Felixstowe
The UK's largest container port, with the widest sailing choice from Asia and strong connections into East and central England.
Last reviewed
Country guide · China → UK
Shipping from China to the UK — EORI, CDS, and the VAT choice that affects your cash flow.
Ocean into Felixstowe, London Gateway, and Southampton, plus air into Heathrow and East Midlands. Post-Brexit the UK is a separate customs territory from the EU, with its own tariff, its own declaration system, and a postponed VAT option most importers should be using.
EORI · CDSdeclarations handled
28–38dport-to-port range
3core UK gateways
24hquote turnaround
Gateways
Pick the port against the delivery postcode.
Felixstowe usually has the shortest ocean leg, but the right gateway depends on where the warehouse is and what the receiving bay can handle.
London Gateway
Deep-water and close to the M25, which suits London, the Midlands, and retail distribution centres.
Southampton
The natural choice for southern and western distribution, and often a quieter alternative when Felixstowe is congested.
Mode planner
Compare every way into Great Britain.
Rail deserves a look on this lane. It reaches continental Europe in roughly half the ocean time, and a short truck or ferry leg completes the journey to the UK.
| Mode | Planning range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 3–7 days | Launch stock and urgent replenishment |
| Express courier | 3–7 days | Samples, spares, small parcels |
| Rail plus road | 22–28 days | Volume that cannot wait for the ocean leg |
| Sea FCL | 28–38 days | Planned volume above roughly 12–15 CBM |
| Sea LCL | +5–8 days | Smaller or multi-supplier volume |
UK customs & compliance
What HMRC needs, and the VAT decision worth making early.
The UK left the EU customs union, so EU paperwork does not carry over. You need a GB EORI number, declarations go through the Customs Declaration Service, and import VAT can be postponed to your VAT return instead of paid at the border — which is a cash-flow difference worth having before your first shipment, not after.
| Requirement | Who handles it | When |
|---|---|---|
| GB EORI number | Importer — mandatory | Before first import |
| CDS declaration | Broker — Prodoer coordinates | At import |
| Commodity code, UK Global Tariff | Broker — Prodoer | Before entry |
| Import VAT 20% | Importer, postponement available | At entry or on VAT return |
| Duty deferment account | Importer, optional | Before regular imports |
| UKCA / product marking | Importer, product dependent | Before sale |
| ISPM 15 timber packaging | Shipper | At packing |
How the lane runs
From supplier pickup to UK delivery.
01 — Set up
EORI and VAT position
We confirm your GB EORI, whether you are using postponed VAT accounting, and whether a deferment account makes sense for your volume.
02 — Collect
Pickup and consolidate
Supplier cargo is received, carton counts confirmed, and FCL priced against LCL on your measured volume.
03 — Sail
Track the ocean leg
Vessel milestones, ETA changes, and port handoff status in one thread.
04 — Clear
CDS entry and delivery
Declaration, duty, VAT treatment, then final-mile trucking to the receiving window.
FAQ
China to UK shipping FAQ
Transit ranges, EORI, postponed VAT, gateway choice, and how the UK now differs from the EU.
How long does shipping from China to the UK take?
By sea, 28–38 days port to port depending on the gateway, plus five to eight days if the cargo is consolidated LCL. By air, 3–7 days door to door. Rail into continental Europe with a short road leg onward sits in between at roughly 22–28 days, which is worth quoting when the ocean schedule is too slow but air is hard to justify.
Do I need an EORI number to import from China to the UK?
Yes. A GB EORI number identifies you to HMRC and you cannot clear goods without one. It is free and quick to obtain, but it must be in place before the shipment arrives — applying while a container sits at Felixstowe accruing storage is an avoidable and surprisingly common mistake.
What is postponed VAT accounting and should I use it?
Import VAT in the UK is 20 percent on most goods. Postponed VAT accounting lets a VAT-registered business account for that VAT on its normal return rather than paying it at the border and reclaiming later. For most importers it is straightforwardly better for cash flow, since the money never leaves the business. We confirm which basis you are on before quoting so the landed cost we show matches what you will actually fund.
Which UK port should I ship into?
Felixstowe has the widest sailing choice and usually the shortest ocean leg. London Gateway suits London, the Midlands, and retail distribution centres and can cut the trucking leg significantly. Southampton serves the south and west and is often quieter when Felixstowe is congested. We quote the port and final-mile combination against your delivery postcode rather than defaulting to one.
Is UK customs the same as EU customs now?
No, and treating them as one is a real source of errors. Since leaving the EU the UK has its own tariff schedule, its own declaration system in CDS, and its own product-marking regime in UKCA. Goods moving from China to the UK and from China to an EU country need separate treatment, and a shipment routed through the EU into the UK creates an additional customs movement rather than avoiding one.
China → UK lane quote
Get an all-in China to UK quote in 24 hours.
Send the cargo, UK postcode, and your EORI and VAT position. One agent replies with compared gateways, the duty and VAT treatment, and the delivery plan.
Get an all-in China to UK quote in 24 hours.
Send the cargo, UK postcode, and your EORI and VAT position. One agent replies with compared gateways, the duty and VAT treatment, and the delivery plan.