Sending your belongings to China by sea
Moving to China, going home after years in Canada, or sending boxes to family? Personal effects travel in a shared ocean container (LCL groupage) from our receiving warehouses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to <a href="/shipping-to/beijing-china/">Beijing</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/changshu-china/">Changshu</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/chongqing-china/">Chongqing</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/dalian-china/">Dalian</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/fuzhou-china/">Fuzhou</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/jiangmen-china/">Jiangmen</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/nanjing-china/">Nanjing</a>, and <a href="/shipping-to/ningbo-china/">Ningbo</a> and 6 more. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 2 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 20–60 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to China are accepted subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and only then is the booking confirmed. Personal effects are not accepted to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau; commercial cargo still is.
Personal effects to mainland China are normally cleared only for people who hold a Chinese residence or work permit, or for Chinese nationals returning after a long stay abroad, and the owner usually has to be present with the passport and documents. The carrier does not accept personal effects to Guangzhou, Hong Kong or Macau at all, so plan household goods for another port.
Rates for household boxes to China
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changshu | USD 3 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 3 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 2 / cu ft 40 days · min. USD 335.64 |
| Dalian | USD 3 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 3 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 2 / cu ft 40 days · min. USD 335.64 |
| Shanghai | USD 4 / cu ft 33 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 4 / cu ft 35 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 2 / cu ft 23 days · min. USD 335.64 |
| Tianjin | USD 4 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 4 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 2 / cu ft 40 days · min. USD 335.64 |
| Xingang | USD 4 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 4 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 2 / cu ft 40 days · min. USD 335.64 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Changshu
A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 inches holds 3.0 cubic feet; packed with clothes, books and kitchenware it weighs about 15 kg.
- 10 boxes (30 cu ft, 150 kg): USD 335.64
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 385.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 335.64
The totals include the A1 processing fee, surcharges and solar fee. The carrier charges by volume or by weight (333 kg per CBM), whichever is greater. From the Prairies, with trucking to the port included: Calgary USD 525.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 525.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Changshu
- From Toronto: USD 445.00, about 50 days
- From Montreal: USD 445.00, about 50 days
- From Vancouver: USD 385.00, about 40 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Changshu. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
20 moving boxes to different cities in China
- Changshu: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 40 days
- Dalian: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 40 days
- Shanghai: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 23 days
- Tianjin: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 40 days
- Xingang: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 40 days
- Beijing: USD 445.00 from Vancouver, about 24 days
The difference between the least and the most expensive of these is USD 60.00. The other 8 destinations are in the calculator.
Documents for personal effects
- Passport copy. The photo page of the shipper's passport. It must be valid (not expired) and the name must match the shipper on the booking and on the packing list. We accept a passport from any country, but no other ID.
- Packing list. Our fillable packing list (PDF) names the shipper and the receiver in China and lists every box: contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. Number the boxes and write the same numbers on the list. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" is useful; "personal items" is not. Sign it before you upload it.
- Customs value. The total declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000.
The carrier's tariff requires a passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment, and household goods must be professionally packed. More help: how to fill in the packing list.
Packing advice
Your boxes are handled several times: at the warehouse, in the container and at the terminal in Changshu. Use new, strong double-wall cartons and fill them completely so they do not collapse under the weight of others; seal every seam with packing tape. Put heavy items such as books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Write the receiver's name and city in China on two sides of every box. Many boxes can be strapped onto a pallet on ISPM 15 heat-treated wood; you or your mover prepare the pallet, A1 does not palletize.
What not to pack
The carrier does not accept vehicles or parts with fuel, food, plants, animals, medication, weapons, dangerous goods (aerosols, batteries, paint, flammable liquids), cash, jewellery or other valuables. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you pack it.
Carrier conditions for China
- Commercial Invoice / Packing List Required
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- Alcohol / Tobacco Are NOT Accepted in China
- USCC or Tax ID Number Of Consignee Required
- Enterprise Code (VAT, GST) Number Of Shipper Required
- Chongqing Cargo Customs Cleared in Shanghai
- Personal Effects Accepted in Hong Kong but not in Guangzhou
- No Personal Effects Accepted in Macau
- Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Collect Freight On Approval
- Hong Kong: Commercial Invoice / Packing List Required
- Hong Kong: Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- Hong Kong: Alcohol / Tobacco Are Accepted to Hong Kong if consignee can provide import permit
- Hong Kong: Alcohol / Tobacco Are NOT Accepted via Hong Kong for any transhipment
- Hong Kong: USCC or Tax ID Number Of Consignee Required
- Hong Kong: Enterprise Code (VAT, GST) Number Of Shipper Required
- Hong Kong: Personal Effects is NOT Accepted in or via Hong Kong
- Hong Kong: No Personal Effects Accepted in Macau
Insurance (optional)
Cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, with a USD 300 deductible. To request it, sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both on your booking page before departure. All forms: useful links and forms.
How to book
Calculate the price in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects", accept the quote and upload the passport copy and the signed packing list on your booking page. After the carrier approves the shipment and confirms the destination charges, you pay and receive the labels and the warehouse delivery instructions. You deliver the boxes yourself: A1 does not offer pickup from your home.
Shipping to China by service
By city: Beijing, Changshu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jiangmen, Macau, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xingang.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to China?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Changshu cost about USD 385.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to China?
A copy of the photo page of the shipper's passport: valid, not expired, and in the same name as the shipper on the booking and the packing list. A passport from any country is accepted; no other ID is.
Can A1 pick up my boxes at home?
No. You or a local mover deliver the packed boxes to our receiving warehouse in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; the warehouse measures and weighs them and the final price follows those measurements.
Rates valid October 1–31, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.