Shenzhen, Dongguan, Suzhou and Kunshan.
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[05] Fujian
Footwear and sporting goods
Footwear, sportswear and sporting goods from Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang and Putian.
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[06] Chongqing · Zhejiang
Powersports and vehicle parts
Motorcycles, powersports vehicles and parts from Chongqing, plus auto and motorcycle parts from Taizhou and Ningbo.
Know before you ship
What to plan for.
China carries more US trade measures than any other origin, and they change often. Check the current rules for your HTS code before you commit.
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[01] Tariffs
Section 301
China-origin goods carry Section 301 tariffs on top of regular duty, and product exclusions come and go. Check the current rate for your HTS code before you place the order, not after it sails.
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[02] Forced labor
UFLPA
US Customs presumes that goods made wholly or partly in Xinjiang, or by companies on the UFLPA Entity List, involve forced labor, and can detain them. You need traceability back to raw materials such as cotton, aluminum and polysilicon.
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[03] AD/CVD
Anti-dumping and countervailing duties
China has more AD/CVD orders than any other country, from wooden cabinets and small engines to tool chests and steel shelving. Check the scope before you buy a new product.
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[04] Hong Kong
Origin and marking
Goods made in Hong Kong must be marked “China”, though they still count as Hong Kong origin for duty. Goods simply shipped through Hong Kong stay mainland China origin.
Our team in China
Nine offices. One way of working.
Our China teams follow up with suppliers, check cargo readiness, book space and consolidate close to the factory. They work in Mandarin and Cantonese, so small issues get fixed on a phone call, not a week later. Every update lands in OWL Vision for your team to see.
- PO management
- Supplier follow-up
- Origin consolidation
- Bookings and documents
Plan around the holidays
When China stops.
Chinese New Year closes most factories for two to four weeks between late January and February, and National Day’s Golden Week stops them again in early October. Our factory closure calendar has the dates for the next ten years, with book-by dates.
[01]How long does ocean freight from China to the US take?
Shanghai, Ningbo and Yantian to Los Angeles or Long Beach typically take about two to three weeks port to port, and expedited services can do it in about 10 to 11 days. East Coast ports such as New York usually take about four and a half to six and a half weeks all-water, so many importers rail cargo inland from the West Coast instead.
[02]Which Chinese port should I ship from?
Usually the one nearest your factory. Shanghai and Ningbo serve the Yangtze River Delta, Yantian, Shekou and Nansha serve Guangdong, Qingdao, Tianjin and Dalian serve the north, and Xiamen serves Fujian. All the major ports have direct US sailings.
[03]Are Section 301 tariffs still in place on Chinese goods?
Yes. China-origin goods carry Section 301 tariffs on top of regular duty, and other US measures can apply too. The rules and exclusions change often, so check the current rate for your HTS code with your broker before you buy.
[04]What is the UFLPA and how does it affect China sourcing?
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act presumes that goods made wholly or partly in Xinjiang, or by companies on the UFLPA Entity List, are made with forced labor, and US Customs can detain them. Importers need traceability back through raw materials such as cotton, aluminum and polysilicon.
[05]Does moving production from China to Vietnam or Thailand avoid China tariffs?
Only if the product is substantially transformed in the new country. Simple assembly or repacking of Chinese parts usually leaves the goods Chinese origin, and US Customs actively investigates this kind of transshipment. Plan the move with origin rules in mind, and keep the production records to prove it.
More origins
Where else we source.
Origin
OriginShipping from Thailand
Laem Chabang, Bangkok and the manufacturing corridor of the Eastern Seaboard.
OriginShipping from Cambodia
Apparel, footwear and travel goods, shipped through Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
OriginShipping from Laos
Landlocked, not locked out: rail, road and river routes to the sea from Vientiane.
OriginShipping from Sri Lanka
Apparel, rubber and tea, with Colombo as one of South Asia’s great transshipment hubs.
OWL Vision
See every PO before it sails.
From the purchase order in China to your door: every container, PO and SKU on one live picture, with alerts before a delay reaches you.