Ocean freight for Alibaba buyers
Found your supplier on Alibaba? Let Gateway Lines help arrange your ocean freight to the USA.
We quote the stages your order needs, from pickup at your supplier in China to the ocean crossing and delivery at your door, and every quote lists what it includes. Cartons, pallets and full containers.
Agreeing a price on Alibaba is half of an import. These are the steps between that agreement and the goods arriving at your door.
01
Ask which Incoterm the price is based on. With EXW you arrange everything from the supplier's door. With FOB the supplier delivers the goods onto the ship at the port in China and you arrange the ocean freight. With CFR or CIF the supplier books the ocean freight to a U.S. port. The terms decide which parts of the trip you need a forwarder for.
02
The product, the number of cartons or pallets, their dimensions, the total gross weight, your supplier's city, your delivery ZIP code and the date the goods will be ready. Your supplier's packing list usually has most of it.
03
Gateway quotes the stages you need and lists what is included and what is not, with our fee stated separately. When a shared container and a full container come out close, we price both.
04
Once you approve, we book the space, coordinate the pickup or port handoff with your supplier and coordinate the Importer Security Filing (ISF), which U.S. Customs requires at least 24 hours before your cargo is loaded onto the ship. Your customs entry is filed by a licensed customs broker.
05
Follow your container from the port in China to delivery in the Gateway portal, with the documents and status of each stage in one place.
Most Alibaba orders cross the ocean in one of two ways. Which one fits depends on how much you are shipping, how heavy it is and how it is packed, not on one fixed size rule, and neither is always the cheaper choice.
Less than container load
Your cartons or pallets travel in a container shared with other importers, and you pay for the space your cargo takes up. The goods are loaded at a warehouse in China and unloaded at a warehouse in the U.S., so plan for that extra handling.
Often suits smaller orders: a few pallets or a stack of cartons.
How LCL shipping worksFull container load
The container is yours alone. It is loaded at your supplier or a warehouse, sealed, and not opened again until delivery unless U.S. Customs inspects it. Common sizes are 20-foot, 40-foot and 40-foot high cube.
Often suits larger orders, heavy goods, or cargo you want handled as little as possible.
FCL shipping from ChinaNot sure which you need? Choose "Not sure" in the quote form and include the carton count, dimensions and weight. We will suggest the option that fits your cargo, and price both when it is close.
Gateway coordinates the stages included in your quote. Not every shipment needs every stage: on FOB terms, for example, your supplier handles the trip to the port in China.
Trucking from the supplier's factory or warehouse to the port in China, when your terms leave that leg to you and your quote includes it.
The booking, container loading or delivery to the consolidation warehouse for shared containers, and gathering the shipping documents from your supplier.
Shared (LCL) or full (FCL) containers from ports in China to U.S. ports, carried on our own bill of lading.
Buying from several factories near the same port? Ask us about bringing their goods together into one shipment instead of several small ones.
We coordinate the Importer Security Filing and work with a licensed customs broker, who files your entry with U.S. Customs.
Trucking from the port or warehouse to your business, including pallet delivery for cargo that came in a shared container.
Optional cover for the goods while they travel, quoted with your shipment.
There is no single price for shipping from Alibaba to the USA. Your freight quote depends on the details below, which is why we ask for them before we quote.
What you pay to move the goods: pickup, ocean transport and delivery, as listed in your quote.
Duties, tariffs and taxes are set by U.S. Customs from the product, its value and where it was made. The customs broker charges for filing the entry. Storage, demurrage and exam fees can be added if cargo waits at the port or U.S. Customs inspects it.
Many Alibaba suppliers offer to ship the order for you. You can also agree buyer-arranged transport: the supplier prices the goods without the main freight, and your own forwarder, such as Gateway, arranges it.
Agree this with your supplier before you pay, and make sure your purchase agreement and the Incoterm on the order say the same thing about who arranges and pays for each leg. Then share our booking details with your supplier so the handoff is planned.
