Shipping inventory from China to a US 3PL takes two sets of paperwork: the customs filings that get the container released, and the product data that lets the warehouse turn cartons into stock you can sell on Shopify. Your forwarder and broker handle the first. The second is yours, and it decides whether a container goes straight into sellable stock or waits at the warehouse while products are set up.

Quick Answer

To ship inventory from China to a US 3PL, send the 3PL your SKU, barcode and weight data first, buy FOB with your own customs broker as importer of record, file the ISF 24 hours before ocean cargo loads, and send an advance shipping notice. As of November 2026, Chinese goods pay normal duty, a 12.5% Section 301 forced labor duty and any 7.5% or 25% Section 301 list duty.

How to ship inventory from China to a US 3PL, step by step

Steps 1 and 2 happen while the order is still in production, because product data and carton labels are cheapest to fix before anything ships.

1. Send the 3PL your product data before the factory packs

The warehouse needs a SKU or barcode, a unit weight and dimensions for every product, plus the exact contents of every bundle or set. We learned how much this matters with a Shopify oral care brand that sold a Complete set and a Duo set when only the brush had a SKU. Before receiving, we asked for a SKU or barcode and a weight on every product and for the exact contents of each set, so both could be built as bundles in Orderfy WMS. Units that arrived before setup were held until the products were in the system. The 3PL onboarding checklist lists the rest.

2. Agree carton marks and a packing list with the factory

Each master carton should hold one SKU and carry the SKU, the barcode, the quantity per carton and a carton number such as 1 of 800. The packing list should match the cartons line by line, because it's what the warehouse counts against. Mixed-SKU cartons and missing labels both slow an unload, and both are cheaper to fix at the factory than at the dock.

3. Pick your Incoterm and decide who is importer of record

Under FOB or EXW, you're the importer of record: your customs broker files the entry under your importer number and you pay the duty. Under DDP, the seller handles import clearance and pays the duty; the ICC calls DDP the only Incoterms rule where the seller pays tariffs. DDP is simpler, but you don't see the classification or declared value on your own goods.

Being importer of record also decides who gets money back. CBP's refund process for the IEEPA tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February 2026 accepts claims only from the importer of record or the broker that filed the entries. A brand that bought DDP in 2025 has no claim of its own; any refund goes to the importer of record, or to a notify party named on the entry. At 1,000 to 10,000 orders a month, we'd take FOB with your own broker. DDP makes sense for a first small test order, where control matters less than speed.

4. Line up a customs broker, a bond and the ISF

Every commercial shipment now needs a customs entry, since the US de minimis exemption is suspended for all countries (dates and rules are in our post on FBA prep and the end of de minimis). Shipments over $2,500 need a formal entry, which needs a bond. A continuous bond covers a year of entries; CBP sets the minimum at $50,000 or 10% of your duties, taxes and fees from the previous 12 months, whichever is higher. At six containers a year like the example below, about $59,000 in duties and fees puts you at the $50,000 minimum.

For ocean freight, you or your broker files the Importer Security Filing. Seller, buyer, importer number, consignee, manufacturer, ship-to party, country of origin and HTS number are due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the port in China. The ship-to party is the first place the goods are delivered after release, which is your 3PL when the container trucks straight there, so get the warehouse's exact name and address before your forwarder books. CBP can claim $5,000 in liquidated damages per ISF violation.

5. Choose ocean or air

Ocean is the default for a full inventory order and air is for a top-up you can't wait on. A full container (FCL) is priced per box; less than container load (LCL) is priced by volume and adds a consolidation step at each end. On November 5, 2026, Drewry's World Container Index put Shanghai to Los Angeles at $7,539 per 40ft container. Freightos put China to North America air freight at $7.76 per kg on November 3, the highest level of 2026. At those rates, ocean freight on the example below costs $0.63 a unit, and air costs at least $1.94 a unit for a product that ships at 0.25 kg, before air's own airport and handling charges.

6. Book delivery and send the advance shipping notice

The advance shipping notice (ASN) lists SKUs, quantities, carton count, whether the container is floor-loaded or palletized, and the delivery date. When the same oral care brand moved its Q4 inbound to us, about 5,000 units across brushes, tongue scrapers and travel cases, we received it against an advance shipping notice. Your drayage carrier books the delivery appointment once the container clears and is out of the port.

7. Check the receipt against the packing list

A receiving report should show units received by SKU, any shortage or damage, and photos. Compare it with the factory's packing list the day it arrives, because a short shipment is easiest to dispute before any unit sells. The reorder point guide covers lead time and safety stock for the next order.

