How Much Does It Cost to Ship from China to Egypt? What Sets the Price

How Much Does It Cost to Ship from China to Egypt?

None of the indexes this site cites prices China to Egypt directly, as of September 23, 2026. The closest dated reference is Drewry's Mediterranean route. Drewry WCI assessed Shanghai–Genoa at US$4,216 per 40ft container on September 10, 2026, and our ocean freight rates guide shows the same figure. Genoa is in Italy, so read it as a regional benchmark, not a Port Said price. Freightos air data covers the Far East to Europe and to the USA, not Egypt. Our Egypt shipping page covers the ports and the customs basics.

A quote for this lane has several parts. There is the freight rate, charges in China, charges at the Egyptian port, customs services and the taxes due at release. Each line should state its amount, currency and billing unit. The table shows who sets each one.

Suaid Global coordinates the shipment through partner carriers and licensed customs brokers selected for the request. Price and timing are confirmed in the written quote.

Ocean Freight: Price per Container

Port Said and Alexandria are the two Egyptian ports this site lists. Name the port in the request. A price to one is not a price to the other, and each has its own terminal fees.

Ask for a 20ft, a 40ft and a 40ft High Cube price. Each one is quoted on its own. Do not scale a 40ft price to guess a 20ft rate. Check pallet layout, door size and payload before you choose.

Ask how the service reaches Egypt from China. Ships can pass through the Red Sea and Suez or take a longer route. That changes the schedule and can change the cost. Our Red Sea route guide lists what to check before booking.

A container quote should say if it runs from terminal to terminal or includes pickup and delivery. Ask how many free days apply at the Egyptian terminal. Storage and demurrage start when free time ends. Our ocean freight rates guide explains each charge.

LCL: Price per CBM and the W/M Rule

LCL means your cargo shares a container with other shipments. Most LCL rates use weight or measure, written W/M. One cubic metre counts the same as 1,000 kg. The rate applies to the larger of the two.

Take 1.5 CBM of cartons that weigh 400 kg. The weight is 0.4 tonnes, so volume wins. You pay for 1.5 units at the quoted rate. At 2,000 kg, weight would win and you would pay for 2 units. A minimum charge often applies to small lots like this.

None of the indexes this site cites gives an LCL rate from China to Egypt. Ask for the rate per W/M unit, the minimum and the warehouse fees at both ends. Our LCL shipping rates guide explains each line.

Air Freight: Price per Chargeable Kg

Air cargo is billed on chargeable weight. IATA describes a common method: multiply length, width and height in centimetres, then divide by 6,000. Compare the result with the gross weight and bill the higher figure. Some services use another divisor; DHL Express, for example, publishes 5,000.

Take 5 cartons of 80 × 60 × 50 cm with a gross weight of 150 kg. Each carton is 240,000 cm³, so the total is 1,200,000 cm³. Divided by 6,000, that gives 200 kg. Volume wins, so the chargeable weight is 200 kg.

None of the air indexes this site cites publishes a China to Egypt rate. Ask for the rate per kg, the minimum charge, and the fuel and security lines. The air freight cost per kg guide shows how to compare offers. CargoX, the platform exporters use for Egypt filings, reported that ACI became mandatory for air cargo on January 1, 2026.

Costs at Destination

These costs arise in Egypt, after the ship or plane arrives. VAT has a legal rate. Duty depends on your HS code. The other lines are service fees set by terminals, brokers and truck operators, so they come from the quote.

Under Article 31, VAT on imports is paid when customs releases the goods, with limited exceptions. Some goods in the law's table also carry a separate table tax. The law has been amended several times, so confirm the text in force with a licensed customs broker in Egypt.

Duties and Tariffs

Egypt sets customs duty by HS code. Look up your code in the Nafeza tariff inquiry. This page gives no product rate. The code decides the duty, so get it right before you ship.

VAT comes on top of the duty. The VAT base on imports includes the customs value, the duty and other taxes. So a higher duty also raises the VAT you pay.

Ask the broker if your goods need an inspection, a permit or an approval before release. Some products do, and the rules sit outside the freight quote. A licensed customs broker in Egypt can confirm the code, the duty and the VAT for your goods.

Transit Time: What the Schedule Covers

This page does not publish a transit time for China to Egypt. Sailing time comes from the carrier's current schedule for a named service. It changes with the routing, such as a passage through the Red Sea and Suez or a longer route. Check the latest carrier notice before you book.

