Checked October 29, 2026
Three ways to ship from China to Singapore
| Method | Delivery time | Charged by | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 5-7 working days | Per kg, no minimum; price depends on the type of goods | Clothes, accessories, small and urgent items |
| Sea Courier | 18-22 working days | Per kg, no minimum | Heavier orders in normal-sized boxes |
| Sea LCL | 14-18 working days | Per volume (CBM), minimum 0.4 CBM | Furniture and parcels too big for Sea Courier |
Delivery times are working days from when your shipment leaves the warehouse. Add the time sellers take to deliver to Guangzhou, and allow longer around Chinese New Year and 11.11.
Sea Courier: sea prices, charged per kg
Sea Courier is a sea service charged like a courier: per kilogram, rounded up to the next full kg, with no minimum. You pay the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (L × W × H in cm ÷ 6000).
Every parcel in a Sea Courier shipment has to fit these limits:
- Under 30 kg
- Longest side under 120 cm
- Length + width + height under 220 cm
Most Taobao and 1688 orders of household goods, shoes, books and kitchenware fit. It suits orders that are too heavy to fly cheaply but are packed in ordinary boxes.
Sea LCL: for parcels too big for Sea Courier
LCL (less than container load) means your goods share a container with other shipments, and you pay for the space they take, in cubic metres (CBM). The minimum charge is 0.4 CBM. LCL is only for parcels that cannot go by Sea Courier: a sofa, a bed frame, a wardrobe, or a box over 30 kg.
To estimate CBM, multiply the packed length, width and height in metres. A box of 100 × 80 × 50 cm is 0.4 CBM. Sellers often add a wooden frame or extra packing to furniture, so ask the seller for the packed size before you order.
You do not choose LCL for speed. If every parcel fits the Sea Courier limits, your shipment goes by Sea Courier, charged per kg with no minimum.
Is sea always cheaper than air?
Per kilogram, yes. But light, bulky items are charged by volumetric weight on both air and Sea Courier, so a big box of pillows costs the same number of kilograms either way. Two things push the choice:
- Weight: the heavier the shipment, the more you save by sea. For a kilo or two, the difference is small and air is two weeks faster.
- GST: air shipments with goods worth S$400 or less pay no GST. Sea shipments always pay 9% GST on the goods value. On a cheap, light order, the GST on sea can cancel out what you save on freight.
The shipping calculator shows air, Sea Courier and LCL side by side for your weight, size and goods value, GST included.
GST on sea shipments
Singapore charges 9% GST on goods imported by sea, whatever their value. GoGoShip adds the GST to your shipment payment, worked out from the value you declare, so nothing is collected on delivery. Declare the real price you paid: we file the declaration with that value.
How to ship by sea with GoGoShip
- Sign up for free and copy your Guangzhou address from the Warehouse page.
- Use it as the delivery address on Taobao, Tmall, 1688 or JD.com, with your customer code in the recipient name.
- Register each tracking number in your account and declare the contents and price.
- When everything has arrived, combine the parcels into one shipment, pick Sea Courier or LCL, and pay. We deliver to your door in Singapore.
Shipping for a business? Businesses and resellers pay the same prices. For several CBM at once, message us on WhatsApp before you order so we can plan the shipment with you.
