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🥇Shipping from China to Philippines | Air & Sea Freight [2022]

What is the best way to ship goods from China to Philippines ?

Without a doubt, you’re close to do an import/export between China and the Philippines if you’re thinking about this. We know that great English information about this topic is difficult to find on the internet, so we decided to build this page for you to be informed about the importation process between the two countries. As we’ve acquire 10 years of experience on the Asian market, and we’ve worked numerous hours to study this topic, we compiled all what should be known to master this subject. Regardless of whether you’re a well-rounded importer/exporter, or a rookie in international trades, this document will support you to upgrade or launch your shipping process.

SUMMARY

OUR CUSTOMS BROKER INFORM YOU

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE IN PHILIPPINES

Is it possible to pay 0 duties and taxes?

Info SINO : It’s the million-dollar question, that every international trade worker tries to solve.

China is the country where most of the imported products in the Philippines are coming from in terms of value. 19% of the goods imported into the Philippines are coming from China. In the other way, 22% of the exportations of the Philippines are going to China and Hong Kong. Because the Philippines are being a part of the ASEAN Community, they accepted the cooperation agreements that are smoothing the custom duties and taxes between the two territories. The ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), is the formal treaty acting what tariff barriers and procedures are applicable between China and SE Asia. It diminished to zero, 90% of the taxes over items from China that are imported to the Philippines. Consequently, there is a great probability for you to pay no duties when importing products from China to the Philippines.

You can find below some useful pages to find out what tariff barriers are applicable on your products.

Remark SINO : You don’t have to provide an import license for every product. It will depend on the products you want to import within Philippines. You can have a look at the customs official website to know whether you should apply for a permit or not.  Here you will find the official website: Customs Philippines.

Remark SINO : On the official website of the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area, there is a great tool permitting you to calculate what tariff barriers are existing on your goods. Let’s say that you want to import steel from China to the Philippines. In the Key Words bar, type “steel”. In the Country of Origin bar select “China”, and in the Country of Destination bar select “Philippines”. Then search and you will find the rates that are currently applying for steel. ASEAN – CHINA Free trade aera business portal.

tariff-finder-ASEAN

SINO Tips : The transaction value method is first considered in establishing the customs value, which is the Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value under International Commercial Terms (incoterms).

The diagram below is explaining the meaning of a HS code :

hs-code-example

You already know the HS Code of your products? You can find the tariff barrier that applies on the official website.

To find further information about duties and taxes in Philippines according to your HS code, please check the official website:Integrated Tariff Database (Philippines Customs).

Here you can find a screenshot about this Integrated Tariff Database (Philippines Customs). You still have a doubt ? feel free to contact our SINO Experts !

tariff-customs-philippines

How can I be exempted of taxes when I am importing to Philippines?

It is interesting to find out because it will help you to reduce the global price of your shipment. Sure, it’s feasible. To achieve it, ask your supplier to provide you the completed Form E document. Please ask him to be meticulous, as you will pay duties as a result, if the Form E is incorrectly written.

a) The Certificate of Origin (CO)

The importance of the CO is unneglectable, because it testifies that your goods were made in a precise place and country. The CO must be yield by a government or a notary public. Often, the CO is split into several regional preferential certificates of origin, non-preferential certificates of origin and the GSP certificate of origin (Form A).

Info SINO : Here is how should be the FORM E here: Form E

b) ASEAN-China Free Trade Certificate of Origin

The China – ASEAN Free Trade Certificate of Origin (FORM E) is valid for all the countries of the ASEAN community, and thus for the Philippines. It complies with the relevant provisions of the product, if issued by the China – ASEAN free Trade Area of ​​preferential origin confirmation letter (FORM E), exports of goods to the 10 countries of the importing country can enjoy preferential tariff treatment, the average tax rate of up to 5%.

The “Trade in Goods Agreement” describes the sample format of the CO that needs to be presented. In Protocol II “Trade in goods agreement”, you must describe what is on the last page.

*You’re now informed about the documents you should provide in the aim of paying less taxes. Now we will detail the different freight methods to transfer goods between the two countries.

Customs contact in China

china-customs-emblem

Official name: General Administration of Customs of China

Official Website: Chinese Customs Website

Customs contact in Philippines

philippine-bureau-of-customs-

Official name: Bureau of Customs

Official Website: Philippines Customs Website

The Customs Procedures in PHILIPPINES

Therefore, the total value is the sum of:

  • The customs value of the goods
  • Customs duty payable
  • The amount paid or payable to transport the goods to their place of consignment in Australia
  • The insurance cost for that transport
  • Any other tax payable

Usually, the importer pay GST before the goods are released by Home Affairs. In the case that you are not registered under the deferred GST scheme then the GST has to be paid at the same time at the same place, and in the same manner as you would do for customs duty.

OUR CUSTOMS BROKER INFORM YOU

PROHIBITED & RESTRICTED ITEMS

Remark SINO : If you have one of the following item, you should check directly with our SINO Experts. Some of those items are restricted or even totally prohibited, it is important to anticipate such shipment to avoid any problem.

Drug Contraband

drug-contraband

Explosives

explosives

Biohazard

biohazard

Chemicals

chemicals

Corrosive

corrosive

Counterfeit

counterfeit

Ivory

ivory

Batteries

loose-lithium-batteries

Flammable

flammable-combustible

Firearms

firearms

Drugs

Prescription-Drugs

Counterfeit Notes

means-of-payment

Poison

poison

Pornography

pornography

Knife

tactical-knives

Tobacco

tobacco

Gambling

gambling

Hazardous

hazardous-material

SINO Shipping - Dedicated freight forwarder in PHILIPPINES

Due to our attractive pricing & dedication, many customers trust our services and we thanks them. Stop to overpay the services and save money with our tailored package matching will all type of shipment, from small volume to full container, let us find the best and cost-effective option.

