Shipping from China to Lebanon is a key part of the trade relationship for both countries. China is Lebanon’s top trading partner for imports and accounts for a significant share of the total business.
This guide will provide insights into shipping options, customs regulations, and practical steps to ensure smooth and cost-effective shipments for you.
How To Start Shipping From China To Lebanon?
The process of importing goods to Lebanon becomes difficult when you are unaware of the basic steps involved. Below are the detailed steps that you can follow for importing your cargo from China to Lebanon.
1. Product Research
Finding a potential product with less competition and great sales volume in the Lebanese trade market is the first step in this process. You need to do a thorough market analysis for this purpose. This research will be difficult for some people, and if you are one of those, you can get help from expert market researchers in finding the product.
2. Find A Reliable Chinese Supplier
Once you have completed your search for the perfect product, the next step is to find its source. For your information, there is no better market than the Chinese for sourcing quality products in bulk. But this doesn’t mean there are no scams; many scammers exist. You need to be vigilant and thoroughly vet your suppliers to avoid potential fraud.
There are a lot of B2B platforms from where you can find your product seller or manufacturer. The most famous platform is Alibaba, where you can check their rates, experience, customer reviews, and verified supplier badges. In this way, you can find a reliable supplier who offers quality at reasonable rates.
3. Define Your Shipping Terms
When you ship from China To Lebanon, you are required to decide on international shipping terms. These are also called “Incoterms” that describe the duties of each party involved in shipping. Commonly, there are two parties: one is the seller, and the other is the buyer. There are a total of eleven incoterms, some of these are specified for only sea shipping.
The most famous are:
- FOB (Free On Board): The seller will drop your cargo at the agreed port, it may be an exporting seaport or airport in China or an importing port of Lebanon.
- EXW (Ex Works): The buyer will do everything from picking up cargo from the Chinese supplier to dropping it in Lebanon.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight): The seller will be responsible for shipping to Lebanon with the safety of the products.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): This model is for buyers who like the delivery of cargo at their door. It means the seller will do everything for you.
4. Cargo Packaging & Labeling
When the products are manufactured, and the incoterms are decided, it’s time to prepare the cargo for shipping from China to Lebanon. You are required to package in standard-size boxes, and the material must be sturdy to prevent any damage during shipping hazards.
In addition, you have to label your packages with all the necessary details of the products. It should include the number of items, the origin of products, and the handling details in case of fragile cargo. Furthermore, the contact information of the seller and the buyer must be included in the labeling.
5. Prepare Necessary Documents
Now do the necessary paperwork required for transporting cargo to Lebanon. You must prepare these on time without any mistakes so that there will be no issue at the time of their submission to customs. If there is any inaccuracy in the documents, you will be not only fined for it but also have to deal with customs delays.
The documents needed include:
- Bill of Lading (airway bill in case of air freight)
- Certificate of origin (provided by the supplier)
- Commercial Invoice (receipt of your goods)
- Packing List (provide details of your cargo)
- Export certificates (required for exporting goods from China)
- Import license (needed for importing cargo to Lebanon)
- Conformity certificates (verifies the quality of items)
- Insurance certificate (if your shipment is insured)
- Delivery order (certificate of your ownership required at the importing port of Lebanon)
- Sale contract between seller and buyer
- A form for declarations using the Single Administrative Document (SAD) (for Lebanon only).
- Quietus (A confirmation that all dues have been settled provided by the Social Security Office, only required for Lebanese customs)
6. Clearing Chinese Customs
Once all the documents are prepared, submit them to the customs office at the exporting port of China. They will also inspect your cargo items and cross-check them with your provided documents. Moreover, they will also check for prohibited items. If your products fall into this category, you could face serious penalties or legal consequences.
7. Shipping & Tracking
You can start shipping once your goods are released from the customs department. It is recommended to choose the safe and short trade route in case of sea freight. You can consult with freight forwarders because they are experts and know these types of things.
However, it is also important to check the weather conditions of your selected route in advance to prevent disruptions in transportation.
