Air Freight from China: Weight, Incoterms, Entry

By ChinaManufacturers.com Editorial Desk · Updated 30 October 2026 · How this page was researched

What air freight from China is

Air freight from China is the movement of commercial goods from a Chinese airport to an overseas one by aircraft, either in the cargo hold (belly) of a passenger flight or on a dedicated freighter. Importers buy it in two distinct forms, and they behave differently at almost every step.

Express. An integrator (a courier network that owns or controls its aircraft, sorting hubs and delivery fleet) carries the parcel door to door and usually arranges the customs entry within its own system.
Air cargo. A freight forwarder books space with an airline on an air waybill (the air transport contract and receipt), airport to airport, with customs clearance and trucking arranged separately at each end.

Importers typically use air for samples, urgent replenishment, launch inventory and goods with high value for their weight. Ocean freight remains the default for bulk volumes. No official benchmark compares the two modes; the choice turns on value density and urgency.

How an air shipment moves

A forwarder books the shipment on a passenger belly or a freighter departing a Chinese gateway. Major international cargo airports include Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen Bao'an, Guangzhou Baiyun and Beijing, and much South China cargo is trucked across the boundary to fly from Hong Kong. Official gateway rankings by cargo volume were not verified for this guide.

The stages are consistent whatever the airport:

Pickup at the factory or warehouse.
Export screening and the Chinese export declaration.
Airline acceptance and security screening.
The flight, direct or through a hub.
US arrival and release by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Delivery to the consignee.

Flight time is a small part of the total. No official source publishes a China-to-US air transit time; airport to airport is typically a matter of days rather than weeks, but door to door adds screening, customs and trucking at both ends. A quote that names only the flight leg does not describe the delivery date.

How air freight is charged: chargeable weight

Air freight is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of the shipment's actual gross weight and its volumetric (dimensional) weight, which converts the space a shipment occupies into a notional weight. Aircraft run out of space before they run out of lift, so light, bulky goods pay for the volume they take.

The divisor most carriers apply is 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram, which makes one cubic meter equal to about 166.67 kg. That divisor is widely described as the IATA (International Air Transport Association) standard, but the IATA primary document was not retrieved for this guide, and an individual carrier or express network may use a different divisor. The divisor on the quote is the one that applies.

A worked example shows the effect. A carton measuring 60 x 40 x 50 cm occupies 120,000 cm³; at a 6,000 divisor its volumetric weight is 20 kg. If the carton weighs 8 kg, it is billed as 20 kg. The same carton holding 25 kg of metal parts is billed at its actual 25 kg.

The rest of the cost is structural and changes often, so this guide gives no rates. A typical quote combines:

a rate per chargeable kilogram, tiered by weight break;
fuel and security surcharges;
origin handling and export clearance;
airport terminal charges and destination handling;
customs brokerage, duties and fees;
final delivery.

Air rates swing with e-commerce demand, peak seasons and available capacity, and quotes are usually valid for a short period.

Which Incoterms fit air freight

Only the seven Incoterms 2020 rules designated for any mode of transport fit air cargo: EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. The four maritime rules, FOB, CFR, CIF and FAS, are written for goods delivered on board or alongside a vessel at a port. The International Chamber of Commerce, which publishes Incoterms, says in its Incoterms 2020 Introduction (para. 48) that an FOB contract at an inland point, "for example an airport," is one that "makes little sense."

"FOB Shenzhen airport" is therefore a common and avoidable error. The usual replacement is FCA (Free Carrier: the seller's risk ends when it hands the goods to the buyer's carrier at the named place), naming the airport or the forwarder's warehouse. Where the seller is to pay for the flight, CPT or CIP fit; where the seller delivers to the buyer's country, DAP.

US customs entry for air shipments

Every air shipment needs a customs entry, filed by the importer of record (IOR, the party legally responsible for the entry and its duties) or by the IOR's licensed customs broker. Air shipments do not need an Importer Security Filing, which applies to vessel cargo; air cargo advance data runs under a separate program, ACAS (Air Cargo Advance Screening), referenced in 19 CFR 113.62(l).

