Shipping Delays from China: Causes, How Long They Take & How to Avoid Them

Importers, e-commerce sellers, and procurement teams all worry about one thing: 

“When will my shipment from China actually arrive?”

Unfortunately, shipping delays from China are common, caused by port congestion, customs checks, carrier schedules, bad weather, and peak-season pressure.

At SARA Procurement Services, we’ve spent over 20 years navigating these delays and helping businesses keep their cargo moving on time.

This guide explains the real reasons shipments from China get delayed, how long it currently takes to ship, and the proven steps our team uses to avoid costly disruptions.

Do you need professional help managing your China shipments? Contact our team today, and let's ensure your goods arrive on time.

Are There Shipping Delays from China Right Now?

As of early December 2025, shipping from China is experiencing moderate delays driven by several converging factors.

Chinese ports reported significant congestion in late October 2025, with waiting times hitting a three-year high before easing by approximately 32% in mid-November. 

However, congestion levels remain elevated compared to historical norms, particularly at major hubs like Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, and Shenzhen.

The upcoming Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025) is already creating ripple effects across the supply chain. Factories began reducing output in mid-December, and ports are experiencing the typical pre-holiday rush as exporters race to ship goods before the two-week shutdown.

If you're shipping from China right now or planning shipments for Q1 2025, factor in buffer time and work with an experienced freight forwarder who can navigate these disruptions proactively.

How Long Does It Take to Ship from China?

Understanding typical transit times gives you a baseline for planning, but real-world delays often extend these windows significantly.

Typical transit time for Sea Freight (port-to-port):

• China to West Africa (Lagos, Nigeria): 35-45 days
• China to USA (West Coast): 14-21 days
• China to USA (East Coast): 30-40 days
• China to Europe: 28-35 days

Note: Sea Freight FCL moves faster than Sea Freight LCL because LCL shipments must be consolidated with other cargo at the origin and then deconsolidated at the destination. These extra handling steps add time and increase the chances of delays.

Typical transit time for Air Freight (airport-to-airport):

• China to Nigeria: 3-5 days
• China to USA: 2-4 days
• China to Europe: 3-5 days

Typical transit time for  Express Shipping:

• China to Nigeria: 2-4 business days
• China to USA/Europe: 2-3 business days

Take Note: Always add 7-10 days of buffer time to quoted transit times, especially during known disruption periods.

At SARA, we build these buffers into our client timelines and provide proactive updates when delays emerge.

7 Reasons Your Shipment from China May Be Delayed

After managing thousands of shipments on the China route, here are the most common causes of delay we encounter and the practical steps we take to mitigate them.

1. Supplier Production Delays:

Your supplier may promise a specific ready date, but production often runs late due to raw material shortages, quality problems, or limited factory capacity. 

Delays of 1–2 weeks are common, especially during peak manufacturing seasons (September–November) or when suppliers are handling multiple large orders at once.

Mitigation tip:

Build supplier accountability into your contracts with clear production milestones and penalties for delays. Better yet, work with SARA's sourcing team to vet suppliers with proven track records of on-time delivery.

2. Late Booking and Space Availability:

If you finalise your order late, your freight forwarder may find that your preferred carrier has no available space for 1–2 weeks, or that rates have surged due to high demand. 

During peak season (August–October) and the pre-holiday rush, even booking 2–3 weeks ahead may not guarantee your desired sailing date.

Mitigation tip:

Book shipping space as soon as your production timeline is confirmed, not after goods are ready. At SARA, we maintain strong carrier relationships that give our clients priority booking access even during tight capacity periods.

3. Container Shortage and Equipment Issues:

Sometimes empty containers aren’t available at your origin port, or the specific type you need (20ft, 40ft, or refrigerated) is in short supply. 

These shortages can push your shipment back by 7–14 days while carriers reposition equipment or arrange suitable alternatives.

Mitigation tip:

Work with freight forwarders who maintain their own container fleets or have preferred equipment allocation from carriers. We monitor equipment availability daily and can often secure containers when individual shippers cannot.

4. Vessel Schedule Changes and Blank Sailings

Shipping lines may cancel scheduled sailings (blank sailings) or merge services due to low demand, overcapacity, or operational changes, which forces your cargo onto the next available vessel.

These blank sailings often add 7–14 days to your transit time and are most common during low-demand seasons or periods when carriers are adjusting capacity.

Mitigation tip:

Monitor vessel schedules through your freight forwarder's tracking system and maintain flexibility to switch carriers if your primary option faces cancellations. SARA's multi-carrier relationships ensure we can rebook quickly when schedule changes occur.

5. China Port Congestion:

Port congestion happens when too many vessels arrive at the same time, overwhelming terminal capacity and slowing down cargo handling. Common signs include:

• Vessels waiting at anchorage for 3–7 days before berthing
• Container yards operating at 90%+ capacity, slowing movement
• Containers are sitting in terminals longer before loading or pickup

In late October 2025, congestion at major Chinese ports reached a three-year high, driven by tariff uncertainty and an influx of early shipments. Key hubs like Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, and Shenzhen experienced sharp increases in vessel waiting times.

This pattern isn’t new. The pre-Chinese New Year rush (late December - January) and pre-Golden Week surge (September) reliably cause congestion as exporters hurry to ship before factory closures.

Port congestion typically adds 5 – 10 extra days to your shipping timeline due to delayed departures, missed transhipment connections, and slower container discharge.

Mitigation tip:

Use real-time port congestion tracking tools to identify delays early and adjust expectations. Book shipments during off-peak windows when possible, and maintain communication with your freight forwarder to explore alternative ports or routes during peak congestion.

6. Customs Documentation Errors and Compliance Issues:

Incorrect or incomplete paperwork (commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, Form M, permits) triggers customs holds, inspections, or rejections.

