FOB China to UK Shipment Timeline

Supplier confirms price, you place the order

You've selected the supplier, negotiated price on FOB terms and issued a purchase order. Deposit paid (usually 30% on order, balance before shipping or by L/C). Production lead time varies: 30–45 days is typical for stock or lightly customised goods, longer for bespoke.

At this point, get your forwarder to give you a target sailing week and confirm free-time terms at both ends.

Goods in production, forwarder booked

Supplier is in production. You appoint a UK freight forwarder and share the shipping brief: 1 x 40' FCL, port pair, target sailing week, HS code, incoterm, destination. Forwarder issues a booking with the shipping line and gives you a booking number, VGM cut-off, SI (Shipping Instructions) cut-off, and cargo cut-off dates.

Also this week: send the supplier the invoice and packing list requirements (see our documents checklist).

Goods finished, container collected

Supplier signs off production, balance payment due. Goods packed and picked up by the Chinese trucking company nominated by your forwarder's China office. Container is trucked from factory to CY (container yard) at Shanghai.

Supplier issues commercial invoice, packing list and (if TCA-equivalent doesn't apply for China — it doesn't) no preference certificate needed. You'll typically pay Chinese standard duty rate on arrival.

Container loaded, docs finalised

Container loaded aboard the vessel. VGM (Verified Gross Mass) submitted, Shipping Instructions submitted, bill of lading drafted. Under FOB, the supplier's risk ends when the goods pass onto the vessel — from that point, insurance and risk are yours. This is why you must have marine cargo insurance in place before the vessel sails, not after.

Chinese export clearance is done by supplier. You receive draft B/L for approval — check consignee, notify party, port pair, description, weights, and number of containers carefully. Approve or request corrections before it's finalised.

ETD Shanghai

Vessel departs. You receive final B/L (often a "telex release" or seaway bill rather than paper originals — faster and cheaper), plus updated ETA Felixstowe.

Transit

Typical Shanghai to Felixstowe transit via Suez: 32–38 days port-to-port. Add a week or so if carriers are routing via the Cape of Good Hope. Vessel usually calls at other Asian ports (Ningbo, Yantian, Singapore) and Mediterranean ports (Piraeus, Algeciras) before reaching Northern Europe.

Track the vessel via the shipping line's website or a tracking platform. During transit is when you want your paperwork lined up at the UK end.

Vessel berths, container discharged

Shipping line issues Arrival Notice to consignee 3–5 days before ETA. Local charges (THC, doc fee, ISPS — see UK destination charges explained) invoiced. Pay these promptly; the line won't release the container until they're settled.

Send commercial invoice, packing list, B/L copy and clearance instructions to your clearing agent 48 hours before ETA if you haven't already.

Entry submitted to CDS

Agent submits import entry to CDS. Usually clears within an hour on Route 6. Duty and VAT calculated on customs value. Most VAT-registered importers use PVA for VAT; duty settled via deferment.

Once CDS marks the entry cleared and the shipping line releases (payment received for local charges + delivery order issued), the container is available for collection.

Container trucked to your address

Free time at Felixstowe is typically 3–4 working days from discharge. After that, demurrage starts to accrue. Book haulage as soon as ETA is confirmed; drivers and slots at the port are the bottleneck, not the paperwork.

Haulier delivers, tips at your yard (2 hours free unload time), and returns the empty to the empty depot within the agreed detention window (usually 5–7 days from discharge).