Shipping from China to Chad

As a landlocked country in central Africa, Chad’s trade with China has gradually increased in recent years under the background of China-Africa cooperation. Whether it is machinery and equipment, electronic products, textiles or daily necessities, Chinese-made products are being exported to Chad in an endless stream. Since Chad has no direct port, international transportation requires a combination of sea and land transportation. Therefore, it is very important to understand how to ship from China to Chad efficiently and safely.

Shipping from China to Chad

Since Chad is a landlocked country with no seaport, goods usually need to be shipped from China to Cameroon, and then transported from Cameroon to Chad.

Sea freight from China to Chad

Chad is a landlocked country located in central Africa, surrounded by land on all sides and without direct access to the sea. Therefore, shipping from China to Chad must go through a transit port and then arrive by land transport.

The usual practice is to first send goods from Chinese ports (such as Shanghai, Ningbo, and Shenzhen) to Douala Port in Cameroon, which is Chad’s main sea import port. After arriving at Douala Port, the goods are then transferred to N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, or other cities by road or rail.

This “sea + land” intermodal mode is currently the most commonly used and low-cost option, suitable for large-volume, bulk commodity transportation.

Sea freight service types:

• Full container load (FCL)
  Full container load (FCL) from China to Chad is ideal for businesses that need to transport bulk goods. This service allows you to book a full container, ensuring that your goods are transported by a dedicated person, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the goods.
• Less than container load (LCL)
  If your goods are smaller, less than container load shipping from China to Chad is a good choice. This service allows you to share a container with other shippers, which is an affordable option for small-value goods.

Air freight from China to Chad

For goods that need to arrive urgently, air freight is an ideal choice, and the general time is 3 to 10 days. Air freight usually takes off from Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and other places, and is transported to Douala Airport or directly to N’Djamena International Airport in Chad, and then clears customs and is distributed to other cities and regions in Chad.

Although air freight is expensive, it is fast and suitable for high-value, small-volume, and time-sensitive goods.

Airports in Chad
The main airport in Chad is N’Djamena International Airport (NDJ) located in the capital N’Djamena. Most air cargo from China arrives at N’Djamena International Airport.

Shipping costs from China to Chad

Shipping costs from China to Chad usually consist of freight, customs clearance, land transportation, taxes and other additional service fees. LCL shipping is the lowest cost option and is suitable for small quantities of goods. If it is full container shipping, the unit cost is lower and cost-effective, but a larger volume of goods is required to spread the cost.

Air freight prices are relatively high, generally charged by weight and volume, usually 3-5 times the sea freight price. Suitable for high-value, time-sensitive goods.

In addition, the land transportation costs in the destination port and Chad must also be considered. This part of the cost is greatly affected by factors such as season, oil prices, and local security conditions. Different goods have different tax rates. Some products may enjoy preferential tariff policies, while some goods have higher tariffs. You can refer to the basic freight in the table below:

Note: The air freight is required to be greater than 45kg and the sea freight is greater than 1 cubic meter. The more goods, the cheaper the cost.

If you are interested in the cost of shipping to Cameroon, you can click to read: Shipping Cost from China to Cameroon

If you are interested in the cost of shipping from China to other African countries, you can click on the corresponding post below:

Cost Of Shipping 20ft & 40ft Container From China To Chad

These are the average prices for shipping containers from China to Chad, loading and shipping containers from major ports in China to Chad at the cheapest prices, suitable for 20ft and 40ft containers (FCL), which can load most different types of cargo.

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How long does it take to ship from China to Chad?

The length of the shipping time from China to Chad depends on the mode of transportation and the smoothness of customs clearance. For Sea freight, it usually takes 25-35 days for goods shipped from major ports in China to arrive at Douala Port, plus customs clearance and land transportation from Douala Port to Chad, the whole journey is about 45-55 days. In the peak season or when the port is congested and the land conditions deteriorate, the time limit may be extended.

Air freight greatly shortens the time. It usually takes about 3-10 days from China to N’Djamena Airport in Chad, which is very suitable for time-sensitive customers. It should be noted that air freight also needs to book space in advance, especially before and after holidays, the price and time limit may fluctuate greatly.

It is recommended that companies plan ahead according to their delivery dates and leave 3-7 days as a buffer to avoid delays in delivery due to emergencies. Choosing an experienced freight forwarding company can also help coordinate transportation in a timely manner and reduce unnecessary delays.

Door to door Shipping from China to Chad

Door to door Shipping from China to Chad is a one-stop logistics solution, covering the whole process of picking up goods from the warehouse or factory of the shipper in China to the warehouse or designated place of delivery in Chad. The whole process does not require the customer to participate or operate in person, and the freight forwarder arranges and handles the formalities throughout the process.

The biggest advantage of door-to-door service is that it saves worry, effort and time. It is suitable for customers who are exporting to Chad for the first time or are not familiar with the local logistics environment in Chad. Even if the customer has no experience in customs clearance in Chad, there is no need to worry, as the whole process will be assisted by professional freight forwarders.

Door-to-door transportation services can usually be customized according to customer requirements, including whether taxes and fees are paid on behalf of the customer, whether insurance is included, etc. Although the overall cost is slightly higher than traditional port-to-port transportation, it is becoming more and more popular with customers because it saves manpower and time costs.

When choosing door-to-door service, it is recommended to select a freight forwarding company with extensive experience and a good reputation in Africa to ensure safe and fast delivery of goods.

DDP Shipping from China to Chad

For customers who want goods to be “ready to use”, DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) transportation is the best choice. DDP service provides additional tax payment service on the basis of door-to-door service, that is, the local tariffs, value-added tax and other related fees in Chad are already included in the quotation, and customers do not need to pay any import taxes.

DDP Shipping from China to Chad allows customers to avoid complicated customs clearance procedures, cumbersome tax payment procedures and risks caused by policy changes. It is especially suitable for cross-border e-commerce sellers or companies without local customs clearance capabilities.

Of course, since DDP transportation carries greater risks and more service content, the price is slightly higher than general door-to-door transportation. Therefore, when choosing, you should weigh the budget and convenience, and ask the freight forward.

Learn more: DDP Shipping from China

Shipping companies from China to Chad

Choosing an experienced freight forwarder from China to Chad is essential to ensure smooth transportation. Professional freight forwarders can not only design the best transportation routes according to customer needs, but also provide comprehensive support in customs clearance, document preparation, warehousing and distribution.

Basenton Logistics is a Chinese freight forwarding company headquartered in Shenzhen. It has warehouses in many places in China. It has focused on the African market for many years and is familiar with the customs clearance policies, transportation routes, and port operation requirements of Chad and neighboring countries. It has a cooperative network in Douala, N’Djamena and other places, and can tailor transportation solutions for customers. Whether you choose sea, air, door to door or DDP, Basenton can provide the most suitable solution.

Experienced freight forwarders can also help customers reduce transportation costs and avoid port demurrage, fines and delays caused by improper operation. Choosing Basenton means choosing efficiency, professionalism and peace of mind.