Alibaba does not ship your goods itself. Your supplier either adds shipping to the proforma invoice, often as a door to door DDP price, or sells to you ex works or FOB and you appoint your own forwarder or China warehouse to collect, check and ship the goods. Since Alibaba.com announced it was closing its Logistics Marketplace, the tool many buyers used to compare forwarder quotes, more sellers are booking freight themselves. For samples, use express. For most first stock orders under about 300 kg, air freight is usually the best balance. Above two or three cubic metres, sea freight wins on cost.
The decision that matters most is not air or sea. It is whether to accept the supplier’s shipping price or get your own. This guide shows how to make that call with numbers. If you already have an order ready, our logistics services team can price the same shipment against your supplier’s quote.
Fulfillmen ships Alibaba and 1688 orders from its Shenzhen and Hong Kong warehouses, so we sell what this guide describes. Freight rates and the duty rate in the example are assumptions for illustration. Customs fees use CBP’s figures for the year from 1 October 2026. The Logistics Marketplace closure notice was checked on ship.alibaba.com on 20 October 2026.
Who this is for: online sellers and brands importing stock from Alibaba suppliers to resell. If you are buying one item for personal use, the supplier’s own checkout shipping is the simpler route.
The three ways an Alibaba order gets shipped
Who books the freight, and what that means for you
| Option | Incoterm on the invoice | Who controls the shipment | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier ships to your door | DDP or DAP | The supplier’s forwarder | One supplier, small first order, no time to manage freight | Declared value you cannot see, no check of goods before they leave |
| Supplier delivers to the port, your forwarder takes over | FOB or CIF | Split between both | Regular sea freight orders | CIF freight is booked by the supplier, so destination charges can surprise you |
| Your China warehouse collects | EXW, or free delivery to a China address | You and your warehouse | Several suppliers, Amazon or 3PL deliveries, anything you want inspected | You need the warehouse address and shipping marks on every carton |
Most Chinese suppliers deliver free to an address inside their own city or province, so the third option rarely costs more than FOB. Our guide to Incoterms explains each term in full.
Which shipping method fits your order
Typical fit by shipment size. Door to door times to the US in 2026, from Epic Sourcing’s October 2026 guide. They vary by season
| Shipment | Usual method | Typical door to door time |
|---|---|---|
| Samples, under about 20 kg | Express courier | 3 to 7 days |
| About 20 to 300 kg | Air freight or express | 7 to 10 days |
| About 2 to 15 cubic metres | LCL sea freight | 25 to 40 days, plus time to consolidate |
| A full 20 or 40 foot container | FCL sea freight | 25 to 40 days |
For a side by side look at each mode, see shipping methods from China to the USA. For samples specifically, our guide to ordering samples from China covers costs and checks.
Worked example: is your supplier’s DDP quote believable?
A supplier offers 600 units at $8 each, so $4,800 of goods, packed in 12 cartons of 20 kg measuring 60 × 40 × 40 cm. They quote $3.60 per unit extra for DDP air to your warehouse in the US, which is $2,160. Before accepting, work out what the same shipment should cost if everything is declared correctly.
Lowest honest DDP price = freight + duty + customs fees + final delivery
If a DDP quote is clearly below this floor, the gap is usually being made up by declaring the goods at a lower value than you paid.
Floor cost of the same shipment, declared at the real invoice value. Rates are assumed
| Line | Working | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeable weight | Volume weight 60 × 40 × 40 ÷ 6,000 = 16 kg, below the 20 kg actual, so 12 × 20 = 240 kg | |
| Air freight (assumed $5.20 per kg) | 240 × $5.20 | $1,248.00 |
| Duty (assumed 25% combined rate) | $4,800 × 25% | $1,200.00 |
| Merchandise processing fee | 0.3464% of $4,800 is $16.63, so the $34.58 minimum applies | $34.58 |
| Customs broker (assumed) | Flat fee | $175.00 |
| Airport to your warehouse (assumed) | Local delivery | $120.00 |
| Floor price | $2,777.58 |
Check: 1,248 + 1,200 + 34.58 + 175 + 120 = 2,777.58. The supplier’s $2,160 is $617.58 below the floor. Declaring the goods at $2,400 instead of $4,800 would cut duty by $600, which explains almost all of the gap.