If your order uses Alibaba.com's Trade Assurance or another order protection, ask Alibaba.com how it applies when you arrange the shipping yourself. Gateway cannot confirm or change what that protection covers.
| Incoterm | Your supplier arranges | You or your forwarder arrange |
|---|---|---|
| EXW (Ex Works) | Has the goods ready at its premises | Pickup, export clearance, ocean freight, U.S. customs and delivery |
| FOB (Free on Board) | Delivery onto the ship at the port in China, cleared for export | Ocean freight, U.S. customs and delivery |
| CFR or CIF | Ocean freight to a U.S. port (CIF adds insurance) | Charges after arrival, U.S. customs and delivery |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | Everything to your door, including import duties | Receiving the goods; confirm who acts as the importer of record |
Trucks, trailers, machinery and other large equipment can travel on flat rack containers or other special equipment. We plan the load when we quote, so send the dimensions, the weight and how it will be lifted or driven on.
Project cargo and heavy lift shippingSources:CBP: Importing a Motor VehicleEPA: Importing vehicles and engines, forms
Send what you have. "Not sure" is a fine answer for the shipping terms and the container, and we will ask for anything else we need.
Supplier location
The city and province, or the port if your supplier delivers to one.
Destination ZIP code
Where the goods are going in the U.S.
Product description
What it is and what it is made of.
Package count
How many cartons, crates or pallets.
Dimensions
Length, width and height of each package.
Gross weight
The total weight, packaging included.
Ready date
When your supplier will have the goods packed.
Agreed shipping terms
The Incoterm on your order, such as EXW or FOB.
Never send your Alibaba password or payment details to a freight company, including us. We only need your shipment details.
Tell us about the order. A Gateway freight specialist replies with a quote or any questions, and the quote lists what is included.
Prefer the full quote form? Use the port-to-port quote form
Yes, if your supplier agrees to buyer-arranged transport. Ask for a price on EXW or FOB terms, make sure your purchase agreement and the Incoterm match, and give your supplier the forwarder's booking details. If your order uses Alibaba.com's Trade Assurance or another order protection, ask Alibaba.com how it applies when you arrange the shipping yourself. Gateway cannot confirm or change that coverage.
Yes, when your quote includes it. Gateway can arrange trucking from your supplier's factory or warehouse in China to the port of loading. On FOB terms the supplier delivers the goods to the port instead, so pickup is not needed.
Choose "Not sure" in the quote form and send the number of packages, their dimensions and the total weight. We will suggest a shared container (LCL) or a full container (FCL) for your cargo, and price both when the two come out close.
No. Duties, tariffs and import taxes are set by U.S. Customs from the product, its value and its country of origin, and they are paid separately, usually through your customs broker, who also charges a fee for the entry. You can estimate the duties before you order with the Gateway tariff calculator.
Compare what it covers. A supplier price on CFR or CIF terms usually ends at a U.S. port, and the charges after arrival, such as destination terminal fees, customs clearance and delivery, are usually yours to pay. Ask your supplier for the Incoterm and what the price includes, then send us the same details for a quote to compare.
Often, yes. If your suppliers are near the same port in China, ask us about bringing their goods together into one shipment instead of several small ones. Each supplier needs to have its goods packed, labeled and ready on time.
Yes, on flat rack containers or other special equipment, planned when we quote. Before you buy, check that the vehicle or engine meets U.S. safety and emission rules: U.S. Customs requires DOT and EPA declarations, and a vehicle that does not meet U.S. standards must be brought into compliance, exported or destroyed.
No. Never share your Alibaba password or payment details with a freight company. We only need your shipment details, and your supplier's contact for the pickup or port handoff.
Send the details you have and we will reply with a quote that lists what is included, or with the questions we need answered first.
Gateway Lines is an independent freight company, independent of Alibaba.com and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Alibaba Group. Alibaba and Alibaba.com are trademarks of their owner and are used here only to describe where you bought your goods.