Sea, Air, Rail Freight Shipping from China to Belgium

Belgium is China's sixth largest trading partner in the EU. China is Belgium's second largest trading partner outside the EU. Belgium is also an important participant in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Explore a comprehensive guide on shipping from China to Belgium, written by a leading China freight forwarder. With this guide, we wish to answer all the questions you may have when importing from China. The content below includes shipping methods, transit time, cost, the best way to ship from China, and what a forwarder can do for your China-Belgium shipments. 

Main modes of international transportation for China-Belgium trade are sea, air and railway freight. 

Sea freight from China to Belgium

When it comes to cargo shipping from China to Belgium, sea freight is always the first choice. 
Over 90% of the world’s total cargo is being shipped by sea every year. Sea freight is popular mainly because of its low cost, if your supply chain has limited shipping budget, then shipping by sea is the right choice. While accepting its low cost, you’ll have to accept the long shipment journey across the ocean, and the transit time could be 30-40 days from China to Belgium. 
More advantages of sea freight: large shipping capacity, ability to transport almost all types of goods. 
FCL (Full container load): shipping a container filled with goods exclusively for one client from China to Belgium. Shipping FCL is more cost efficient
LCL (Less than container load): Sharing a container with other clients who have cargo at the same time, to the same destination. Naturally, due to extra work (consolidation, de-consolidation, warehousing, paperwork, etc.), the final cost on each unit is higher than FCL, and shipping takes longer. LCL is a good choice for small business to start with. 

Most commonly seen sea shipments are FCL and LCL. Additionally, we are handling oversized & heavy cargo from China using flat rack containers or open top containers, reefer containers for cold chain transportation, and sometimes chartering bulk cargo ships and RO-RO ships for large project. 
If you are interested in shipping from China to Belgium, contact us, one of the best freight forwarding agents in China, with overall coverage of all the main ports of China, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian, etc.  

Major ports in Belgium

Antwerp (BEANR)
Port of Antwerp is Belgium’s primary gateway, the largest port in Belgium, and the second in Europe, after Rotterdam.
Antwerp is a deep sea world port, seamlessly connecting European and maritime destinations. In 2021, cargo tonnage by Antwerp has reached 231 million. 

Zeebrugge (BEZEE)
Port of Zeebrugge is a large container, bulk cargo, new vehicles and passenger ferry terminal port on the North Sea. It is one of the world’s foremost roll-on/roll-off ports, where 49.1 million tons of goods are transshipped in 2021.
Brussels (BEBRU)
Brussels is the second largest Belgian inland port and enjoys an ideal location in the center of Europe, 5 hour's sailing from the Port of Antwerp via a canal that has only two locks between Brussels and Antwerp

Air freight from China to Belgium

When facing a pressing deadline, you’ll probably have to turn to air freight to have your cargo shipped from China to Belgium. Air freight is not so often used because of its high cost, but shipping by air guarantees a faster delivery of shipment, allowing you to reach anywhere of the world in about 7 days. When choosing the speed of air freight, you accept the fact it’s also the most expensive way of international shipping. 
People often use air freight for time-sensitive shipments, like perishable products, emergency supplies, or goods for a delayed project. When shipping high-value merchandise or luxurious items, air freight is preferred for its higher level of security. 
We can’t predict or plan everything in advance, air shipping can always be used as a contingency plan. 
However, not everything is worth shipping by air, not everything is accepted by airline. Contact a freight forwarder for their knowledge and advice on your China-Belgium shipments. 

Main airports in Belgium

Liege airport (IATA CODE: LGG)
7th biggest airport in Europe and 22th in the world
Freight traffic reached 1,412,498 tonnes in 2021, an increase of 26% compared to 2020.

Brussels airport (IATA CODE: BRU)
In 2021, the 97,047 tonnes of cargo passing through Brussels Airport in the belly of commercial airliners was an increase of 32% from 2020. However, the pre-pandemic level in 2015, was 158,435 tonnes.

Rail freight from China to Belgium

Between China and Belgium, railway freight is now available as a complement to the traditional sea and air freight. Most clients had faced this dilemma, China-Belgium sea freight takes too long, while air cargo service costs too much. Now railway freight is the perfect alternative, 
In 2018, a new railway route between Tangshan China and Belgium was opened. The freight train journey takes about 16 days to reach its destination Antwerp, and reduces the travel by about three weeks compared to the sea route. The freight train travels via Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, and Germany – a total of 11,000 km.
In 2019, the first freight train from Yiwu, China arrived in Liege, Belgium, creating a new link between Europe and China. Its launch marks the beginning of a new era for the China Railway Express.
Contact us if you wish for a delivery faster than sea, cheaper than air, let’s ship your goods by freight train.

How long does it take to ship from China to Belgium?

Cargo shipping from China to Belgium takes 3-5 days by air, 30-40 days by sea, and 14-18 days by railway. The actual transit time could be different, depending on shipping method, service and route, whether, congestion, etc. 

China-Belgium sea freight transit time

Sea container shipping transit time from China to Antwerp, Belgium.