An under-declared DDP shipment is the cheapest quote until customs questions it. Then the goods are held, you are asked for the real invoice, and you can end up paying the full duty plus delays and storage. Your real duty rate depends on the HTS code: most goods from China now carry the normal duty rate plus a Section 301 rate, so check yours with our guide to import tax from China to the USA. For the full cost picture, use our landed cost formula.
Got a shipping quote from your Alibaba supplier? Send us the proforma invoice and carton list. We will price the same shipment declared at its real value, so you can see whether the supplier’s number holds up before you pay it.
When to use your own China warehouse instead
Supplier shipping is fine for a single small order. A China warehouse starts to pay for itself as soon as any of these is true:
- You buy from two or more Alibaba suppliers in the same month, so goods can be combined into one shipment.
- The goods go to Amazon FBA, which needs FNSKU labels and carton rules met before export.
- You want units counted and inspected before the supplier is paid the balance.
- You want to keep stock in China and ship orders to customers from there.
Buying from several suppliers? Our guide to consolidating shipments from China shows the saving with a worked example, and our consolidation services page explains how we run it. Shipping straight to Amazon? See FBA prep in China.
What to agree with your supplier before you pay
- The Incoterm written on the proforma invoice, with the named place, for example FOB Shenzhen.
- Carton count, dimensions and gross weight, so freight can be quoted accurately.
- The HS code and a commercial invoice showing the price you actually paid.
- Your shipping marks and warehouse address printed on every carton.
- The ready date, and who pays China export clearance.
- No invoices or price lists inside cartons going to customers or Amazon.
Does Trade Assurance cover shipping?
Trade Assurance protects orders paid through Alibaba.com against the supplier missing the agreed ship date or the agreed quality terms. Once the goods are handed over at the agreed Incoterm point, transit is the responsibility of whoever booked it. If your forwarder or China warehouse collects the goods, they are responsible from collection onwards, so ask how they handle loss, damage and claims before you book.
Alibaba shipping mistakes that cost sellers money
- Accepting a DDP price without asking what value will be declared.
- Choosing CIF and then paying unexpected destination charges at the port.
- Letting each supplier ship separately when goods could travel together.
- Paying the balance before anyone has counted or checked the goods.
- Quoting freight on unit count instead of real carton sizes, so volume weight surprises you.
Do this next
Before you pay for shipping, send us three things: the supplier’s proforma invoice, the carton list with sizes and weights, and the delivery address. We will come back with an air or sea quote declared at the real value, and tell you whether collecting the goods in Shenzhen is cheaper than the supplier’s offer.
Get My Alibaba Shipping Quote →Frequently asked questions
What do I send a forwarder to quote an Alibaba order?
The supplier’s proforma invoice, the carton count with dimensions and gross weight, the HS code, the pickup address and the delivery address. With those, a forwarder can quote air or sea freight and duty with the goods declared at their real value.
When is a China warehouse cheaper than supplier shipping?
Usually when you buy from two or more suppliers, ship to Amazon FBA, or want goods counted and checked before you pay the balance, because one checked, consolidated shipment replaces several separate ones.
Is it cheaper to use the supplier’s shipping or my own forwarder?
For one small order, supplier shipping can be competitive. Compare it against a quote declared at the real invoice value. If the supplier’s DDP price is below freight plus duty plus fees, the goods are probably being under-declared.
Who pays import duty on an Alibaba order?
Under DDP the supplier’s forwarder pays it and builds it into the price. Under every other term, you or your customs broker pay duty and fees when the goods arrive.
Can I ship an Alibaba order straight to Amazon FBA?
Yes, but the units and cartons must already meet Amazon’s prep and labelling rules, because Amazon no longer preps inventory in the US. Most sellers have a China warehouse label and check the goods before export.
