CARGO · ELECTRONICS
Electronics shipping from China
Electronics often make sense by air — from 10 days. These are goods with a high value per kilogram, so freight is a small share of their landed cost, and two months of capital frozen at sea costs more than the difference in tariff. For large regular consignments rail works at 35–45 days and sea at 70. Documents — declarations of conformity, clearance of radio frequency modules — we handle ourselves.
Why air freight is priced for electronics
The rule for choosing a mode of delivery: the higher the value per kilogram, the less freight weighs in the landed cost — and the more sense it makes to ship fast. Electronics are the prime example of this rule. A consignment of gadgets or components costs many times more than its own delivery by any means, and while it spends 70 days at sea the money sits in stock, the model has time to lose value, and a competitor has time to sell the equivalent.
So in a quotation we usually give several options side by side: air, rail and sea. For samples, new lines and topping up fast-moving stock, air usually wins; for predictable bulk orders, rail or sea. The choice is yours, with the figures next to each other.
How to ship electronics
| Mode | Transit time | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Air | from 10 days | Samples, first consignments, high-value lines, goods for a selling season. Volumetric weight is calculated with a divisor of 6000 — not a problem for dense electronics |
| Rail | 35–45 days | Regular consignments, when air no longer pays off and sea takes too long |
| Sea (LCL/FCL) | around 70 days | Large planned purchases: accessories, equipment with a long life cycle, components for production |
If the goods contain built-in lithium batteries, this affects both the choice of mode and the paperwork — mention it at the quotation stage.
Documents and risk protection
Supplier vetting
The electronics market in China includes both factories and resellers with counterfeits. Before payment we vet the supplier, and before departure we inspect the goods: completeness, working condition, conformity to the stated specifications.
Declaration of conformity
Electronics cannot be sold legally in Ukraine without conformity assessment against technical regulations. We issue declarations of conformity — part of the service, not a separate quest for you.
Radio frequency modules
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE modules inside the goods require separate clearance for import. We handle this ourselves — this is exactly the stage where cargo gets stuck with carriers who "just ship".
Insurance
Electronics are valuable cargo and attractive to thieves. We insure the consignment for the duration of the carriage; liability is set out in the contract.
How to reduce the risk of counterfeits
The most expensive mistake in this category is paying for a consignment of "branded" headphones or boards that turn out to be counterfeit or substandard. There is only one protection that works: checking before payment and before departure, not after arrival. We vet the supplier — legal status, history, production capacity — and before shipment we carry out an inspection: matching models and serial numbers, powering up a sample from the consignment, taking photographs.
If the supplier sells only on the domestic market — through 1688 or Taobao — we purchase the goods ourselves and file the export declaration on the Chinese side, even if the seller has no export licence. Orders from several sellers are consolidated into one consignment at our warehouse.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quote · free of charge
Let us price the delivery of your electronics
Describe the goods and the volume — we will give air, rail and sea options, tell you which documents are needed, and fix the rate.