Ask for the port-to-port days, the transfer ports and the cutoff. Then add the stages that a sailing time leaves out.

What Changes the Price

• Season and carrier notices — Carriers announce rate increases and surcharges by notice. Check the amounts and dates in each quote.
• Routing through the Red Sea — A longer route ties up ships for longer. That can raise costs, but there is no fixed amount per lane. The Red Sea route guide explains the checks.
• Transfer ports — Some services reach Egypt through another port. Each extra handling adds time and may add cost.
• Density and W/M — Light, bulky cargo is billed by volume. Heavy, compact cargo is billed by weight.
• Batteries and dangerous goods — They need extra checks. Some services add a charge, and some do not accept them.
• Incoterm — The term agreed with your supplier decides who pays each stage. Compare quotes with the same scope.
• Currency — Freight is often quoted in USD, while local fees and taxes may be billed in Egyptian pounds. Note the exchange rate and date you use.
• Free time and storage — Storage and demurrage start when free time ends. Missing documents or a late ACID can hold the cargo longer.

Worked Budget Example

This is an illustration, not a quote. None of the indexes this site cites gives a rate for this lane, so the freight rate stays a variable that your quote fills in.

1. Measure the cargo: You have 1.5 CBM of cartons that weigh 400 kg. Under W/M, that is 1.5 chargeable units.
2. Apply the quoted rate: Freight equals 1.5 times the quoted rate per W/M unit. If the minimum charge is higher, the minimum applies.
3. Add the other lines: Add charges in China, warehouse and terminal fees in Egypt, the broker fee and delivery. Take each amount from the written quote.
4. Work out the duty: Duty equals the customs value times the tariff rate for your HS code.
5. Work out the VAT: Add the customs value, the duty and other taxes. Multiply by 14%. For every EGP 100,000 of tax base, VAT is EGP 14,000.
6. Check a full container: For a larger load, ask for 20ft and 40ft prices to the same port. Compare the full totals, not the freight alone.

What to Send for a Quote

• Pickup city in China and delivery city in Egypt, or the ports, such as Shanghai and Port Said.
• Number of packages, packed size and gross weight. The CBM calculator works out the volume.
• What the goods are, with the HS code if you have it.
• Cargo-ready date and the Incoterm agreed with your supplier.
• Door to door or port to port, and whether you need customs clearance in Egypt.
• Whether the importer already has the ACID, and whether the exporter is registered on CargoX.
• Any batteries, dangerous goods or temperature needs.
• For a first estimate by mode, try the freight calculator.

Documents That Affect Clearance

Missing papers delay release, and storage keeps running. The U.S. International Trade Administration lists the main documents for Egypt. Check each one with your broker before the goods leave China.

• Commercial invoice, with two copies plus the original.
• Certificate of origin, with two copies plus the original.
• Packing list, recommended in most cases.
• Bill of lading or air waybill.
• ACID, obtained by the importer on Nafeza before shipment.
• Electronic shipment documents from the exporter, sent through CargoX to Nafeza.

Questions About Shipping Costs from China to Egypt

Sources and References

• Egyptian Tax Authority — VAT Law No. 67 of 2016, English translation — Articles 3, 5, 10 and 31: rates, VAT on imports at customs release, tax base and payment. Translation updated January 15, 2023; later amendments exist. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Nafeza — Advance Cargo Information system — The importer obtains the ACID before shipment; exporters file through CargoX. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Nafeza — tariff inquiry — Customs tariff search by item number or name. Checked September 23, 2026.
• U.S. International Trade Administration — Egypt import requirements and documentation — Document list for imports into Egypt. Last published November 21, 2025; checked September 23, 2026.
• CargoX — ACI for air shipments to Egypt — Platform announcement of September 9, 2025: ACI mandatory for air shipments from January 1, 2026. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Drewry — World Container Index — Mediterranean route: Shanghai–Genoa at US$4,216 per 40ft on September 10, 2026. No Egyptian port is assessed. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Freightos — update of September 8, 2026 — Air rates reported from the Far East to the USA and Europe only. Checked September 23, 2026.
• FreightAmigo — LCL guide, updated July 23, 2026 — Six LCL routes, none to Egypt. Checked September 23, 2026.
• IATA — Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules — Chargeable weight concepts; not a current tariff.
• DHL Express — Weight and Dimensions — Service-specific divisor of 5,000; not a universal air cargo rule.
• DHL — LCL cost components — Explanation of W/M and LCL charges; not a price list.