Shipping toys from China to the USA: cost and delivery time
Prices from our live rate card, updated
A carton of plush toys (8 kg, billed as 16 kg because stuffed toys are bulky) costs $239.69 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. A single boxed toy sample is $17.46.
Toys with any electronics inside cost more per kg: a carton of toys with a circuit board is $22.15 per kg against $14.98 for plush. From 100 kg, sea freight is far cheaper: a 100 kg capsule toy order is $398.81 by sea (30 to 40 days, duty included) against $707.15 by air plus duty.
What it costs to ship toys 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 |
|---|---|---|
| One boxed toy sample0.6 kg, 30 x 20 x 10 cm | 1 kg | $17.466 to 12 working days, duty included |
| Plush toys, 1 carton8 kg, 60 x 40 x 40 cm | 16 kg | $239.696 to 12 working days, duty included |
| Toys with a circuit board, 1 carton6.3 kg, 55 x 40 x 26 cm · electronics channel | 9.5 kg | $210.456 to 12 working days, duty included |
| Board games and puzzles, 4 cartons40 kg, 4 x 50 x 40 x 35 cm | 46.7 kg | $535.7210 to 14 days, plus US duty at import |
Real toys 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 boxed kids toys3.7 kg | 3.7 kg | $60.326 to 12 working days, duty included | from 100 kg |
| 500 gachapon capsule toys from Guangzhou100 kg | 100 kg | $707.1510 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $398.8130 to 40 days, duty included |
| Soft play set148 kg | 148 kg | $835.6010 to 14 days, plus US duty at import | $582.2230 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 toys
Electronics inside, even without a battery
Any toy that contains electronics travels on our electronics channel at a higher per-kg rate: $210.45 for a carton billed at 9.5 kg. Taking the battery out does not change that, because the circuit board alone decides the channel. Tell us up front so the offer is right the first time.
Stuffed and boxed toys bill on volume
You pay for the actual weight or the carton volume, whichever is higher. Plush toys, ride-ons and toys in big retail boxes are mostly air: 8 kg of plush in one carton bills as 16 kg, and 4 cartons of board games weighing 40 kg bill as 46.7 kg.
Test reports can lower the sea rate
Sea prices on this page assume no product certifications. When your factory can supply valid test reports for the toys, our sea partner can price the shipment lower, so send them with your request.
Duty is already in the air price up to 100 kg
On our door-to-door air service up to 100 kg and on sea, US import duty is inside the price you see and nothing is collected at your door. On air consolidation for heavier loads, the freight price excludes duty, which is paid at import.
US rules for importing toys
Toys for children 12 and under are children's products under the CPSIA. As the importer you are responsible for them meeting US safety rules, so settle the paperwork with your factory before you pay for production, not after the cartons are packed. Product certifications explained.
Certificate data is moving into the customs entry itself, so a missing certificate now shows up at the border rather than later. What CPSC eFiling means.
- Testing: toys must pass the ASTM F963 toy safety standard plus lead and phthalate limits, tested at a CPSC-accepted third-party lab.
- Children's Product Certificate: a CPC based on those lab results must exist for each toy. It is issued in the US importer's name, usually built on the factory's test reports.
- Tracking labels: the toy and its packaging need permanent marks showing who made it, where, when and the batch, so a recall can trace it.
- Small parts: toys for children under 3 cannot contain small parts at all, and toys for ages 3 to 6 with small parts, small balls or marbles need the choking hazard warning on the package.
- Stuffed toys: a few US states also require a label listing the stuffing material, so ask your supplier to add one if you sell nationwide.
Packing toys to pay less
- Ask the supplier to compress plush toys in bags before cartoning. They spring back undamaged and bill on far less volume.
- Ship toys in their retail boxes only when you sell them boxed; flat-packed boxes assembled in the US save a lot of volume.
- Fill cartons to the top. Our warehouse measures the cartons as they arrive, and a half-empty carton still bills on its full size.
- Keep electronic toys in their own cartons, separate from plain toys, so only those cartons go on the electronics channel.
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 toys from China to the USA per kg?
Around $14.98 per kg for a carton of plain toys by air, door to door with duty included, and $22.15 per kg when the toys contain electronics. By sea from 100 kg it drops to around $3.99 per kg.
My toy has a battery. Can I ship it without the battery to pay less?
No. If the toy has a circuit board or any electronics inside, it goes on the electronics channel with or without the battery. What decides the rate is whether it contains electronics, not whether it has a cell.
Is it cheaper to ship toys by air or by sea?
Under 100 kg, air is the practical option. From 100 kg, sea costs much less: a soft play set billed at 148 kg is $582.22 by sea against $835.60 by air plus duty, but sea takes 30 to 40 days instead of 6 to 12 working days.
Do I need a Children's Product Certificate to import toys?
Yes, for toys meant for children 12 and under. It has to rest on test results from a CPSC-accepted lab. Ask your factory for the ASTM F963 test report before production so the certificate can be issued.
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.