On the other hand, you can check the updated location of your shipment during its journey towards Lebanon. To do this, visit the tracking page on your freight forwarder’s website and enter the tracking ID in the designated box. This will display the location of the vessel carrying your cargo on the map.
8. Import Declaration By The Customs of Lebanon
Once your cargo reaches the port of Lebanon, it will undergo a customs inspection. Additionally, you need to submit the above-mentioned documents here. After that, the customs duties applied to 83 percent of imported goods is 5% of CIF (Cost, Insurance, & Freight) value. You are required to pay this amount to pass through the customs department.
The goods with different duties than this percentage include:
| Category of Products | Custom Duties |
| Computers & Laptops | 0% |
| Health & Beauty | 15% |
| Jewelry | 0% |
| Home & Garden | 30% |
| Dry Food & Supplements | 20% |
| Books & Collectibles | 0% |
| Luggage | 20% |
| Gaming | 0% |
| Documents | 0% |
Except from the applied custom duty, you are also required to pay for 11% Value Added Tax (VAT) on all types of goods you want to import to Lebanon.
9. Final Delivery
After clearing the applied taxes to the customs authority, they will release your cargo. Now, you have to collect your goods from there for local transportation. Your local carrier will transport it to your store, warehouse, or home. If you are running an FBA business, your goods will be delivered directly to the Amazon warehouse.
If the whole process seems difficult to you, we at Bansarship will be happy to handle everything on your behalf. From step one to the last, all the responsibilities will be upon us. You don’t need to be concerned about anything.
Cost To Import From China To Lebanon
The cost to ship products to Lebanon is dependent on the mode of shipping. Because the more quickly you get your cargo, the more money you have to pay. Furthermore, the greater the amount of goods, the greater the cost it takes to import them. The shipping prices are also influenced by the nature of your cargo.
Given below is an average range of shipping rates to Lebanon to give you a general idea. The figures may change as the location of departure and arrival ports changes, as well as rising fuel costs.
| Modes of Shipping | Price Range |
| Less than Container Load (Sea Freight) | $30 to $70 per CBM |
| Full Container Load (Sea Freight) | $1500 to $2000 for a 20-foot container |
| $2000 to $4500 for 40-foot container | |
| Air Shipping | $3 to $8 per kg |
| Express Delivery | $8 to $12 per kg |
In addition to the above freight prices, the port handling fees and the charges of a freight forwarder are also included. Customs fees and taxes should also be taken into account in your budget.
4 Modes of Shipping From China To Lebanon
The means of transportation for importing cargo from China to Lebanon are called modes or methods of shipping. Before selecting it, you must know the specifications and limitations of each one to make a better choice.
Express Freight
The quickest way to get your package from China to Lebanon is through express freight. It is also called expedited delivery. Most people confuse it with door-to-door shipping, but it is actually port-to-port shipping. You are required to deliver your cargo to the nearest cargo airport in China and take it from the airport in Lebanon.
This method takes one to four days to ship. However, it put some restrictions on the nature and weight of cargo. You can ship up to 500 kg of goods per shipment, but exceeding this limit will incur additional charges from your cargo airline.
Additionally, due to its efficiency and speed, it is a little bit more expensive than other methods of shipping from China to Lebanon.
Air Freight
It is a slower means of importing goods from China than express freight. Therefore, air freight is less expensive than expedited delivery. There is no doubt that in both methods, shipping is done by air, but the express option is mostly used in emergency cases. This is because air freight takes more time, usually 4 to 12 days to reach Lebanon from China.
The type of goods imported through this method are mostly pharmaceuticals, laptops, cell phones, watches, clothing, fresh vegetables and fruits, artwork, jewelry, and frozen meat. These items are included in the category of fragile, temperature-controlled, and time-sensitive goods.
Ocean Freight
Sea or ocean shipping is the slowest method to ship cargo to Lebanon. But this drawback comes with the great advantage of economical cost and no restrictions on the cargo dimensions. The reason is there are different types of containers for different types of consignments. They include ro-ro containers, out-of-gauge (OOG), refrigerated, dry storage containers, and open-top containers.
