shipping china to spain

Importing and shipping from China to Spain

Before you’re ready to export goods from China to Spain, it’s important to factor in the following:

• Both countries’ customs regulations
• Each country’s Import and export policies and restrictions
• Shipping documents
• Suitable modes of transportation for the goods being shipped
• The appropriate shipping routes used by the chosen mode of transportation

Finding a China-based carrier with good rates and that can effectively handle your shipping project will ensure your needs are met, both with regards to maximizing your company’s profit and maintaining the integrity of your inventory.

How to Get Started for shipping from China to Spain:

Handling international shipments is a complicated process. It involves coordinating not only the actual shipments, but getting the items through Chinese and Spanish customs while making sure your company follows all regulations and doesn’t violate any restrictions. This takes background knowledge, experience, and the ability to stay informed about changes in the industry. That’s why choosing the right freight forwarder for your company is essential. Even though you won’t be handling this process yourself, it’s still important to know a little about how the process works so you can work through logistics and potential pitfalls with your forwarder.

Step 1: Check trade laws in China and Spain

Make sure you’re aware of the current regulations and restrictions when exporting from China and importing to Spain. Both countries have their own policies that can change often, so it’s important to stay informed. This is also the time in the process to find out what documents you’ll need to have ready for your goods to pass smoothly through customs.

Step 2: Decide what to import from China

You probably already have an idea of what merchandise your company is well-equipped to offer. From a business standpoint, it’s vital to make sure there will be a demand for your products in Spain. Check what items currently sell well in Spain. Research levels of demand for products so you know how much you should import and roughly how much it will cost you to produce, market, and deliver those goods to your customers. This is a business venture, after all – you want to make sure at the end of the day, you’re still able to turn a profit after factoring in expenses.

Spain already imports a variety of goods from China. Reviewing their current top imports is a great starting place when determining what your company can offer.

Top Spanish Imports from China:

Mineral fuels, including oil

Cars and other vehicles

Machinery, including electronics such as computers

Electrical machinery and equipment

Pharmaceuticals

Plastics

Organic chemicals

Clothing and other personal accessories

Iron

Steel

Medical equipment

Knowing what already has an existing market and demand in Spain can give you a good idea of what you might be suited to provide for your prospective customers.

Where I can find the right supplier for my business?

If you’re stumped as to where to start, check Alibaba.com. Alibaba is a Chinese business-to-business website made to help companies find merchandise to sell in other countries. Here’s just a handful of the types of items you can find on Alibaba.com to import to Spain:

Wristwatches

Fashion accessories

Hats

Cotton fabric

Men’s and women’s clothing

Leather shoes

Mobile phones

Electronics chargers

Action figures

Baby toys

Skin care

Dental equipment

Home décor

LED lights

Furniture

Hand tools

Power tools

Notebooks and writing pads

Food packaging

Now is also the time to determine whether any items you’re considering importing from china are prohibited or restricted by the Spanish government. If they are, delve into the current regulations that apply to those specific items. The last thing you want is to realize your cargo isn’t allowed into Spain and you have to figure out what to do with a container-load of inventory.

Examples of prohibited or restricted items for import into Spain:

Alcoholic beverages

Any items containing asbestos fibers

Any products containing the chemical biocide dimethylfumarate (DMF)

Animal skins

Chemicals, hazardous and non-hazardous

Non-prescription drugs

Food products

Illegal drugs and narcotics

Plants

Medical thermometers intended for human use that contain mercury

Keep in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive and can change often, so check current regulations every time you decide to ship a new type of item to Spain.

Step 3: Find a supplier from China

After you’ve decided what you want to offer your customers, an internet search can put you in touch with Chinese suppliers looking to sell just that. By developing a mutually-beneficial relationship with your suppliers, you can provide quality goods for your customers while creating beneficial business for yourself and your supplier.

If you find yourself struggling with price negotiations with your new-found supplier, contact us. We can talk you through the process and help you get the best price for your merchandise. It’s just one more way XCJD Logistics is here for you from beginning to end.

Step 4: Estimate your tax liability

Spanish customs will apply a value-added tax of between 10% and 21% of the value of your merchandise, depending on what items you’re importing. You may also need to pay customs and excise duties.

Other taxes and fees may apply depending on the type of items you’re shipping. It’s vital to stay well-informed about current Chinese and Spanish trade regulations so you know ahead of time what fees and taxes you should expect to pay. This will prevent unhappy and expensive surprises down the road. It will also help prevent you from running into unforeseen problems at Spanish customs.

Step 5: Hire a freight forwarder

As you can see, shipping items across the world is a complicated process that can get messy if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s exactly why it’s so important to hire a reliable and experienced freight forwarder. A good freight forwarder will handle the transportation of your inventory from the time it leaves your factory until it arrives at its final destination. This is exactly the service XCJD Global Logistics has years of experience handling. Don’t hesitate; reach out today so we can get to work helping with your shipment.

