Sea groupage to China. A few pallets, one contact.
You do not need a container of your own if your goods will not fill it. As groupage we ship them to China with other exporters' cargo, and you pay only for the cubic metres they take up.
China, in a shared container.
Groupage, or LCL (Less than Container Load), means combining several senders' shipments in one container. Our work starts with pickup from you or receipt at our Brescia hub: preparing the goods, export customs, delivery to the consolidation warehouse. On arrival, the main ports are Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Tianjin.
LCL, one container for several loads
No cubic metre paid for empty: your goods, even just a few pallets or packages, take up part of a shared container.
Ports of discharge
Arrival is at Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Tianjin: from here the goods can go straight to the consignee or wait for collection at the deconsolidation warehouse.
Worth knowing before shipping
China requires advance transmission of manifest data before loading; some goods need certification (such as CCC) or importer registration.
In-house export customs
We clear exports at our warehouses in Brescia: we are an AEO operator and the declaration follows the simplified procedure.
Checks, packing, labels
Packing, labels and checks on the goods are done at our Brescia hub; for wooden pallets and crates, ISPM 15 treatment and marking.
Dangerous goods by sea
Dangerous goods? They can travel as groupage in line with the IMDG Code, after the consolidator's acceptance, and the work starts from the safety data sheet.
See also: Shipping to China · Sea freight · Container guide · ISPM 15 guide · Customs · Request a quote
Other groupage countries: Japan · South Korea · United States · All countries
In the glossary: Groupage · LCL · FCL · Consolidator · Bill of lading · ISPM 15
The stages of groupage to China.
Four clear steps and a single contact.
Quote request
For the chargeable volume we start from four figures: weights, dimensions, number of packages, stackability.
Packing and pickup
If packing is needed we take care of it, whether we collect from you or you deliver to our Brescia hub.
Export clearance
Two things: the export declaration and delivery to the port consolidation warehouse.
Through to the consignee
We load the goods; at destination the container is deconsolidated and the goods delivered to the consignee in China.
Groupage to China.
How is the rate for groupage to China worked out?
Two items are added to the freight, consolidation at origin and deconsolidation on arrival, which you will find in our proposal. The freight itself follows the weight/measure (W/M) rule and is calculated on the higher value: usually 1 cubic metre equals 1,000 kg.
Up to what point is groupage worthwhile?
A full container reduces handling and, when the volume is close to that of a container, it often costs less too. Give us the dimensions and we will show you both options side by side.
Which documents go with groupage to China?
You prepare the commercial invoice and packing list (with the weight and dimensions of each package); we do the export declaration. China requires advance transmission of manifest data before loading; some goods need certification (such as CCC) or importer registration.
Do you handle dangerous goods in groupage to China?
Yes. The IMDG Code applies and the consolidator and shipping line must give the go-ahead; with the safety data sheet we check class, packaging and labels. For firearms and ammunition we decide shipment by shipment, based on the applicable authorisations.
