Wholesale shipping from China to Ukraine costs from $1.6–2.0/kg by sea to $5.9–6.8/kg by air, with rail and road in the middle at $3.1–3.9/kg. In real money, a 100 kg batch costs $310–680 by rail, road or air, 1 ton runs $1,600–6,800, and a full 20-foot container by sea starts at $4,800, all-inclusive to Kyiv. AgilFreight accepts shipments from 100 kg: if your order is smaller, we consolidate goods from several suppliers at our warehouse in China until the batch reaches the minimum. Below you'll find bulk shipping prices by batch size, how to pick a mode for your volume and deadline, what the rate includes, and three worked examples with duty and VAT.
Bulk cargo shipping from China to Ukraine: prices from 100 kg to a full container
The table is based on AgilFreight's base rates. The lower end of each range applies to dense cargo (250 kg/m³ and above: tools, hardware, electronics, spare parts), the upper end to medium-density cargo (100–250 kg/m³: clothing, footwear, boxed household goods). The prices cover transport from our warehouse in China to Ukraine and exclude duty, VAT and brokerage — those are covered further down.
| Batch | Air, 7–12 days | Rail, 20–30 days | Road, 15–22 days | Sea, 35–50 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | $5.9–6.8/kg | $3.1–3.6/kg | $3.4–3.9/kg | $1.6–2.0/kg |
| 100 kg | $590–680 | $310–360 | $340–390 | $160–200 |
| 300 kg | $1,770–2,040 | $930–1,080 | $1,020–1,170 | $480–600 |
| 500 kg | $2,950–3,400 | $1,550–1,800 | $1,700–1,950 | $800–1,000 |
| 1 t | $5,900–6,800 | $3,100–3,600 | $3,400–3,900 | $1,600–2,000 |
| 3 t | $17,700–20,400 | $9,300–10,800 | $10,200–11,700 | $4,800–6,000 |
| Full container or truck | — | container on request | dedicated truck, custom quote | 20' from $4,800, 40' from $6,900 |
The sea price for 100 kg is mostly theoretical: the minimum for consolidated sea freight is 0.5 m³, and a dense 100 kg batch takes up 0.4 m³ or less. Besides, spending 35–50 days in transit to save $150–160 compared with rail rarely makes sense.
Because the table uses base rates, the freight cost per kg from China to Ukraine stays the same in every row, and the batch price grows in proportion to weight. Your manager locks in the exact rate for your goods, season and route once the quote is done.
Light cargo (under 100 kg/m³: plush toys, puffer jackets, plastic goods) is charged by volume rather than weight: air $1,150/m³, rail $420/m³, road $460/m³, sea $235/m³. For example, 300 kg of plush toys at a density of 75 kg/m³ take up 4 m³: that's $940 by sea, $1,680 by rail, $1,840 by road and $4,600 by air — 1.5 to 2.6 times more than the same 300 kg of dense goods. How density works, and why it matters more than kilograms, is covered in detail in our guide on how much shipping from China costs, and you can run your own batch through the shipping calculator right away.
Why the minimum shipment is 100 kg
AgilFreight accepts shipments from 100 kg. This isn't a whim — it's arithmetic: every shipment carries costs that don't depend on its weight.
- Minimum charge. $45–60 per shipment: $45 by sea, $50 by rail and road, $60 by air. A 5 kg parcel by air would cost $29.5 at the rate, but the $60 minimum applies — that's $12/kg, twice the base rate.
- Paperwork and clearance. Every shipment needs its own set of documents: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (air waybill, CMR, bill of lading or rail waybill) and a customs declaration. Brokerage starts at $100 per declaration, and that figure is the same for 20 kg as it is for a ton.
- Warehouse handling. Receiving, weighing, a photo report, labeling and a separate tracking number — the same work for one carton as for a full pallet.
Here's how the fixed cost of a declaration spreads per kilogram across batches of different weight, compared with the $3.1/kg rail rate:
| Batch weight | Declaration per kg | Added to the $3.1/kg rate |
|---|---|---|
| 20 kg | $5 | +161% |
| 50 kg | $2 | +65% |
| 100 kg | $1 | +32% |
| 500 kg | $0.2 | +6% |
| 1 t | $0.1 | +3% |
From 100 kg, fixed costs stop eating into the savings on the rate. Below that line, postal and express services built for parcels do the job more cheaply and simply. That's why we focus on what we do best — cargo shipping from China for businesses, from 100 kg up to a full container.
What to do if you have less than 100 kg
- Consolidate your suppliers. Ask all your sellers to ship to our warehouse in Guangzhou, Yiwu or Shenzhen. Receiving and consolidation are free, and storage is free for 30 days — plenty of time to reach 100 kg even from a dozen small orders. You end up with one batch, one declaration and one invoice. That's how consolidated cargo works; after 30 days, storage costs $0.5/m³ per day.