Step 6: Define your shipment’s Incoterms

If you’ve never shipped anything internationally before, you might not be familiar with the term “Incoterm.” Incoterms are internationally-recognized rules and terms that distribute responsibilities and liabilities between buyers and sellers when importing and exporting goods. They address who’s responsible for making payments on and monitoring shipments, obtaining insurance, preparing shipping and customs documents, and other shipping-related tasks. They’re industry-standard, so they’re important to be familiar with. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these and define your shipping’s Incoterms before moving forward.

Not sure where to start?

If you want to start doing business but don’t know where to start, send us an inquiry. We can teach you the step-by-step process and help you source products. We’re so confident you’ll love our service, we want to start working with you before you’re even ready to start shipping inventory.

Shipping Methods from China to Spain:

We can provide cost estimates and explain the pros and cons of each shipping method in your specific situation. However, it’s best to have some background knowledge of these methods beforehand as well.

The main options are express shipping by courier service, airfreight, train railway freight, and sea freight. In this section, we’ll provide a quick overview of how each method works as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses.

This is the fastest option to ship goods to Spain. With Express shipping from China to Spain, your merchandise can reach its destination in 2-3 business days, or 3-6 calendar days. With Express shipping courier services see your packages from door-to-door – that is, from your supplier factory to the items’ end destination.

A variety of well-known carriers offer these services, such as UPS, TNT, FedEx, and EMS. They all have good reputations for reliability, so you can rest easy knowing your items are quickly making their way to their destination. These carriers use a variety of methods (airfreight, sea freight, and train railway freight, which we’ll go into in greater depth later) to provide a hands-off, worry-free service. They can pick up your inventory at your door (or factory) and see it all the way to a designated address, whether that be the warehouse in Spain or directly to your Spanish customers.

Door-to-door express shipping handles items of all sizes and weights. Light items are generally air-freighted for speed and heavy items are sea-freighted, which involves a longer ship time. But since they come directly to your door, they are the most convenient option.

Upsides to express shipping: A fast, worry-free experience for you

Downsides to express shipping: More expensive than alternatives

Airfreight From China to Spain:

The biggest advantage of airfreight is its speed. Items leaving China can arrive in Spain within 8 days. This is optimal for high-value items since they spend less time in transit. However, there are a few trade-offs for that speed.

Airfreight is generally more expensive than rail or sea. It’s also better for small items because airlines have weight and volume restrictions. Airfreight also uses more fuel than alternatives, so if carbon footprint is a concern for you and your company ethic, you’ll want to opt for sea or rail freight.

Keep in mind that airfreight usually only involves delivering goods to an airport in Spain, not to the inventory’s ultimate destination. Additional transportation accommodations must be made to get your shipment to its final destination. The exception, of course, is if you’ve arranged for door-to-door transportation. As discussed above, door-to-door delivery allows arrangements to be made to transport the goods from the airport to their end destination, as well as clearance through Spanish customs.

Airfreight is split into two categories: general cargo and special cargo. As the name suggests, most items are considered general cargo.

Examples of general cargo:

Electronics

Jewelry

Pharmaceuticals

Personal accessories like watches, purses, etc.

Special cargo is subject to different regulations than general cargo, which can involve additional inspections.

Examples of special cargo:

Live animals

Dangerous items, like certain chemicals

Items that need to be temperature-controlled, such as seafood

Also keep in mind that some airlines have restrictions that prevent them from handling special cargo. When obtaining an estimate, make sure you mention any items that might fit into this category. The type of items you’re shipping can impact what airlines (and which airport destinations) your items can travel through. This, in turn, can affect the price you end up paying.

Top Chinese airports for exports to Spain:

Beijing Capital International Airport

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport

Kunming Changshui International Airport

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

Spain’s international airports for imports:

Barcelona-El Prat Airport

In terms of handling cargo, this is the best airport in Spain.

Palma de Mallorca Airport

Lanzarote Airport

Gran Canaria Airport

Upsides to airfreight: Fast

Downsides to airfreight: Expensive, high carbon footprint, constraints on what type of items can be shipped via air

Train Railway Freight From China to Spain:

Train railway freight is the happy medium between sea freight and airfreight. Generally, railway freight is about half the price of airfreight, but about 40% faster than sea freight, mitigating the main drawbacks of both. Using a method quicker than sea freight allows you to keep less inventory on hand in Spain, since you can ship smaller batches more frequently. This also allows you to tailor your inventory to your clients’ changing needs by making smaller, quicker, more frequent shipments.

Railway shipping from China to Spain is versatile; it can ship pallets, cartons, crates, controlled-temperature items, frozen and fresh food, pharmaceuticals, and other items that require special care and handling. Railway freight can also handle a large variety of products, both small and large.