1. SEA FREIGHT FROM/TO Philippines

ship

Ocean freight will be the best deal for you if :

  • Your suppliers are located near a major Chinese port
  • Your goods are bigger than 2 CBM
  • You’re not in a hurry to receive them

SINO Advice : Contact us now! Your personal SINO advisor will find out customized solution for your import process from China to Philippines.

Remark SINO : If you need to import some goods from China to Philippines for your business activity, SINO Shipping is proud to provide a full range of tailored services, suited to all kind of budgets.

As you probably know, the Philippines is a vertically oriented archipelago containing more than 7500 islands. They are facing Southern China and Taïwan. There are 3 distinguishable regions which are the Luçon region in the north, the Visayas region in the center and the Mindanao region in the south. Because of its population exceeding a 100 million of inhabitants, the density of population is huge in the Philippines. There are many big cities in all parts of the country. The biggest cities are Quezon City, Manila, Davao, Caloocan and Cebu City. For all of this reasons, the country possess numerous seaports through the archipelago. Far above the other ports, the biggest is the port of Manilla. Then the other major ports are the port of Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Batangas and Cagayan de Oro. All the other ports are smaller than the previous quoted.

Here is a table of the actual transit time between the major ports in China and the Philippines :

Manila Davao Cebu Batangas
Hong Kong / Shenzhen 9 days 11 days 10 days 9 days
Dalian 7 days 9 days 8 days 7 days
Tianjin 12 days 14 days 13 days 12 days
Qingdao 11 days 13 days 12 days 11 days
Ningbo 10 days 12 days 11 days 10 days
Shanghai 10 days 12 days 11 days 10 days
Xiamen 9 days 11 days 10 days 9 days

*As far as transit times from China to Philippines are concerned, it should range around 7-13 days, depending on the city of departure in China.

SINO Plus : We are truly committed to create long-term partnerships with our professional customers. If you need to set up regular traffic between China and Philippines, SINO Shipping is the best choice you could make!

2. AIR FREIGHT FROM/TO Philippines

airplane

Ocean freight will be the best deal for you if :

  • Your suppliers are located near a major Chinese port
  • Your goods are bigger than 2 CBM
  • You’re not in a hurry to receive them

The Philippines have many International Airports that are connecting the islands between them and to the rest of the world.

Here is a list of the International Airports and the cities that are corresponding :

*Many Asian and International Airlines have chapel and daily flights landing in these airports.

Air freight transit times

Manila Davao Cebu Batangas Batangas Batangas Batangas
Hong Kong / Shenzhen 2/3 days door to door
Dalian
Tianjin
Qingdao
Ningbo
Shanghai
Xiamen

Air freight rates

The weight is not the only factor affecting the quotation. Naturally, the price will also depend on the service you require. A door-to-door service will obviously be more expensive than a door-to-airport.

how-to-calculate-gross-weight-
airfreight-volumetric-weight-formula

*If the volumetric weight is higher than the actual weight of your box, the carrier will quote based on this weight. You can use online chargeable weight calculators to make it easier, now that you understand how it works.

WHY CHOOSE US ?

OUR ADVANTAGES

SINO Shipping, we understand perfectly the needs of our customers and establish a win-win collaboration with them.

“respect is earned. honesty is appreciated. trust is gained. loyalty is returned.”

reliable-and-secure-sino-shipping

Reactivity

Make a request and you will be contacted within 24 hours maximum

Competitiveness

We guarantee very competitive price, ask us and compare !

Dedicated customs service

Do not hesitate to contact us for customs or administratives information

Multilingual team

We speak English, French and Chinese to avoid any communication issues

Tailored service

Small or big shipment, we can manage every request

Reliability

We ensure and secure all our shipments, safety is our priority !

Recurrent questions regarding the shipping from China to PHILIPPINES

LCL: 80 USD /cbm FCL: 400 USD /20’: 500 /40’ Express shipping door to door (10kg): 320 USD

Average transit time by sea: 12 days Average transit time by airfreight: 2 days (daily direct flight) Express shipping door to door (10kg): 1 days

There are only 2 options, by sea or by air, it depends on how big the volume and the weight are, and then you will decide which shipping methods is more adequate. You must calculate the ration time/cost.
The China – ASEAN Free Trade Certificate of Origin (FORM E) is valid for all the countries of the ASEAN community, and thus for the Philippines. It complies with the relevant provisions of the product, if issued by the China – ASEAN free Trade Area of preferential origin confirmation letter (FORM E), exports of goods to the 10 countries of the importing country can enjoy preferential tariff treatment, the average tax rate of up to 5%.
No, they don’t immediately open your package without any reason. … They will only instantly check what’s inside of your package if: Your package has been damaged when it reached the Customs office or desk. The damages can include broken seals or plastic or any cover of your package.
When you make a shipping request, you’ll have to declare the value of your shipment. The value you enter on your request form is the value that will be declared at customs, so it is important that you declare accurately. If you declare too high a value, you may be assessed more taxes than you want to pay! If you declare too low a value, your declared value may be considered unreasonable and adjusted upward.
-Negotiate with multiple carriers -Get suppliers to use your shipping account number -Use packaging provided by your carrier -Consider a regional carrier -Use online shipping -Invest in prepaid shipping -Buy insurance from a third party -Factor in all shipping fees before billing customers -Consider hybrid services -Ask about association discounts

Interested in our logistics services? Need further assistance & dedicated information?

Our SINO experts answer within 48h !