Updated
Two ways to ship by sea
| Sea by kg | Sea LCL (by volume) | |
|---|---|---|
| Charged on | Chargeable weight (kg) | Volume (m³) |
| Price | S$8.00 first kg + S$2.50 each extra kg | From S$90.00 up to 0.4 m³ |
| Est. time | 3–4 weeks | 2–3 weeks |
| Best for | Smaller loads, up to about 33 kg | Bulky items, furniture, many boxes |
Sea by kg
Charged like air, on the higher of the actual and volumetric weight (L × W × H ÷ 5,000), rounded up to the next kg.
| Chargeable weight | Sea by kg |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | S$8.00 |
| 2 kg | S$10.50 |
| 5 kg | S$18.00 |
| 10 kg | S$30.50 |
| 20 kg | S$55.50 |
| 33 kg | S$88.00 |
| 34 kg and up | ships as Sea LCL (from S$90.00) |
We never charge more than S$90.00 by kg. From 34 kg, by kg would pass S$90.00, so the shipment goes by Sea LCL instead, which starts at a flat S$90.00.
Sea LCL by volume
LCL means "less than container load": your boxes share a container with other shipments, and you pay for the space they take.
| Chargeable volume | Sea LCL |
|---|---|
| Up to 0.4 m³ | S$90.00 flat |
| 0.5 – 1 m³ | S$138.00 flat |
| 1.1 – 10 m³ | S$138.00 per m³ |
| 10.1 m³ and up | S$136.00 per m³ |
- Volume = length × width × height in metres, for every box, added up and rounded up to the next 0.1 m³.
- Heavy loads: we count at most 500 kg per m³. If the weight ÷ 500 is more than the measured volume, that's the volume we charge. Example: 600 kg in 0.8 m³ is charged as 1.2 m³ = S$165.60.
- The final volume is measured when your goods are loaded, so an estimate can move by 20–30%.
Get the volume and price for your cartons with the CBM calculator.
LCL examples
0.3 m³ = S$90.00 · 0.6 m³ = S$138.00 · 2.5 m³ = S$345.00 · 12 m³ = S$1,632.00. Plus 9% import tax on the goods value.
Furniture and bulky items
- Lift: the courier delivers to your door when the item fits your lift as packed. Otherwise it's left at the ground floor. Try the lift check in Delivery conditions.
- Over 60 kg in one piece: the courier may charge about S$200–300 for special equipment, paid to them at delivery. Splitting into lighter boxes lowers that risk.
- Fragile items: a wooden frame can be added at the warehouse, about S$40–80 per m³, confirmed once the goods arrive. Fragile goods still aren't covered for breakage.
Items that should go by sea
Sprays, aerosols, fragrance oils, diffuser liquids and power banks go by sea. Declare them as Sensitive.
Worked examples: Sea by kg
Five loads under 34 kg chargeable, each with the packed size, the weight that is charged, and the full amount with import tax on a stated goods value.
| Parcel | Packed size | Actual / volumetric | Charged as | Sea by kg | Goods value | Import tax | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kg clothes order a few tops and jeans | 30 × 20 × 15 cm | 1.6 kg / 2 kg | 2 kg | S$10.50 | S$60.00 | S$5.40 | S$15.90 |
| 6 kg shoe carton three pairs of shoes in their boxes | 40 × 30 × 25 cm | 4.5 kg / 6 kg | 6 kg | S$20.50 | S$150.00 | S$13.50 | S$34.00 |
| 12 kg mixed order homeware, toys and clothes from four shops | 45 × 35 × 30 cm | 11.4 kg / 10 kg | 12 kg | S$35.50 | S$280.00 | S$25.20 | S$60.70 |
| Bulky but light a quilt and two pillows | 60 × 50 × 40 cm | 4 kg / 24 kg | 24 kg | S$65.50 | S$80.00 | S$7.20 | S$72.70 |
| 33 kg load two cartons of tools and hardware | 2 boxes, each 45 × 40 × 35 cm | 33 kg / 26 kg | 33 kg | S$88.00 | S$400.00 | S$36.00 | S$124.00 |
How the bulky parcel is worked out
A quilt and two pillows in a box of 60 × 50 × 40 cm, 4 kg on the scale. Volumetric weight: 60 × 50 × 40 ÷ 5,000 = 24 kg. That is higher than the actual weight, so it is charged as 24 kg: S$8.00 for the first kg + 23 × S$2.50 = S$65.50. Import tax on S$80.00 of goods is S$7.20. Total S$72.70.
