Shipping clothes from China to the USA: cost and delivery time
Prices from our live rate card, updated
A carton of about 25 T-shirts (8 kg) costs $126.59 to ship from China to a US address by air, door to door, in 6 to 12 working days, with US customs and import duty included in that price. A single T-shirt sample is $13.89.
From about 35 kg, air consolidation usually becomes cheaper, and from 100 kg sea freight wins: a 150 kg clothing restock is $701.48 by sea (30 to 40 days, duty included) against $928.75 by air plus duty.
What it costs to ship clothes from China
Prices from our China warehouse to a US address, with duty included where the row says so. Billed weight is the actual weight or the carton volume (length x width x height in cm, divided by 6,000), whichever is higher. Sea prices are shown from 100 kg; below that, ask for a sea quote.
| Shipment | Billed weight | Air | Sea (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One T-shirt sample0.4 kg | 0.4 kg | $13.896 to 12 working days, duty included | ask for a sea quote |
| 1 carton, about 25 T-shirts8 kg, 40 x 30 x 25 cm | 8 kg | $126.596 to 12 working days, duty included | ask for a sea quote |
| 2 cartons of mixed clothing30 kg, 2 x 60 x 40 x 35 cm | 30 kg | $424.216 to 12 working days, duty included | ask for a sea quote |
| 4 cartons of hoodies and jackets60 kg, 4 x 60 x 40 x 40 cm | 64 kg | $591.4310 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | ask for a sea quote |
| 8 cartons, a full restock150 kg, 8 x 60 x 50 x 45 cm | 180 kg | $928.7510 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $701.4830 to 40 days, duty included |
Real clothes requests, priced today
Shipments people recently asked us to price, with names removed, re-run through today's rates. Where no carton size was given, the price uses actual weight, so bulky cartons would cost more.
| Shipment | Billed weight | Air | Sea (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 cotton T-shirts from Dongguan13 kg | 13 kg | $200.996 to 12 working days, duty included | ask for a sea quote |
| Women's activewear from Guangzhou20 kg | 20 kg | $305.166 to 12 working days, duty included | ask for a sea quote |
| Kids clothes from Huzhou120 kg | 120 kg | $752.9910 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $476.1030 to 40 days, duty included |
How long it takes
Air, door to door
6 to 12 working days
from the day it leaves our China warehouse, up to about 35 kg, duty included
Air consolidation
10 to 14 days
from about 50 kg, duty paid at import
Sea, door to door
30 to 40 days
priced from 100 kg, duty included
Add the time your supplier needs to get the cartons to our China warehouse by domestic courier. That leg is your supplier's and is not in our price. Full shipping time breakdown ›
What changes the price for clothing
Bulky garments cost more than heavy ones
You pay for the actual weight or the carton volume, whichever is higher. T-shirts and leggings pack dense and bill on weight. Hoodies, puffer jackets and anything on hangers bill on volume: 4 cartons of jackets weighing 60 kg bill as 64 kg.
Branded clothing ships too
Plain, unbranded clothing ships on the general rate. We legally ship branded apparel on our dedicated branded channel at a higher per-kg rate, with an instant price like any other shipment.
Duty is in the air price up to about 35 kg
Clothing carries some of the highest US duty rates of any consumer product. On our door-to-door air service (up to about 35 kg of general goods) and on sea, that duty is inside the price you see. On air consolidation, for heavier air loads, the customs entry is in the price and the import duty is paid at import.
Several suppliers, one shipment
Buying from three or four factories on 1688 or Alibaba? Have them all send to our China warehouse and it ships as one consignment, one customs entry, one price. How to combine suppliers.
US rules for importing clothing
Clothing needs a formal US customs entry with an HS code from chapter 61 (knitted, like T-shirts and hoodies) or chapter 62 (woven, like shirts and jeans). We classify the goods and file the entry; you do not need your own customs broker. How HS codes work.
Cotton garments deserve extra care. Under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, US customs can hold cotton clothing it suspects was made with Xinjiang cotton, so ask your supplier where the cotton comes from before you buy.
- Labels: every garment for sale needs a sewn-in label with fiber content, country of origin ("Made in China") and the maker or seller identity, plus care instructions.
- Flammability: general wearing apparel must meet the US flammability standard; children's sleepwear has a much stricter one.
- Children's clothing: pieces for kids 12 and under fall under CPSIA, which can mean third-party testing for buttons, zippers and prints, a Children's Product Certificate and tracking labels. Drawstrings on kids' hoods and necks are not allowed.
- Personal use or resale: both ship the same way, but tell us which, because it changes what customs expects on the invoice.
Packing clothes to pay less
- Fold garments flat in poly bags and remove hangers. Hanging clothes can triple the billed weight.
- Ask the supplier to vacuum pack puffer jackets and bedding-style items; volume, not weight, drives their price.
- Fill cartons to the top. Our warehouse measures the cartons as they arrive, and a half-empty carton still bills on its full size.
- Use one standard carton size across all suppliers so the load stacks and measures cleanly.
Get your exact price
Tell us what you are shipping, the weight and carton size. The instant offer uses the same rates as the tables above.
Common questions
How much does it cost to ship 1 kg of clothes from China to the USA?
Around $15.82 per kg for a small carton by air, door to door with duty included, and less per kg as the shipment grows. A single T-shirt sample of 0.4 kg is $13.89.
Is it cheaper to ship clothes by air or by sea?
Under 100 kg, air is the only practical option and usually costs less overall once you count customs fees. From 100 kg, sea is much cheaper per kg: $3.90 per kg on a 150 kg load, but it takes 30 to 40 days instead of 6 to 12 working days.
Do I have to pay duty when the clothes arrive?
Not on our door-to-door air service (up to about 35 kg) or on sea: the duty is in the price and nothing is collected at your door. On air consolidation for heavier air loads, duty is paid at import on top of the freight price, and every offer says which one you have.
Can I ship clothes I bought on Taobao, 1688 or Pinduoduo?
Yes. Have the seller deliver to our China warehouse by domestic courier, and we ship it on to your US address. Orders from several shops travel together as one shipment.
When do I pay?
After your cartons arrive at our China warehouse and are counted and weighed. The invoice uses the measured numbers, you pay by ACH from any US bank account with no fee, and nothing is due at delivery.