- Bundle your purchases. If you restock every week, combine two or three purchases into one shipment: the goods wait at the warehouse until the batch reaches the minimum.
- Buy through us. If your goods come from 1688 or Taobao, our product buyout service handles payment in yuan, and every order lands at our warehouse to be combined into one batch.
- Send truly small items by post. One-off parcels and samples of a few kilograms are cheaper to send via a postal or express service — they're designed for exactly those volumes.
How to choose a shipping mode for your batch size
Two factors decide the mode: the size of the batch and how soon you need the goods on the shelf. As a rule of thumb:
- Air — urgent batches of 100–500 kg. 7–12 days, from $5.9/kg. Pays off for high-value, lightweight goods: electronics, accessories, seasonal launches. If a kilogram of your product is worth more than $20–30, faster cash turnover usually covers the difference in rates. Details on the air freight page.
- Rail — the workhorse for 300 kg to 5 t. 20–30 days, from $3.1/kg: about half the price of air and noticeably faster than sea. A good fit for marketplace stock, equipment, furniture and tools. More on rail freight.
- Road — when you need it faster than rail. 15–22 days, from $3.4/kg. Handy for oversized cargo and truck delivery straight to your warehouse; for urgent batches there's a dedicated truck with no reloading — 13–15 days to Kyiv. Routes and rates: road freight.
- Sea — large volumes with no rush. 35–50 days, consolidated cargo (LCL) from $235/m³, a 20' container from $4,800 and a 40' from $6,900, all-inclusive to Kyiv. The lowest price per kilogram, but also the longest cycle: your cash is tied up in stock for a month and a half. Ports, routes and terms: sea freight.
Mixing modes works too: fly a small part of the batch to cover your first sales, and send the bulk by rail or sea.
When LCL turns into a full container
For light goods, the threshold is measured in volume: a 20-foot container at $4,800 costs the same as roughly 20 m³ of consolidated cargo at $235/m³ (4,800 / 235 ≈ 20.4 m³). For heavy goods charged by weight, kilograms set the threshold: 4,800 / 1.6 = 3,000 kg for dense cargo and 4,800 / 2.0 = 2,400 kg for medium density.
The takeaway: from 2.4–3 t, ask for an FCL quote even if the volume is small. On top of that, a container travels sealed from warehouse to warehouse, with no transshipment along the way. The full pros and cons are in our LCL vs FCL guide, and the container calculator shows how many cartons will fit into a 20' or 40'.
What the rate includes and what you pay separately
The rate per kilogram or cubic meter is the cost of transport. To get the full landed cost of a wholesale batch, add taxes and related services:
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving, consolidation, photo report | free | at our warehouse in China |
| Storage up to 30 days | free | then $0.5/m³ per day |
| Transport | per mode rate | see the table above; FCL is all-inclusive to Kyiv |
| Import duty | 0–12% | by HS code: electronics 0%, home appliances 5%, cosmetics 6.5%, tools, toys and furniture 10%, clothing 12% |
| VAT | 20% | on customs value plus duty |
| Customs declaration | from $100 | customs accreditation from $50 |
| Turnkey import under our contract | 2–4% of the goods' value | if you don't have your own import company |
| Insurance | from 1% | of the declared value of the goods |
| Repacking, defect inspection | from $2/package, from $0.2/unit | if needed |
| Delivery from the factory to our warehouse in China | $20–100 | if the supplier sells on EXW terms |
| Delivery within Ukraine | quoted separately | Nova Poshta or direct to your warehouse |
Duty and VAT aren't carrier services — they're taxes, so no shipping rate includes them. Both are calculated on the customs value: goods + shipping + insurance. If you're registered for VAT, the VAT paid at customs becomes an input tax credit. Our licensed customs broker handles the clearance — details on the customs clearance page. And how fully documented, above-board import works, with a complete set of accounting documents, is explained in our article on turnkey shipping from China.
Worked examples: 150 kg, 1 ton and 3 tons
Three hypothetical examples (not real client cases), calculated with base rates and the same formula our calculator uses: customs value = goods + shipping + insurance; duty = customs value × duty rate; VAT = (customs value + duty) × 20%. For simplicity, we include the full freight cost in the customs value, so the estimate comes with a small safety margin.
Example calculation 1: 150 kg of electronics by air from three suppliers. Three orders of 40, 50 and 60 kg each fall short of the minimum on their own, so the goods are combined at our Shenzhen warehouse into one 150 kg batch. Smartphone accessories are dense cargo, so the rate is $5.9/kg.
- Shipping: 150 × 5.9 = $885.
- Goods: $4,000; insurance at 1%: $40.
- Customs value: 4,000 + 885 + 40 = $4,925.
- Duty on electronics: 0%; VAT: 4,925 × 20% = $985.
- Declaration: from $100.
