Short answer: There is no single container price: sea freight from China is quoted live, per container for FCL and per cubic metre or revenue tonne for LCL, and both move with the lane, the season and available space. What you can fix in advance, and what changes landed cost more than any rate negotiation, is the mode. Once your order fills roughly half a container, FCL costs less per bicycle than LCL; below that, LCL or consolidation into one container is the sensible route. Send us your quantity, model mix and destination port for a current, itemised quotation.
What makes up the cost of shipping bicycles from China?
Ocean freight is one line out of five. Ask any supplier or forwarder to quote these separately:
- Origin costs — factory collection, trucking to Nansha, Shekou or Ningbo, export clearance, terminal handling, documents.
- Ocean freight — per container for FCL; per CBM or revenue tonne, whichever is greater, for LCL.
- Destination costs — terminal handling, customs entry, LCL deconsolidation, storage if clearance drags.
- Duty and tax — on customs value, under HS 8712.00 for bicycles and HS 8711.60 for e-bikes, plus VAT or GST.
- Inland delivery — port to your warehouse.
Four things move those blocks: volume versus weight (a conventional bicycle is volumetric cargo, an e-bike is heavy and falls under lithium battery rules per UN 38.3); your Incoterm (EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP shift blocks between buyer and seller, never delete them); the season, which firms from August to October and before Chinese New Year; and how many factories your goods leave from.
FCL, LCL or consolidation — which mode fits my order?
| Criterion | FCL (full container) | LCL (shared container) | Consolidation of several factories into one FCL |
| Typical order size | Half a container upwards | A few pallets to a quarter container | Two or more suppliers whose combined volume fills a container |
| Cost per bike | Lowest once well filled | Highest; fixed CFS fees hit small volumes hard | Close to FCL, plus warehouse handling |
| Handling touchpoints | Sealed at the factory, opened at your warehouse | Loaded, cross-stuffed, deconsolidated, re-sorted | One receipt, one check, one load |
| Damage and pilferage risk | Lowest | Highest — neighbouring cargo, restacking, longer dwell | Low; inspect and repack before loading |
| Schedule reliability | Follows the vessel | Vessel plus CFS cut-off and deconsolidation queues | Follows the vessel once all factories deliver |
| Customs work | One bill of lading, one entry | One entry, shared documents, more queries | One bill of lading, one entry, one packing list |
| Best for | Repeat programmes, single-category orders | Samples, trial orders, urgent top-ups | Mixed orders of bikes, parts and accessories |
For the FCL/LCL breakeven arithmetic itself, see our dedicated FCL versus LCL comparison. This article is about the third option, the one most buyers overlook.
How many bicycles fit in a container?
| Container | Usable volume | Boxed conventional bicycles | Notes |
| 20ft standard | Around 33 CBM | 250-300 units | Weight limit binds first with e-bikes and steel city bikes |
| 40ft standard | Around 67 CBM | 450-520 units | The workhorse for mixed programmes |
| 40ft high cube | Around 76 CBM | 500-600 units | Extra height allows one more carton tier |
Counts fall materially for e-bikes: cartons are larger and weight, not volume, becomes the binding constraint. Carton size and gross weight per unit decide the final number, so ask for both before you calculate.
Why does multi-factory consolidation change the maths?
Real orders rarely come from one factory. A typical container mixes city bikes from one cluster, kids' models from another and a pallet of spare parts and accessories from a third. As three LCL bookings that means three sets of fixed CFS and documentation charges, three arrival dates and three customs entries. Consolidated into one FCL at a Guangzhou warehouse it becomes one bill of lading, one entry and one delivery, with a loading plan you control.
Which mode suits a first order, and which a repeat programme?
For a first order, buy predictability rather than the lowest unit freight. A trial quantity at or near MOQ — ours run 50-150 units for city bikes, 50-100 for mountain and folding, 25-75 for road, 25-50 for e-bikes and 100-250 for kids' models — moves best as LCL or consolidated, so you validate product, packaging and your own customs process before committing volume. Once the range is proven and reordering is regular, switch to FCL on a fixed monthly or quarterly sailing: freight per bike drops, handling drops with it, and intake can be planned against a known ETA.
How much time does each mode add?
| Route from South China | FCL port to port | Extra time for LCL |
| Rotterdam / Hamburg | 30-40 days | +7-14 days |
| Jebel Ali / Dammam | 14-20 days | +7-12 days |
| Los Angeles / Long Beach | 16-22 days | +7-14 days |
| New York / Savannah | 30-38 days | +7-14 days |
| Santos / Durban | 32-45 days | +10-15 days |
Add 7-14 days before the sailing for booking, trucking and export clearance, more in peak weeks. Consolidation adds only the days the slowest factory needs to deliver.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to ship bicycles FCL or LCL?
Per bicycle, FCL is almost always cheaper once you fill about half a container, because LCL carries fixed CFS, documentation and deconsolidation fees that do not shrink with your volume. Below that threshold LCL is cheaper in absolute terms, which is what matters for a trial order.
Can I combine bikes, spare parts and accessories from different factories in one container?
Yes, that is exactly what consolidation is for. Each supplier delivers to one warehouse in Guangzhou, the goods are checked and loaded together, and you receive a single bill of lading and packing list. It removes duplicate CFS charges and leaves one customs entry instead of several.
How far in advance should I book?
Confirm 10-14 days before the intended sailing in normal weeks, and 3-4 weeks ahead in peak season or before Chinese New Year. For consolidation, count from the date the last factory can deliver, not the first. Booking early costs nothing and protects your ETA.
Do e-bikes ship differently from conventional bicycles?
Yes. Lithium batteries require UN 38.3 test summaries plus correct dangerous goods declaration, packaging and labelling, and not every carrier or LCL consolidator accepts them. E-bikes also reach the container weight limit before the volume limit, so plan fewer units than the table above and expect EN 15194 and UL 2849 certification to be checked at destination.
Which Incoterm should a first-time importer buy on?
FOB is the usual starting point: the seller handles export clearance and delivery to the vessel while you control the sea leg and destination costs. CIF suits buyers without a forwarder relationship, DDP those wanting one all-in figure. EXW gives the most control and the most obligations, and rarely suits a first shipment.
How do I stop bicycles being damaged in transit?
Specify export-grade double-wall cartons, fork and dropout spacers, disc rotor and derailleur protection, and edge protection where strapping runs. Ask for a loading plan that puts heavy cartons on the floor and limits stacking height, and have the load photographed before the doors are sealed. Those controls are far easier to enforce in an FCL or consolidated load than in an LCL booking you never see.
Where Source of Bikes fits
We have exported from Guangzhou for over 15 years and ship around 30,000 bicycles a year to more than 50 countries. We already hold vetted factory relationships across China's bicycle clusters, match your specification and volume to a factory that suits it, run 100% inspection before shipment, and consolidate several suppliers into one container with export documents prepared correctly first time. Building that network yourself takes months; using ours takes one email.
Send your model mix, target quantity and destination port to [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp at +8617702000155, and we will reply with a mode recommendation and a tailored quotation. Start with our bicycle range, or read the importer guide if this is your first shipment from China.
