Packing & shipping
Shipping apparel from China: FCL vs LCL vs air vs express
For apparel, choose by volume and urgency. A full container (FCL) is the cheapest per piece for large orders, and a shared container (LCL) suits smaller sea shipments. Air freight is for urgent orders, and express couriers are for samples and very small shipments.
Key takeaways
- FCL is your own container, with the lowest cost per piece for large orders.
- LCL means sharing a container. It suits smaller sea shipments but involves more handling.
- Air freight is fast and priced on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
- Express is door-to-door, for samples and small urgent shipments.
- Apparel is light for its volume, so CBM usually decides the cost.
The four options
| Option | Best for | Speed | Cost per piece |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL (full container) | Large orders | Slowest (sea) | Lowest |
| LCL (shared container) | Smaller sea orders | Sea, plus consolidation time | Low–medium |
| Air freight | Urgent orders | Fast | High |
| Express courier | Samples, small urgent lots | Fastest, door-to-door | Highest |
FCL: full container load
You book a whole 20GP, 40GP or 40HQ. The container is loaded and sealed at or near the factory and stays shut until customs or your warehouse. Once you have the volume, it is the cheapest per piece.
LCL: less than container load
Your cartons share a container with other shippers’ cargo. It is consolidated at a warehouse in China and separated again at destination, which adds handling time and some extra charges. It fits shipments well under a container.
Air freight
Fast, but priced per kilogram on the higher of actual or volumetric weight. Folded T-shirts are relatively dense; hoodies are bulky and become expensive by air.
Express courier
Door-to-door with customs brokerage included, which suits samples, pre-production samples and small urgent lots.
How to decide
Start by calculating the volume (CBM) of your shipment. Then check the deadline against sea transit plus customs plus delivery. Near the break-even point, get two quotes: LCL against FCL, or sea against air. If the deadline is tight, split the order, with a small urgent first delivery by air and the rest by sea.
Final thoughts
Most uniform programs ship by sea. Air and express are for samples and urgent top-ups. Plan production dates around the shipping method you choose, not the other way round.