What duty Chinese goods pay in November 2026

Chinese goods pay a stack of separate duties, and each comes from a different legal action. The IEEPA fentanyl and reciprocal tariffs ended after the Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, and the 10% Section 122 surcharge that replaced them expired on July 24, 2026. What applies now:

LayerRate on goods from ChinaStatus as of November 6, 2026
General (MFN) dutySet by the product's HTS lineAlways applies
Section 301 China lists 1 to 4A7.5% or 25%, by HTS lineContinued by USTR in October 2026; 178 product exclusions run through November 9, 2026
Section 301 forced labor action12.5% on most productsIn effect since July 24, 2026; doesn't apply to goods under Section 232 duties
Section 232 product dutiesSet by product, such as 10% to 50% on steel, aluminum and copperApplies only to listed products
Merchandise processing fee0.3464% of value, minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86 per formal entryFY2027 amounts from October 1, 2026
Harbor maintenance fee0.125% of valueOcean shipments only

Duty is due before the stock sells: the entry summary, with estimated duties, is due within 10 working days after entry. Your broker confirms the HTS line and which layers apply to each product.

Landed cost per unit for one 40ft container

One 40ft container from Shanghai, delivered to a warehouse in the center of the US, adds $1.82 to $2.52 per unit in this example, depending on the product's Section 301 list. The example assumes a Shopify brand shipping 5,000 orders a month at 1.2 units per order, so 12,000 units is about two months of stock. Ocean freight and duty rates are dated benchmarks; the goods price, broker and bond fees, and inland trucking are examples only, not Orderfy's rates.

LineProduct on Section 301 list 4AProduct on Section 301 list 3
Goods, 12,000 units at $4.00 FOB Shanghai (example)$48,000.00$48,000.00
Ocean freight, Shanghai to Los Angeles, 40ft (Drewry WCI, November 5, 2026)$7,539.00$7,539.00
General duty (0% in this example)$0.00$0.00
Section 301 China list duty$3,600.00 (7.5%)$12,000.00 (25%)
Section 301 forced labor duty (12.5%)$6,000.00$6,000.00
Merchandise processing fee (0.3464%)$166.27$166.27
Harbor maintenance fee (0.125%)$60.00$60.00
Customs broker, ISF and bond (example)$450.00$450.00
Port drayage and trucking to Dallas-Fort Worth (example)$4,000.00$4,000.00
Total landed cost$69,815.27$78,215.27
Landed cost per unit$5.82$6.52

Duties and fees are $9,826.27 on the list 4A product and $18,226.27 on the list 3 product, which is more than the ocean freight in both cases. The freight and delivery lines total $11,989.00 in both columns, while the list 3 product pays $8,400.00 more duty than the list 4A product. If a product sits on list 3, have your broker check the classification before the next purchase order, and plan cash for duty and the 3PL deposit in the same month.

How we receive freight from China

We quote inbound freight for clients, including imports from overseas: two importing brands asked us for quotes, one shipping from China and one from Germany, where the brand wanted to know if we could beat Flexport (the Flexport alternatives post covers that comparison). Inbound shipments stay blocked until the services agreement is signed in Orderfy WMS, our proprietary WMS built in-house, and the opening deposit is paid, so book the truck after both are done. We receive within 24 hours of delivery, photograph the freight on arrival, and received stock typically reaches your sellable inventory in less than 1 business day, synced to Shopify in real time.

FAQ

As of November 6, 2026, most Chinese goods pay their normal HTS duty, a 12.5% Section 301 forced labor duty, and a 7.5% or 25% Section 301 list duty if the product is on one of the China lists. Steel, aluminum, copper, lumber and other Section 232 goods pay their Section 232 rate instead of the forced labor duty. The IEEPA tariffs ended in February 2026.

Yes. The 3PL is the delivery address and, when the container trucks straight there, the ship-to party on the ISF. Send the 3PL your product data and an advance shipping notice before the container lands, so the stock can be received as soon as it arrives.

DDP is easier for a first small order because the seller handles US customs and duty. For regular imports, FOB or EXW with your own customs broker gives you control of classification and value, and as importer of record you're the party CBP refunds if duties are ever refunded.

Get a quote from Orderfy

Request a quote with your product list, carton counts and expected arrival date, and we'll quote receiving, storage and fulfillment, plus the inbound freight if you need it.

Get a Quote Call: (469) 833-4101

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