POL (port of loading)	POD (port of discharge)	Transit time
Qingdao	Antwerp	42 days
Shanghai	Antwerp	37 days
Yantian, Shenzhen	Antwerp	30 days

FYI: Shanghai in East China, Shenzhen South China, and Qingdao North China, data from these 3 ports is enough to demonstrate the sea shipping time from China to Belgium.
The transit time by sea, port to port, depends on the specific origin and destination ports chosen, service route, sailing schedule and choice on carrier.
Above transit time is for full container load shipping, port to port only.
For LCL shipping time estimate, pls add 7-10 days

China-Belgium air shipping transit time

Cargo air shipped from China usually takes 3-5 days to reach Belgium. 
If all goes well, with Liege or Brussels being the destination airport, no matter from which airport of China, the delivery could be done in 3-5 days. 
Direct flights are available between some China airports and Brussels
Shanghai – Brussels
Shenzhen – Brussels
If your supplier is located near these origin airports, the air shipping time could be reduced to only 1 day. 
Flight routes are subject to change, consult a freight forwarder for the latest info and shipping quote from China. 

China-Belgium freight train transit time

Shipping freight by train from China to Belgium usually takes 15-18 days. The Yiwu-Liege, and Tangshan-Antwerp freight train routes are journeys of about 16 days (station to station or hub to hub).
With railway freight, we don’t have to wait 30-40 days any more. The transit time is reduced to less than half of sea freight. 
Add 5 more days if you are looking at door to door solution. 

How much does shipping from China to Belgium cost?

Knowing how much shipping costs is essential in business if you are importing from China to Belgium. Shipping cost is an inseparable, and sometimes constitutes a significant part of the total landed cost of imports. After comparing with your competitors, considering your markup, you can then decide the selling price. 
However, the shipping market is not always set in stone, it’s fast changing. Sea, air and railway freight rates fluctuate with time, affected by supply and demand relationship, as well as by carrier’s strategic adjustment. The year-on-year difference could be drastic, and price for last week may not be valid for this week. Besides, each shipment is different, it’s impossible to provide a general estimate of shipping cost from China to Belgium. 
But one thing is true, the faster you wish to receive your shipment, the higher shipping cost will be. 
Contact us now to obtain a tailored shipping solution and latest freight quote from China to Belgium.

Best way to ship from China to Belgium

There’s no one simple answer to the “best way” to ship goods from China to Belgium. Shipments come in many forms and quantity, and clients may have their specific requirements under the given circumstances, plus the fast-changing shipping market. Whatever the situation is, the best way certainly meets this standard: fast and safe delivery of shipment at the minimum shipping cost possible. To make it work, you’d better find an experienced freight forwarder for their knowledge and advice. The below factors will be taken into consideration to decide what the best way is to ship from China to Belgium. 
1.    The type of goods and its value
2.    How quickly you need your goods
3.    The load of your goods (size, weight, quantity) or simply share the packing list
4.    Supplier address (origin seaport/airport), delivery address(destination seaport/airport)
5.    Your budget
6.    Goods ready time
Submit the details to us, we’ll offer one-stop China-Belgium shipping solution and freight quote tailored to your needs. 

China-Belgium freight forwarder

The market is fast changing, and shipping from China to Belgium can be a tough, time & energy consuming job. To free yourself from all the complexity and trouble of international shipping, why not count on an experienced China-Belgium freight forwarder? 
As one of the leading China freight forwarder serving Belgian businesses, our expertise and experience allow us to provide the most accurate answers and optimal shipping solutions tailored to your needs. With the help of a professional freight forwarder like us, your shipment will be taken good care of and freight management made simple. Most important of all, you receive a hassle-free shipping experience, which gives you more time on your most worthwhile job. 
Moreover, through our freight forwarding services, China-Belgium door to door shipping is made possible.

China-Belgium door to door shipping

We provide the easiest one-stop door to door shipping solution from China to Belgium. Whatever your shipment is, whether you are shipping a private address, or commercial address or FBA address, regardless of which shipping method you prefer, sea, air, or rail freight, we got you covered. 
We take care of all the related logistics work from A to Z, all the required paperwork, supervision, consolidation, loading, offloading, customs clearance and final delivery, without adding any stress on clients. You are released from all the hassle and complexity of international logistics. With us, China-Belgium door to door shipping could be so easy.

How to ship from China to Belgium

Step 1: Contact a freight forwarder; a China based one is preferred. (More on “Why you should work with a local China freight forwarder”)
Step 2: Submit shipment details and get a shipping quote from China
Step 3: Connect the freight forwarder with supplier, forwarder does his job
Step 4: Get cargo insurance (optional)
Step 5: Arrange customs clearance
Or you can reach out to us, a leading freight forwarder for one-stop door to door shipping from China to Belgium. 

Why us when importing and shipping from China to Belgium

We are China based freight forwarder, specialized and experienced in international logistics for import and export business. With years of hard effort of both us and our Belgian/European partners, on building networks to serve our customers better, we are able to provide the most pleasant shipping experience. For importers from Belgium, we have the below reasons for you to choose us as freight forwarder for your freight shipping from China.

1. Quick Response, high efficiency
2. Communication
3. Professionalism, agility, accuracy
4. Our logistics expertise, local and global connections
5. Cost-saving
6. Dedicated, focused
7. Higher attention & tailored shipping solution

More on Why us when importing and shipping from China to Belgium

Being one of the top China based freight forwarders serving Belgium, we have the logistics knowledge and expertise, local connections and global networks, as well as our insight into global trade to ensure a stress-free shipping experience from China to Belgium. 

If you are interested in shipping from China to Belgium (Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Brussels, Liege, etc. ), whether by sea, air or railway, reach out to one of the top China freight forwarders for a the easiest one-stop shipping solution. Contact us, get a shipping solution and quote for your China-Belgium shipment.