The United States is the most heavily documented arrival on this list, and the paperwork starts before the vessel sails rather than when it lands. Getting it right is administrative rather than difficult, but the deadlines are real.
One vetted mover from our network handles both ends. International movers shipping to the States file a security declaration in advance of loading, which is a step that does not exist on most other routes.
The concession itself is straightforward. Used household goods and personal effects that you have owned and used generally enter free of duty when you are moving your residence. Movers on this route handle the packing and the filing together.
Before loading. An advance security filing is submitted covering the shipment details. The deadline is tied to when the vessel loads in China, not when it arrives, and it needs accurate information from you well before you would otherwise be thinking about paperwork. Your mover files it. You supply the detail.
Before arrival. A customs declaration listing the contents of the shipment, your status and the basis on which the goods are entering.
On arrival. Customs may release the goods or select the container for examination. Examination here is routine selection, and a clear itemised inventory makes it quick.
The concession. Used household goods and personal effects that you have owned and used generally enter free of duty when you are moving your residence to the United States. New items, goods for sale and certain categories sit outside it. Your specific position depends on your visa or residency status, which varies more than on most routes, so confirm it rather than assuming.
West coast against east coast. Los Angeles, Long Beach and Seattle are the shortest sailings from China, often four to five weeks door to door. New York, Savannah and the east coast run longer, typically six to seven, either round the Panama Canal or with an inland rail leg from the west.
Inland destinations. The domestic leg in the United States is a substantial cost line for anywhere away from a port city. Ask what the port to door portion costs separately.
Transpacific sailings are frequent and competitively priced, so the sea leg is often cheaper than the equivalent to Europe. The domestic leg in the United States is where the cost sits for anywhere inland.
£300 to £1,100
Personal effects. West coast is cheapest.
£1,100 to £3,600
The common shipment on this route.
£3,000 to £8,500
Family households, west coast arrival.
Tell us your Chinese origin and your US destination. Which coast you are heading for changes the timing more than anything else.
We match you with your vetted mover, which means one team handles the whole relocation. It is free, with no obligation. Get a quote today and hold your dates.
Send your move detailsCall 07551 855 064 or +447551855064. Message us on WhatsApp.
West coast sailings are the fastest. Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle are typically four to five weeks door to door from a coastal Chinese city. If your final destination is anywhere west of the Rockies, this is straightforward.
East coast has two routes. Either an all water service through the Panama Canal, which takes longer at sea, or a west coast arrival with an inland rail leg. Six to seven weeks is realistic for either. Your mover chooses based on the service available, and it rarely changes the price much.
Inland destinations cost more than people expect. The United States is large and domestic trucking is not cheap. A container to Denver or Chicago carries a real road or rail leg after clearance, and it should appear as a separate line on the quote.
Chinese New Year matters here too. Transpacific freight rates rise sharply in the weeks before it as manufacturers rush shipments out, and household goods compete for the same space. If your departure is in January or early February, book early.
On the Chinese end. Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Qingdao all have excellent transpacific frequency, so if your origin city can use more than one port, ask which offers the better sailing week.
Canada runs on a similar basis with different paperwork, and the two are often compared by people choosing where to settle.
A move usually means moving money too, whether that is a deposit on a Chinese flat or funds coming back the other way. We have helped customers with currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, and our partners can help with the money side of your move. Mention it on the form and it gets included.
Experts in currency exchange
No hidden fees
5 star consumer ratings
Competitive exchange rate
Generally not. Used household goods and personal effects that you have owned and used normally enter free of duty when you are relocating your residence. Your specific position depends on your visa or residency status, which varies, so confirm rather than assume.
A submission covering shipment details made before the vessel loads in China. The deadline is tied to loading rather than arrival, which means your mover needs accurate information from you earlier on this route than on most others. A late filing attracts penalties.
Four to five weeks door to door to the west coast, six to seven to the east. West coast arrivals are the shortest sailing from China. East coast goes either through the Panama Canal or via a west coast arrival and an inland rail leg.
Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland or Seattle for the west coast, New York or Savannah for the east. The shipping line and your destination decide it. For anywhere west of the Rockies a west coast arrival is straightforward.
More than people expect. The United States is large and domestic trucking is not cheap, so a container to Denver or Chicago carries a real road or rail leg after clearance. Ask for it as a separate line on the quote.
It is dutiable and subject to state level rules on top of federal ones. Combined with the temperature swings of a long sea voyage, a wine collection is rarely worth shipping on this route. Leaving it behind is usually the simpler answer.
It might be. Selection is routine rather than suspicious. An itemised inventory makes an examination quick, because an examiner working from a clear list finishes far faster than one working from cartons marked household goods.
Considerably. Transpacific freight rates rise sharply in the weeks before it as manufacturers rush shipments out, and household goods compete for the same space. If you are moving in January or early February, book well ahead.
Yes. Anything made before 1949 needs a cultural relics export certificate regardless of where it is going. Allow six weeks for appraisal, and remember that ivory and exotic materials are an issue at both ends of this route.
Send your collection address, your Chinese destination, a rough idea of the volume and your date. A vetted mover from our network checks the route, the paperwork and the access, then comes back to you with the price.
Send your move detailsWe match international moving enquiries with vetted moving companies in the AGM Group network, each holding FIDI FAIM certification and BAR Overseas membership.
We are not a removal firm ourselves. We find you the one that suits your route, and you deal with them directly from there.