Three changes since 2025 matter most for air importers from China:

De minimis. The duty-free treatment of low-value shipments was suspended for goods from China and Hong Kong in May 2025 and for all countries in August 2025, as recorded in CBP's fiscal year 2025 seizure statistics. The de minimis guide covers the current rules.
Foreign IORs. Executive Order 14411 ("Strengthening Customs Enforcement," 3 June 2026), Sec. 2(b), directs CBP to "prohibit a foreign IOR from filing informal entry." That reaches low-value air shipments that overseas sellers ship "duties included" under their own IOR number.
IOR data accuracy. From 18 September 2026, CBP enforces the accuracy of IOR records, including address, email and phone, under 91 FR 53627, and may void inaccurate IOR numbers. This applies to air entries as much as ocean ones.

One fee drops out. The Harbor Maintenance Fee, 0.125% of the value of commercial cargo under 19 CFR 24.24, is assessed on cargo unloaded at listed US ports, so it is an ocean cost rather than an air one.

Using an express network does not shift responsibility. The IOR remains liable for the entry, whoever transmits it.

Lithium batteries and other dangerous goods

Lithium batteries, whether shipped alone, packed with equipment or installed in a product, are regulated as dangerous goods in air transport. The governing texts are the ICAO Technical Instructions, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and, in the United States, 49 CFR 173.185. Those primary texts were not retrieved for this guide, so it states no thresholds or packing limits.

The structure is settled even where the figures here are not: battery shipments require specified packing, labeling and documentation, and some configurations may travel only on cargo aircraft. A battery-containing product shipped as general cargo, without dangerous-goods paperwork, can be refused by the airline. The lithium batteries guide covers the product rules.

When air freight is the right choice

Air makes sense when the cost of time exceeds the cost of freight: samples needed for an approval decision, stock needed to avoid a stockout, or goods valuable enough that the freight is a small share of landed cost. It is a poor choice for heavy, low-value or bulky goods, where chargeable weight turns the freight bill into a large share of the unit price.

A split order is a common pattern: a small first lot by air to reach the market, and the balance by ocean. Whatever the split, the comparison should use the landed cost of each lot, not the freight line alone.

Common mistakes with air freight from China

Quoting on actual weight only, then being billed on volumetric weight for bulky, light goods.
Using FOB for air, instead of FCA at the named airport or warehouse.
Shipping batteries without dangerous-goods documentation, including products with built-in cells.
Comparing an airport-to-airport quote with a door-to-door one, as if they covered the same work.
Assuming the express network handles compliance; the IOR is still responsible for the entry.

Frequently asked questions

How is air freight from China charged?

Air freight is charged on chargeable weight, the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight. Most carriers use a divisor of 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram, so one cubic meter counts as about 166.67 kg, though the IATA source document was not retrieved here and carriers may differ. Surcharges, handling, brokerage, duties and delivery are added on top.

Which Incoterm should I use for air freight from China?

Use one of the seven any-mode Incoterms 2020 rules, most often FCA at the named airport or forwarder warehouse, or CPT, CIP or DAP. FOB, CFR, CIF and FAS are maritime rules. The ICC's Incoterms 2020 Introduction says an FOB contract at an inland point such as an airport makes little sense.

How long does air freight from China take?

No official source publishes a China-to-US air transit time. Airport to airport is typically a matter of days rather than weeks, but door to door adds export screening, airline acceptance, US customs release and trucking at both ends. Ask for the carrier's or forwarder's dated schedule and confirm whether a quoted time covers the door-to-door chain.

Do air shipments need an ISF filing?

No. The Importer Security Filing applies to cargo arriving by vessel. Air cargo advance data is handled under a separate program, Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), referenced in 19 CFR 113.62(l). Every air shipment still needs a customs entry filed by the importer of record or its licensed customs broker.

Can I ship lithium batteries by air from China?

Yes, but only under dangerous-goods rules covering packing, labeling and documentation, and some configurations are restricted to cargo aircraft. The governing texts are the ICAO Technical Instructions, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and, in the US, 49 CFR 173.185. Confirm the current requirements for the specific battery and configuration with the carrier before booking.

Is air freight worth it compared with ocean freight?

It depends on value density and urgency; no official benchmark settles it. Air suits samples, urgent replenishment and high-value, low-weight goods. For heavy or bulky goods, chargeable weight makes freight a large share of the unit cost. Compare the landed cost of each mode, not the freight line alone.

Air freight from China