However, there are limitations to railway freight. High-value and dangerous items can’t be shipped by railway freight, so you’ll need to look into other options if those terms apply to your merchandise.

Train railway freight is split into two types: Full Container Load (FCL) and Less-than-Container Load (LCL).

Full Container Load (FCL): These are shipments where all the items in a container are owned by a single company. This is a good option when you’re shipping enough volume that you can fill an entire container by yourself. This is suitable for bulk items and large-volume products. It’s the most cost-effective option of all, provided you’re filling the entire container.

Less-than-Container Load (LCL): Multiple shippers’ items are packed together into a single container. This is the way to go when you’re shipping in quantities too small to fill an entire container. This allows for smaller, more adaptable inventory.

You may be wondering why anyone would choose LCL if FCL is the cheaper option. With FCL, you pay for the entire container. If your shipment is too small to fill the container, it can be more cost-effective to opt for LCL, where you’re only paying for the space your items take up.

Items that can’t be shipped by railway freight:

Liquids

Powders

Knives

Weapons

Other hazardous items

Main railway freight routes that run from China to Europe:

Wuhan-Europe

Chongqing-Europe

Suzhou-Europe

Zhengzhou-Europe

Yiwu-Madrid

Since the Yiwu-Madrid railway ends in Spain, this is usually the most direct shipping route. It’s also the most convenient because unlike the other railways which end in Germany, transportation doesn’t need to be arranged for the goods from Germany to Spain for the last leg of the trip.

Upsides to train railway shipping from China to Spain: Faster than sea freight and less expensive than airfreight, making it a great middle-ground between the two. Train railway can handle a wide variety of items, both in terms of item type and in size and weight. The FCL and LCL system allows you to choose the option that works best for you.

Downsides to train railway freight: Because some railways end in Germany, additional arrangements may need to be made to transport the items from Germany to their final destination in Spain. There are also limitations regarding what items can be shipped via train railway. Also, since it’s a middle-ground between the speed of airfreight and the low cost of sea freight, if speed or low cost are your highest priority, it’s unlikely railway freight will be the best choice for you.

Sea Freight from China to Spain:

Sea freight is the most common method of shipping from China to Spain, mainly because of its versatility and reliability. While rail and airfreight have constraints on what items they can carry, practically everything can be shipped by sea, including very large and heavy items (like cars). The main downside to sea freight is its timeline. While other shipping methods deliver cargo in a matter of days, sea freight takes weeks. Items usually take between 20 and 50 days to reach their destination, depending on the type of freight and the specific ports of departure and arrival.

Sea freight operates under the same FCL and LCL container system as train railway freight. Consider container sizes when choosing shipment sizes and when obtaining a price estimate, since prices for FCL and LCL are different.

Top Chinese seaports for exports to Spain:

Shanghai

Shenzhen

Ningbo-Zhoushan

Guangzhou Harbor

Hong Kong

Qingdao

Tianjin

Xiamen

Dalian

Main Spanish seaports:

Algeciras

Barcelona

Valencia

Madrid

Vigo

Bilbao

Almeria

Alicante

Cadiz

Upsides to sea freight: Inexpensive, lower carbon footprint than airfreight, can handle all items, FCL and LCL system lets you adapt to your business’s needs

Downsides to sea freight: Slow

Comparing Shipping Methods at a Glance:

Cost for Shipping from China to Spain:

Express	High
Airfreight	High
Rail freight	Medium
Sea freight	Low

Shipping costs change frequently due to factors such as:

Capacity

Demand

Fuel prices

The state of China and Spain’s economies

Seasonality

Busy times for Chinese exports are January (Chinese New Year) and the third quarter of the year (July-September). The latter is due to increased demand in anticipation of end-of-the-year holidays.

Keep in mind that quotes for FCL shipping are usually stable for up to 2 weeks, while LCL rates last up to a month. This is why it’s so important to 1) obtain a quote specific to each shipment, and 2) act quickly to place your shipment order after receiving a quote.

What documents should I prepare if I need for shipping from China to Spain?

• Single Administrative Document. This is the declaration document that you write to customs.
• Bill of lading, also known as an air waybill, sea waybill, or courier waybill. This is required for every shipment and serves as a contract between you and the carrier.
• Entry summary declaration
• Certificates of Origin
• CMR
• Packing list
• CIM consignment note
• Certificate of shipment
• Invoice

Not all of these are necessary in every case, and document requirements vary based on the shipping method. Staying well-informed about current regulations and consulting with your freight forwarder will help ensure you always have the proper documentation prepared for your shipment.

If you’re not sure what documents you need or feel lost when preparing your documents, contact us. We offer help preparing commercial invoices as well as import and export customs clearances for each shipment.