Shipping furniture from China to the USA: cost and delivery time
Prices from our live rate card, updated
A crated three-seat sofa costs $962.21 to ship from China to a US address by sea, door to door, in 30 to 40 days, with US customs and import duty included. By air it is $1,133.60 plus duty, in 10 to 14 days.
Furniture is priced on volume, not weight. That 60 kg sofa bills as 252 kg, so sea becomes the better option with a single piece. A flat-packed metal and glass coffee table is the exception: it bills on its actual weight and costs $348.82 by air.
What it costs to ship furniture from China
All-in prices from our China warehouse to a US address. 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 is only offered from 100 kg.
| Shipment | Billed weight | Air | Sea (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One accent chair, boxed12 kg, 70 x 65 x 60 cm | 45.5 kg | $531.9810 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | from 100 kg |
| Flat-packed metal and glass coffee table25 kg, 120 x 65 x 15 cm | 25 kg | $348.826 to 12 working days, duty included | from 100 kg |
| Three-seat sofa, crated60 kg, 210 x 90 x 80 cm | 252 kg | $1,133.6010 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $962.2130 to 40 days, duty included |
| Bedroom set: bed, 2 nightstands, dresser180 kg, 3 x 200 x 100 x 40 cm | 400 kg | $1,547.7310 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $1,475.2430 to 40 days, duty included |
Real furniture 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic chair50 kg | 50 kg | $546.4310 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | from 100 kg |
| A bed from Sichuan62 kg | 62 kg | $585.0010 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | from 100 kg |
| Bed, coffee table, TV console and couch235 kg | 235 kg | $1,085.8210 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $901.5830 to 40 days, duty included |
How long it takes
Air, door to door
6 to 12
working days from dispatch, up to 100 kg, duty included
Air consolidation
10 to 14
days, for heavier air loads, duty paid at import
Sea, door to door
30 to 40
days, from 100 kg, duty included
Add the time your supplier needs to get the cartons to our China warehouse by domestic courier, usually a few days. Full shipping time breakdown ›
What changes the price for furniture
Volume, not weight
You pay for the actual weight or the carton volume (length x width x height in cm, divided by 6,000), whichever is higher. Furniture is mostly air: a boxed accent chair weighing 12 kg bills as 45.5 kg, and a 60 kg sofa bills as 252 kg.
Flat-pack changes everything
Knock-down furniture that ships in flat boxes bills close to its real weight. The same coffee table assembled could bill several times more. If your supplier offers a flat-pack version, ask for it.
Sea wins early
Because a single sofa or bed already passes 100 kg of billed weight, sea is available and cheaper from the first large piece: a bed, coffee table, TV console and couch together are $901.58 by sea against $1,085.82 by air plus duty.
Wood and bulky pieces get a human check
Our small-parcel door-to-door channel does not take wooden goods, and oversized pieces need a pallet or crate plan. A person reviews those before you get a firm offer, so the lane and price you approve are the ones that ship.
US rules for importing furniture
Furniture is classified in chapter 94 of the HS code, with separate headings for seats, other furniture and mattresses. Extra US tariffs on Chinese goods apply to most furniture, so duty is a real part of the landed cost. We classify the goods and file the entry; you do not need your own customs broker. Section 301 tariffs.
Wooden bedroom furniture and mattresses from China are under US anti-dumping orders that can add a very large extra duty. Check before you buy a bed frame, nightstand, dresser or mattress. How anti-dumping duties work.
- Wood: many wooden furniture codes need a Lacey Act declaration naming the wood species and the country where it was harvested.
- Wood packaging: crates and pallets made of solid wood must be heat treated and stamped to the ISPM-15 standard, or US customs can refuse the shipment.
- Composite wood: plywood, MDF and particleboard in furniture must be certified to the TSCA Title VI formaldehyde rules and labeled as compliant.
- Upholstered furniture: sofas and upholstered chairs must meet the TB117-2013 flammability standard and carry its label.
- Dressers and chests: clothing storage furniture must meet the US tip-over stability standard and carry its warning label.
Packing furniture to pay less
- Ask for knock-down or flat-pack versions: legs off, backs detached, hardware bagged.
- Ask the supplier for the exact packed carton or crate size before you compare quotes. Our warehouse measures what arrives, and the measured size is what bills.
- Use corner protectors and foam rather than oversized outer cartons; every extra centimeter on each side adds billed weight.
- If a wooden crate is needed, make sure it carries the ISPM-15 stamp.
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 a sofa from China to the USA?
A crated three-seat sofa of 60 kg bills as 252 kg because of its size. By sea it costs $962.21, door to door with duty included, in 30 to 40 days. By air it is $1,133.60 plus duty paid at import.
Is it cheaper to ship furniture by air or by sea?
Almost always sea, as soon as the billed weight passes 100 kg, which one large piece often does. A bedroom set billed at 400 kg is $1,475.24 by sea against $1,547.73 by air before duty. Air makes sense for small or flat-packed pieces you need quickly.
Why is my furniture quote so much higher than the weight suggests?
Freight bills the higher of actual weight and volume. A 12 kg boxed accent chair takes up the space of 45.5 kg, and that is the weight it is priced on.
Can you ship solid wood furniture?
Often yes, but not on our small-parcel door-to-door channel. A person checks the wood type, the anti-dumping exposure and the packing first, then confirms the lane and price. Tell us the wood species when you ask for an offer.
When do I pay?
After your furniture arrives at our China warehouse and is counted and measured. The invoice uses the measured numbers, you pay by ACH from any US bank account with no fee, and nothing is due at delivery.