Appliances Shipping Cost from Shanghai to Elizabeth, New Jersey

Standard air freight between China and the US generally takes around 8-10 days. It's not that planes are slower; it comes down to the fact that air freight processes are more complicated than for express freight. Express air freight services typically shaves 2-3 days off standard air freight transit times.

Ocean freight from Shanghai to the USA takes 15 to 40 days (port-to-port), depending on the type of load (FCL or LCL) and the port of arrival – West Coast is generally faster to reach from China than East Coast ports. Air freight is much faster, with expedited options ranging from 1 to 3 days.

Shipping from China to the USA varies greatly in price, from ~$5-12/kg for express couriers, ~$4-8/kg for air freight, to ~$2,000-$6,000 per container for sea freight, depending on speed, volume, and urgency. Express is fastest (3-5 days), air is mid-range (5-10 days), and ocean is cheapest for bulk but takes 15-40+ days, with West Coast ports generally cheaper than East Coast ports.