TikTok Shop shipping from China: what sellers need to know in 2026

De-minimis is gone: every shipment now owes customs duties

Until 2 May 2025, shipments valued under $800 entered the US duty-free under the de-minimis exemption. That rule ended for goods of Chinese origin on that date. Every commercial shipment from China, including small parcels and samples, is now subject to US customs duties and requires a formal or informal customs entry.

For TikTok Shop sellers, this means two things. First, your landed cost is higher than it was last year. Second, you need a customs broker (or a freight forwarder that includes customs clearance) for every shipment. Handling it yourself without one is possible but slow, and a clearance error can hold your goods for days.

Air express vs air freight vs sea: which is right for TikTok Shop restocks

The right method depends on your product weight, your restock urgency, and your margin.

• Air express (DHL, FedEx, UPS): door to door in 5 to 7 days. Best for urgent restocks and orders under 30 kg. Courier market rates are typically $6 to $10 per kg. Expensive per kg but the speed premium pays off when a product is trending.
• Air freight (consolidated or charter): door to door in 7 to 12 days. Best for 30 to 300 kg shipments. Market rates are typically $3 to $6 per kg at larger weights. The middle option between speed and cost.
• Sea LCL (less-than-container-load): 28 to 32 days door to door with our sea service. Best for regular restocks of heavy or bulky products. Plan ahead for that transit time. Plain Freight's own price, from our pricing engine (2026-10-30): 20 kg of general goods by air is $422.69 door to door with duty included ($21 to $22 per kg up to 20 kg), and air consolidation from 35 kg runs $4 to $14 per kg plus import duty.

For TikTok Shop specifically: if your product is lightweight (phone accessories, beauty, small gadgets), air express is often the default. If you have a stable SKU doing consistent volume, run parallel restocks, sea freight for steady stock and air freight as a buffer.

DDP vs DAP: always choose DDP for China imports

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the freight quote includes customs duties, taxes, and clearance fees. What you see is what you pay. DAP (Delivered at Place) means duties and clearance are collected separately, often by your courier or a broker, when the shipment arrives.

For TikTok Shop sellers shipping from China in 2026, DDP is almost always the better choice. Under DAP, you will receive a surprise invoice from your carrier or customs broker on delivery. Under DDP, the total cost is fixed when the shipment leaves China.

When comparing freight quotes, always check whether the price is DDP or DAP. A DAP quote that looks cheaper by $200 can easily cost more once US duties and clearance fees are added at destination.

Documents you need for every China shipment

Customs clearance requires accurate paperwork from your supplier. Missing or incorrect documents are the leading cause of customs holds and delayed restocks.

• Commercial invoice: lists the seller, buyer, product description, quantity, unit price, total value, and country of origin (China). Must match the actual transaction value.
• Packing list: itemizes how goods are packed, including box count, dimensions, and weights. Must match the commercial invoice.
• Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air): the transport document. Your freight forwarder issues this.
• ISF filing (sea freight only): the Importer Security Filing must be submitted 24 hours before the vessel loads in China. Your forwarder or broker files this. Late or missing ISF carries a $5,000 penalty.
• HTS code: the product classification code used to calculate duties. Your supplier may not know your specific US HTS code, confirm it yourself or ask your broker before the first shipment.

Realistic timelines for TikTok Shop restocks

Plan your restock order against these production-plus-transit windows.

• Production time: typically 7 to 30 days depending on your supplier and order size. Confirm this before freight planning.
• Air express: 5 to 7 days from supplier dispatch to your door.
• Air freight: 7 to 12 days from supplier dispatch to your door.
• Sea LCL: 28 to 32 days door to door from our China warehouse, plus the days your supplier needs to reach it.

A common mistake is treating transit time as the only variable. Customs clearance adds 1 to 3 days for routine shipments, and can add 5 to 10 days if CBP selects your container for a physical exam. Pre-filing your customs entry, submitting paperwork before the shipment arrives, reduces clearance time significantly.

Tariffs and Section 301 duties in 2026

Goods of Chinese origin pay the normal import duty for their HTS code, plus Section 301 duty where the code is on a Section 301 list (7.5% or 25% for most listed consumer goods, higher for a few categories such as 100% on electric vehicles). The IEEPA tariffs added in 2025 were ended on 20 February 2026; see the US import rules timeline for each dated change.

The practical step: find your product's HTS code and look up its current combined duty rate before you price your landed cost. Your customs broker can do this for you. Do not wait until goods are at the border to learn the duty rate.