Most common errors:

• Misclassified HS codes leading to incorrect duty calculations
• Value discrepancies between the invoice and the actual goods
• Missing import licenses or permits for restricted items
• Typographical errors in consignee details or product descriptions

Documentation errors can delay clearance by 7-21 days while corrections are made and re-inspections are scheduled. In severe cases, goods may be returned to the origin or destroyed.

Mitigation tip:

Work with professional customs brokers who verify documentation accuracy before shipment and maintain direct relationships with customs officials for faster resolution. 

At SARA, we pre-clear documentation and flag potential issues before goods arrive, significantly reducing clearance times.

7. China Ports Closed Due to Typhoons or Severe Weather:

China’s coastal ports regularly face typhoon disruptions between June and November. Major storms can lead to:

• Temporary port closures: 1-3 days of complete shutdown for safety
• Blank sailings: Carriers skip affected ports, pushing your cargo to the next available vessel
• Inland trucking delays: Flooded roads or damaged infrastructure block cargo movement to and from factories
• Vessel diversions: Ships reroute to alternative ports, adding 3–7 extra days to transit times

For example, Typhoon Nuri in June 2024 shut down operations at Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, creating long vessel queues and cargo backlogs that took weeks to fully resolve.

Preparation Steps:

• Monitor weather forecasts during typhoon season and adjust shipping schedules accordingly
• Build 5-7 days of buffer time into Q3 and early Q4 shipments
• Maintain open communication with your freight forwarder, who can track real-time port status and vessel movements
• Consider air freight for urgent shipments during high-risk weather periods

Earthquakes, floods, pandemics, and geopolitical disruptions can also halt operations. While these events are unpredictable, having contingency plans and multiple routing options helps minimise impact.

4 Practical Ways to Reduce or Avoid Delays When Importing from China

Our expert team at SARA has been shipping through the China route for years, and from our experience, these are the steps we recommend you take.

1. Hire an Experienced Freight Forwarder (Work with SARA):

A freight forwarder with deep China expertise offers advantages you simply can’t match on your own:

• Strong carrier relationships: Priority bookings, better rates, and guaranteed space even when capacity is tight
• Customs expertise: Pre-clearance documentation checks, direct communication with officials, and faster resolution of holds
• Local networks in China: On-ground teams at major ports who can speed up cargo movement and troubleshoot issues in real time
• Built-in contingency options: Access to multiple carriers, alternative ports, and backup routes when disruptions occur

SARA's advantage:

With over 20 years on the China-Nigeria route and relationships with major carriers and port operators, we secure space when others can't, clear customs faster, and provide transparent communication throughout the shipping process.

Don't navigate China logistics alone. [Contact our team](https://sarapsl.com/contact.php)  and let us handle the complexity while you focus on your business.

2. Plan with Earlier Reorder Lead Times:

Waiting until you're out of stock before reordering guarantees you'll face pressure from delays. Building longer lead times into your inventory planning creates a buffer against inevitable disruptions.

Recommended lead times:

• Ocean freight: Order 60-75 days before you need stock on hand (45 days transit + 15-30 days buffer)
• Air freight: Order 20-30 days before stock-out (7-10 days transit + 10-20 days buffer)
• Peak seasons/holidays: Add 14-21 days to all timelines

Always review your sales velocity and reorder points quarterly to ensure lead times account for seasonal demand spikes and known disruption periods like the Chinese New Year.

3. Implement Dual Sourcing Strategies:

Relying on a single supplier or manufacturing region creates vulnerability. If your primary supplier faces production delays or your preferred port experiences congestion, you're stuck.

Dual sourcing approaches:

• Multiple suppliers: Source the same product from 2-3 vetted suppliers in different Chinese regions (e.g., one in Guangzhou, one in Shanghai)
• Geographic diversification: Combine China sourcing with suppliers in Vietnam, Thailand, or India for critical products.
• Supplier tiers: Maintain a primary high-volume supplier and secondary backup suppliers who can ramp up on short notice

Work with SARA's sourcing team to identify and vet backup suppliers before you need them, ensuring you have options when disruptions occur.

4. Book Air Freight for Urgent or High-Value SKUs:

Not every product should travel by ocean. Air freight is ideal for items with high profit margins, time-sensitive demand, small dimensions, or a high risk of stockouts. 

It offers a level of speed and reliability that ocean freight cannot match, especially during periods of heavy congestion. 

Many importers use it strategically by splitting shipments, sending only the most urgent SKUs by air while bulk inventory moves by sea. 

It’s also a smart option for emergency restocks when ocean delays occur and for quickly sending product samples for market testing or quality verification.

Calculate the cost of stockouts (lost sales, disappointed customers, damaged reputation) versus air freight premiums. Often, air freight costs less than the alternative.

Avoid Shipping Delays from China || Let SARA Handle Your End-to-End Shipping Needs

Shipping from China doesn't have to be a gamble where you cross your fingers and hope your cargo arrives on time.

With the right partner, it becomes a managed process where delays are anticipated, mitigated, and communicated transparently so you can run your business with confidence.

At SARA Procurement Services, we've spent over 20 years building the relationships, systems, and expertise that keep our clients' China shipments moving smoothly:

Whether you're importing small LCL shipments or managing regular FCL volumes, our team combines local China knowledge with global logistics capabilities to deliver results.

Stop losing sleep over shipping delays. Stop accepting "maybe" answers about when your cargo will arrive. Stop settling for freight forwarders who only tell you what went wrong after it's too late.

Contact SARA today and experience the difference that 20+ years of China shipping expertise makes. Let's build a reliable supply chain that protects your business and keeps your customers happy.