Sea by kg uses the same volumetric rule as air. To test your own box, use the volumetric weight calculator.
Worked examples: Sea LCL
Four loads charged by volume. For each box, multiply length × width × height in metres, add the boxes up, and round up to the next 0.1 m³.
| Load | Packed size | Measured volume | Charged as | Sea LCL | Goods value | Import tax | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A flat-packed desk | 120 × 70 × 30 cm | 0.252 m³ | 0.3 m³ | S$90.00 | S$220.00 | S$19.80 | S$109.80 |
| Six cartons of stock from 1688 | 6 boxes, each 60 × 40 × 40 cm | 0.576 m³ | 0.6 m³ | S$138.00 | S$700.00 | S$63.00 | S$201.00 |
| A three-seater sofa | 200 × 90 × 65 cm | 1.17 m³ | 1.2 m³ | S$165.60 | S$900.00 | S$81.00 | S$246.60 |
| Floor tiles, a dense load | boxes on a pallet, 800 kg in all | 1.1 m³ | 1.6 m³ (by weight) | S$220.80 | S$1,500.00 | S$135.00 | S$355.80 |
- A flat-packed desk: 1.2 × 0.7 × 0.3 m = 0.252 m³, rounded up to 0.3 m³. That is within the flat S$90.00 for up to 0.4 m³.
- Six cartons of stock from 1688: each carton is 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 m = 0.096 m³. Six make 0.576 m³, rounded up to 0.6 m³: the flat S$138.00 for 0.5 to 1 m³.
- A three-seater sofa: 2.0 × 0.9 × 0.65 m = 1.17 m³, rounded up to 1.2 m³. Above 1 m³ you pay per m³: 1.2 × S$138.00 = S$165.60.
- Floor tiles: the pallet measures 1.1 m³ but weighs 800 kg. We count at most 500 kg per m³, so 800 ÷ 500 = 1.6 m³ is charged: 1.6 × S$138.00 = S$220.80. By measured volume alone it would have been S$151.80.
These are worked examples, not quotes. The final volume is measured when your goods are loaded. For furniture, see shipping Taobao furniture to Singapore; for stock, see 1688 and wholesale orders.
Where Sea by kg stops and Sea LCL starts
You don't choose between the two. We price by kg first, and if that would come to more than S$90.00, the shipment goes by volume instead.
| Chargeable weight | By kg would come to | What you are charged |
|---|---|---|
| 20 kg | S$55.50 | Sea by kg: S$55.50 |
| 30 kg | S$80.50 | Sea by kg: S$80.50 |
| 33 kg | S$88.00 | Sea by kg: S$88.00 |
| 34 kg | over S$90.00 | Sea LCL: S$90.00 flat, up to 0.4 m³ |
| 40 kg | over S$90.00 | Sea LCL: S$90.00 flat, up to 0.4 m³ |
| 60 kg | over S$90.00 | Sea LCL: S$90.00 flat, up to 0.4 m³ |
- By weight, the switch is at 34 kg. 33 kg by kg is S$88.00. One more kg would be S$90.50, so from there it is Sea LCL.
- By size, it can come much sooner. Chargeable weight includes volumetric weight, and a load of about 0.17 m³ already has a volumetric weight of 34 kg. A full 0.4 m³ is 80 kg volumetric. So a few large, light cartons ship as LCL even when the scale says 15 kg.
- After the switch, weight matters much less. A 40 kg load and a 60 kg load that both fit in 0.4 m³ pay the same flat S$90.00.
LCL has price steps of its own, and the volume is always rounded up to the next 0.1 m³ before the step is chosen:
| Measured volume | Rounded up to | Sea LCL |
|---|---|---|
| 0.38 m³ | 0.4 m³ | S$90.00 |
| 0.42 m³ | 0.5 m³ | S$138.00 |
| 1.0 m³ | 1 m³ | S$138.00 |
| 1.04 m³ | 1.1 m³ | S$151.80 |
| 2.31 m³ | 2.4 m³ | S$331.20 |
The step that surprises people is 0.4 m³. A load that measures 0.42 m³ is charged as 0.5 m³, which is in the S$138.00 band. If you add a second piece of furniture to an order, work the volume out again with the CBM calculator.
