The time and cost of shipping cargo from China to the United States by ocean depend on the port of origin and destination, as well as the ocean shipping route. So, when people want to use the ocean for transportation, they should pay attention to more than just the price. They should also pay attention to the route and the time limit. Today, let’s understand how to reasonably choose the port of origin and destination according to different needs.
Major ports in China
The map shows that most of China’s main ports are located on the coast, forming the Bohai Rim, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Southeast Coast port clusters. The ports on the map above, marked in red, are divided into three regions: North China, East China, and South China. The ports in these regions are: Dalian Port, Tianjin Port, Qingdao Port, Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port, Xiamen Port, Yantian Port, Hong Kong Port, and Nansha Port. To explain how to choose the right port of departure, you need to know about the different provinces and cities in the different industrial zones.
1. South China
One way to ship from Chenghai, Shantou, the “Capital of Toys and Gifts,” to the United States by sea is by barge from Shantou Port to Yantian Port, which has a global shipping route. The other option is to drive a trailer directly to the Yantian port. Some people will want to know why Yantian port instead of Nansha port. That’s because Shantou is closer to Shenzhen’s Yantian than to Guangzhou’s Nansha. There are more ships that go from Yantian port to the US than from Nansha port to the US.
Foshan’s industrial belt—known for its furniture and small home appliances—along with the neighbouring cities of Jiangmen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Yangjiang, Maoming, and Zhanjiang, is well-positioned to leverage the logistical advantages of Nansha and Yantian ports. Given the nature of the products and shipping requirements, cargo is often transported to these ports via barge or truck for efficient export handling.
2. East China
East China’s primary gateways are Shanghai Port and Ningbo Port. For instance, Jiangsu Province is split into South Jiangsu and North Jiangsu, with most shipments routed through Shanghai. However, based on location and distance, cargo from North Jiangsu may also be shipped via Qingdao Port, though Shanghai remains the preferred choice. This is especially true for time-sensitive goods, such as e-commerce shipments, which benefit from fast vessels departing Shanghai with direct service to the U.S. West Coast.
3. North China
North China’s industrial belt—focused largely on bicycles and medical gloves—is concentrated in Hebei, with most exports shipped directly through Tianjin Port. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region operates in close logistical synergy, making Tianjin the natural gateway.
Qingdao Port also handles significant volumes from North China, as well as parts of East, Central, and West China, with cargo transported there by road or rail for onward shipment.
Major ports in the U.S.
The United States’ shipping routes are generally divided into three regions: the West Coast, the East Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico. The primary U.S. ports are highlighted in red in the chart below.
West Coast Ports: Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, Port of Oakland, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma.
East Coast Ports: Port of New York/New Jersey, Port of Savannah, Port of Norfolk, Port of Charleston, Port of Miami.
Gulf Coast Port: Port of Houston.
Many of China’s major ports offer frequent direct sailings to the U.S. West Coast, with some services making transhipment stops in Busan, South Korea.
The fastest and most direct route from China to the western port of the United States. Ships simply sail in a straight line as shown above.
Freight rates to the U.S. West Coast are usually about half the cost of shipping to the U.S. East Coast or Gulf Coast. East Coast and Gulf Coast rates are usually the same. For example, if the cost of shipping from a major port in China to the U.S. West Coast is $ 2,000, the cost of shipping to the U.S. East Coast or Gulf Coast is approximately $ 4,000.
When selecting a U.S. destination port, the port closest to the final delivery point is usually chosen. However, the choice for inland deliveries may vary. For example, a shipment to Chicago usually crosses the Pacific Ocean to a West Coast port and is then shipped east by rail. Alternatively, shipments may travel through the Panama Canal to an East Coast port such as New York/New Jersey, Savannah, or Norfolk, and then be shipped inland by rail or truck.
Keep in mind that there is often a $1,000 price difference in which coast a shipment enters before being shipped to an inland destination.