- Total on top of the goods: 885 + 40 + 985 + 100 = $2,010; transit time 7–12 days.
Shipped separately, each of the three orders would need its own documents and clearance; consolidation leaves one declaration for all of them.
Example calculation 2: 1 ton of tools by rail. Hand and power tools, dense cargo, rate $3.1/kg.
- Shipping: 1,000 × 3.1 = $3,100.
- Goods: $10,000; insurance at 1%: $100.
- Customs value: 10,000 + 3,100 + 100 = $13,200.
- Duty on tools at 10%: $1,320.
- VAT: (13,200 + 1,320) × 20% = $2,904.
- Declaration: from $100.
- Total on top of the goods: 3,100 + 100 + 1,320 + 2,904 + 100 = $7,524; transit time 20–30 days.
Shipping the same ton by road would cost $3,400 — $300 more — but take 15–22 days instead of 20–30.
Example calculation 3: 3 tons of home appliances by sea — LCL or FCL. Kettles, blenders and other small appliances at a medium density of about 200 kg/m³, which makes 15 m³. As consolidated cargo at $2.0/kg: 3,000 × 2.0 = $6,000. A full 20-foot container costs from $4,800 all-inclusive to Kyiv, and 15 m³ fits comfortably into its roughly 28 m³ of usable space. We go with FCL and save $1,200.
- Shipping: $4,800.
- Goods: $20,000; insurance at 1%: $200.
- Customs value: 20,000 + 4,800 + 200 = $25,000.
- Duty on home appliances at 5%: $1,250.
- VAT: (25,000 + 1,250) × 20% = $5,250.
- Declaration: from $100.
- Total on top of the goods: 4,800 + 200 + 1,250 + 5,250 + 100 = $11,600; transit time 35–50 days.
Run the same numbers for your own goods in the customs calculator: pick a category, enter the value of the goods and the shipping cost, and you'll see the duty, VAT and full landed cost of the batch.
AgilFreight tip: calculate the landed cost per unit in Ukraine, not just the shipping price. In the tools example, logistics and taxes add $7,524 to a $10,000 purchase — without that figure, you can't set the right selling price.
How to order wholesale shipping from China
- Request. Send us a description of the goods, approximate weight and volume, the number of suppliers and the delivery city.
- Quote in 30 minutes. A manager compares shipping modes and locks in the rate and transit time.
- Goods at our warehouse. You get the warehouse address with your client code, your suppliers ship the goods, and we log every arrival and send you a photo report.
- Dispatch. Once the batch is complete (from 100 kg), we consolidate, repack if needed and ship by the mode you chose. Shipping is paid by actual weight or volume after weighing at the warehouse — before dispatch.
- Customs. We clear the goods under your contract or import them under ours — with a full set of documents.
- Delivery. We deliver to your warehouse or a Nova Poshta branch, with accounting documents included.
Ready to price your batch? Send us a request — a manager will get back to you within 30 minutes during business hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum shipment from China?
100 kg. If you have less, have several suppliers ship to our warehouse in China: receiving and consolidation are free, storage is free for 30 days, and the batch ships as soon as it reaches 100 kg. One-off parcels of a few kilograms are easier to send via a postal or express service.
How much does shipping 100 kg, 500 kg or 1 ton from China cost?
At base rates, 100 kg costs $590–680 by air, $310–360 by rail and $340–390 by road. 500 kg: $2,950–3,400 by air, $1,550–1,800 by rail, $1,700–1,950 by road, $800–1,000 by sea. 1 ton: $5,900–6,800 by air, $3,100–3,600 by rail, $3,400–3,900 by road, $1,600–2,000 by sea. The lower figure is for dense cargo, the higher one for medium density; duty, VAT and brokerage are extra.
Does shipping get cheaper for larger batches?
The main saving isn't in the per-kg rate but in the total cost. Fixed costs are spread over more weight: a declaration from $100 adds $1 per kilogram to a 100 kg batch and only $0.1 to a ton. And from 2.4–3 t of heavy cargo, or around 20 m³ of light cargo, your own container becomes the better deal.
Are duty and VAT included in the shipping price?
No. Duty (0–12% depending on the HS code) and 20% VAT are taxes paid at customs clearance on the customs value of goods + shipping + insurance. Our broker files the declaration (from $100), and if you don't have your own import company, we can import the batch under our contract for 2–4% of its value.
How long does a wholesale shipment from China take?
Air takes 7–12 days, road 15–22 days, rail 20–30 days and sea 35–50 days door to door, including consolidation at the warehouse in China and customs clearance in Ukraine. In peak season (October–December), allow another 3–5 days.
Can I combine goods from several suppliers into one batch?
Yes, that's the standard setup. You get the address of our warehouse in Guangzhou, Yiwu or Shenzhen with your client code, all your suppliers ship there, and we log every arrival, check the number of cartons and the condition of the packaging, and send everything as one shipment.