How you can own air freight from China to USA at lower cost

Air freight costs are always a big challenge for importers. But looking for the cheapest prices is not a good strategy to reduce them. So be careful not to sacrifice quality for low prices. The idea that you always have to pay a lot to get the best service is also wrong. By managing costs and optimizing your air freight from China to USA, you can easily have high quality and cost-effective shipping. But what strategies are needed to manage expenses? Let’s find out.

Estimating your costs before air freight from China to USA

Before shipping, know exactly what you are going to pay for. To do this, you need to understand all the factors that affect air freight costs. You also need to know the market and up-to-date rates. Because shipping rates are constantly fluctuating and unstable.

When working with a carrier, make sure all costs are taken into account. Because sometimes they may miss some of them and come to you in the next step to pay. 

You can get help from a freight forwarder to ensure that their workflow is correct. They can estimate all your rates in detail.

Use the right air freight services

The airline industry offers different flights with different speeds and prices. This variety is for goods that have different time priorities.

• Charter. This type of flight is used for urgent needs. This way you can transport the essential goods that you need most urgently. This method is the fastest and the most expensive flight.
• Deferred. It is the cheapest method but its transit time is long. Because there are several stops along the way.
• Standard. This flight is suitable for those who have scheduled shipping on specific dates. This flight can be cost-effective if you are dealing with a lot of transportation.

In addition, express service is very suitable for goods between 50kg and 150kg that are time-sensitive. FedEx, UPS and DHL provide the best and fastest air freight from China to USA services. It helps prevent further damages and additional costs. Also, regular post is the cheapest method for goods under 50 kg. China Post has perfect offers for you such as Epacket, EUB, Airmail and Registered mail.

Have a plan B for your air freight from China to USA

Having a plan B is one of the smartest strategies. Hence, you are ready for any unexpected problem. Always have a backup plan to reduce costs and prevent financial losses.

Right packaging

Try to have light and durable packaging for the goods you are going to import from China to USA. Because the lower the weight of your package, the lower your air freight costs. The purpose of packaging is to protect the goods from damage, loss, air pressure changes, which if done right, can save money.

If you leave the inside of the box empty, you will greatly increase the risk of damage. So, spread the weight of the goods evenly in the box or pallet so that they do not tilt when landing and taking off. Therefore, it is better that the interior space is completely full.

Do your air freight under Incoterms rules 

It is a vital factor in air freight from China to USA expense savings. If you ship according to one of the rules of Incoterms, you can easily find out all the conditions and costs. Its contract is very clear about who is responsible for procurement and costs.

On the other hand, you should be careful in choosing the right incotorms that fit your needs. It is better to avoid CIF and CFR. Because the supplier is responsible for your shipping. As a result, he/she tries to pay the lowest costs and does not pay attention to the quality of services. And that leads to extra costs on your bill.

Get help from a reliable freight forwarder company

They can offer you the best services and the most reasonable prices due to having a wide range of relationships with professionals. If you want to do the booking or finding a carrier alone, it may take several days. But with them, this process is done in one day. At Topshipping, we make sure you get the best air freight rates.

A small but important tip! Always carry your shipment with the same freight forwarder. Because they give their regular customers the best prices, services and discounts. But you must always live up to your commitments and stay true to them. Because your reputation and being professional are very important to them.

Use the right services

The optimal choice is very important. Because the cheapest does not always reduce overall costs. Thus, the wrong choice may cause irreparable damage to your cargo and capital. You should pick the right packaging, suitable pallet, safe route and insurance. In this case, you avoid the additional and hidden expenses.

Avoid peak season for air freight from China to USA

You may experience a lot of delays in shipping due to the congestion and the large number of customs paperwork. And you know that the more delays, the more costs there are.

For example do not buy and ship in peak season. Because the prices skyrocket. It also has many delays such as port congestion and lack of capacity. 

Be sure to submit the documents to customs on time. Because if you are late, the goods will be kept in customs longer than free of charge. In this case, the cost of storage is really expensive.

Sufficient information about customs clearance

During air freight from China to USA, your goods must be checked at the customs of origin and destination. You know that the export and import laws of each country are different and each type of product needs its licenses. If you do not have enough knowledge and as a result the documents are incomplete, you will incur heavy fines.

As a result, before importing, find the permits you need from the US customs site. Also make sure that all packages have the necessary labels.