These containers, except from OOG, come in two common sizes, i.e., 20 and 40 feet. Additionally, you can either rent an entire container (FCL) or reserve a specific portion of its space (LCL) for your cargo journey to Lebanon. This depends on the mass and dimensions of your goods.
FCL (Full Container Load) is more costly and secure than LCL (Less than Container Load).In the second option, the space is measured in Cubic Meters (CBM); therefore, you are charged based on the cost per CBM.
Door-to-Door Shipping
As the name expresses, your job is nothing except making an agreement and releasing funds for processing upfront payments. Because this advance payment helps the seller to arrange for customs, paperwork, local deliveries, and shipping charges from China to Lebanon. It can be done via ocean or air freight and is usually a more expensive option than standard shipping methods.
Major Trade Ports For Importing From China To Lebanon
The following are the primary ports used for the transportation of cargo between both nations.
Seaports of China
- The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is a combination of two ports, Zhoushan and Ningbo. It is a deep water port and major logistics hub for over 190 nations, including Lebanon.
- The Port of Qingdao lies on the Yellow Sea and is ranked among the top 10 busiest ports in the world. It has a separate terminal for handling iron ores.
- The Port of Hong Kong is a major container port on the southern side of China. It has 9 container terminals.
Other ports include:
- Port of Shenzhen
- Port of Guangzhou
- Xiamen Port
- Zhuhai Port
- Dalian Port
- Fuzhou Port
- Lianyungang Port
Seaports of Lebanon
- The Port of Beirut deals with more than 1.2 million TEU container traffic every year. It consists of 16 berths and is ranked among the largest ports in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Tripoli Port is the 2nd major seaport of Lebanon. It is equipped with updated cargo-handling machinery with a large area for warehousing.
Moreover, the other primary ports of Lebanon for receiving shipments from China include:
- Port of Chekka
- Selaata Port
- Port of Batroun
- Port of Tyre
- Port of Zahrani
- Port of Byblos
- Port of Sidon
- Port of Jounieh
Main Cargo Airports of China
- Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport
- Hong Kong International Airport
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
- Beijing Capital International Airport
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
- Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- Kunming Changshui International Airport
Main Cargo Airport of Lebanon
- Rafic Hariri International Airport
Transit Time From China To Lebanon
There are numerous factors that affect the duration of shipping cargo between both countries. The main thing is the type of shipping you choose for delivering your cargo to your desired location. Moreover, sometimes port congestion, national holidays, and clearing customs cause delays in importing from China to Lebanon.
You can get an idea of how much time each method takes to ship your products to the airport or seaport of Lebanon.
| Modes of Shipping | Shipping Duration |
| Sea Freight | 20 to 40 days |
| Air Shipping | 4 to 8 days |
| Express Delivery | 1 to 3 days |
The table below outlines the ocean transit time from different ports in China to Beirut, the main port in Lebanon.
| Loading Ports of China | Shipping Duration to Beirut |
| Port of Ningbo | 23 to 27 days |
| Port of Shenzhen | 18 to 23 days |
| Xiamen Port | 20 to 24 days |
| Port of Qingdao | 35 to 40 days |
| Port of Shanghai | 25 to 27 days |
| Tianjin Port | 30 to 35 days |
| Guangzhou Port | 17 to 22 days |
| Port of Dalian | 33 to 36 days |
Prohibited Lebanese Imports
The products that are completely banned to ship to Lebanon include the following:
- Additives and preservative chemicals for food products
- Second-hand apparatuses used for medicinal and radiological purposes
- Table salt excluding iodine
- Chemical waste, mineral ashes, and scrap of metal products
- Israel-based items (either manufactured or originated)
- Seeds or young plants of Cedar
- Portable gas lighters
- 5 years old vehicles used for transportation and 8 years old vehicles used for passengers
- Goods with counterfeit marks that falsely represent their origin
- Wireless phones operating on a 900-megahertz frequency
- Black cement and clinker
To Conclude
Bansar offers a variety of services, including DDP, air, express, and sea freight, for shipping from China to major ports of Lebanon like Beirut, Tripoli, or Chekka. By considering factors such as cost, time, and customs, we can help you streamline the process. Fill out this form and connect with us to start shipping from China to Lebanon.