Sea or air for the same load
Freight only, for five of the loads above, none of them long enough for the long-parcel fee. Import tax is the same either way.
| Load | By sea | Same load by air | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kg shoe carton (6 kg chargeable) | S$20.50 (by kg) | S$52.80 | S$32.30 |
| 12 kg mixed order (12 kg chargeable) | S$35.50 (by kg) | S$105.60 | S$70.10 |
| Bulky but light (24 kg chargeable) | S$65.50 (by kg) | S$211.20 | S$145.70 |
| 33 kg load (33 kg chargeable) | S$88.00 (by kg) | S$280.50 | S$192.50 |
| 40 kg load (40 kg chargeable) | S$90.00 (Sea LCL) | S$340.00 | S$250.00 |
Sea takes longer: about 3–4 weeks by kg and about 2–3 weeks for LCL, against about 4–5 working days by air (all est., door to door). If part of an order is urgent, you can split it: one order list for Air, one for Sea. For the timings in detail, see China to Singapore shipping time.
What the sea rate includes, and what's extra
- Included: receiving and combining your parcels in Guangzhou, up to 45 days of storage, the sea leg, customs clearance, and delivery in Singapore.
- Always added: import tax, 9% of your goods value.
- Long or heavy parcel, Sea by kg only: S$60.00 once per shipment when a parcel is over 140 cm long, 70 cm or more on two sides, or over 40 kg on the scale. Sea LCL has no such fee. Heavy LCL loads are handled by the 500 kg per m³ rule instead.
- 09xxxx postcode: S$35.00.
- Wrong Normal or Sensitive declaration: S$10.00 for each parcel resent. See the prohibited and sensitive items guide.
- On request: a wooden frame, about S$40–80 per m³, confirmed once the goods arrive.
- The courier's own charges: special equipment for a piece over 60 kg, or a mall or fixed-hours address. These are paid to the courier and are not on our invoice.
Planning a sea shipment
- Sea shipments leave weekly. The cut-off day varies, so WhatsApp us near the time if you are working to a date.
- Let everything arrive first. Storage is free for 45 days from the day each parcel arrives. If something made to order may take longer than that, tell us early.
- Sale seasons and holidays are slower. Shop early and get your parcels to the warehouse ahead of the rush.
- One address per shipment, and nothing can be added once your order list is in.
The full order process is in how to ship from China to Singapore, and all three methods are compared on the China to Singapore shipping page.
Questions people ask
What is LCL shipping?
Less than container load: your goods share a container with other shipments and you pay only for the volume they take, from S$90.00 for up to 0.4 m³.
How long does sea freight from China to Singapore take?
About 2–3 weeks for Sea LCL and 3–4 weeks for Sea by kg, from dispatch to your door. These are estimates.
Is sea cheaper than air?
For anything heavy or bulky, by a lot. 10 kg costs S$30.50 by sea and S$88.00 by air. Air is faster: about 4–5 working days.
Can I ship a sofa or a bed frame from China?
Yes, by Sea LCL. Check that it fits your lift as packed, or arrange your own help from the ground floor.
Can I get an exact LCL price before shipping?
We can estimate from your sizes, with 20–30% room either way. The final volume is measured when your goods are loaded.
How much does 1 CBM cost from China to Singapore?
1 m³ (1 CBM) by Sea LCL is S$138.00. Up to 0.4 m³ is S$90.00, and from 1.1 m³ it is S$138.00 per m³, so 2 m³ is S$276.00. Add 9% import tax on your goods value.
How heavy can 1 CBM be?
We count up to 500 kg per m³. A heavier load is charged on its weight ÷ 500: 800 kg is charged as 1.6 m³, even if it measures less.
Does the long or heavy parcel fee apply to Sea LCL?
No. The S$60.00 fee is for Air and Sea by kg only. On LCL a single piece over 60 kg may still bring the local courier's own equipment charge at delivery, paid to them.
At what weight does Sea by kg become Sea LCL?
At 34 kg chargeable weight. Up to 33 kg you pay by kg (S$88.00 at 33 kg). From 34 kg the shipment goes by volume, from a flat S$90.00 for up to 0.4 m³. Bulky loads reach that point sooner, because volumetric weight counts.