Shipping CNC Machined Parts from Shenzhen: DDP, Air vs Sea, Duties Explained

Why Shipping Deserves as Much Attention as Machining

You can vet a supplier perfectly, approve a flawless first article, and still have a project go wrong at the shipping stage: parts delayed in customs because of an unclear HS code, a surprise duty bill, a crate that arrives with crushed corners and scratched anodize. Shipping is not complicated once you understand the basic structure, but most engineering buyers have never had to think about it. This guide explains the Incoterms you will see on a quote, how to choose between express, air freight, and sea, what good packaging for machined parts looks like, and how duties work in the main destination markets.

Shenzhen has a particular advantage here. It sits next to Hong Kong, has its own international airport (SZX) and deep-water ports (Yantian, Shekou), and hosts regional hubs for every major express carrier. Parts leaving a Shenzhen shop commonly reach the US or Europe by express in 3 to 5 working days and by sea in 4 to 6 weeks. Few manufacturing regions anywhere offer that combination.

Incoterms in Plain Language

Incoterms are standardized trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They define where the supplier's responsibility ends and yours begins: who arranges transport, who pays for it, who carries the risk at each stage, and who handles customs. The three you will see most often on a CNC quote are EXW, FOB, and DDP.

EXW (Ex Works)

The supplier makes the goods available at their factory door. Everything after that (collection, export clearance, freight, import clearance, duty, delivery) is your responsibility. EXW gives you the lowest quoted price and the most control, and is a good choice if you already have a freight forwarder with a Shenzhen office. It is a poor choice for a first-time buyer, because export clearance from China requires paperwork you may not be able to handle from abroad.

FOB (Free on Board, named port)

The supplier delivers the goods onto the vessel (or, in common usage for air shipments, to the carrier at the airport) and handles export clearance. From that point, freight, insurance, import clearance, and duty are yours. FOB Shenzhen or FOB Hong Kong is the classic term for sea freight and works well when you have your own forwarder for the international leg.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)

The supplier handles everything to your door, including import duty and taxes. You receive one price and one delivery. DDP is the simplest option for buyers who want machined parts to arrive like a domestic purchase, and it is the one we recommend for new overseas customers. The trade-off is that the supplier builds a margin for risk into the duty estimate, and if you are a frequent importer with your own broker you may do slightly better arranging it yourself.

Terms you may also see

DAP (Delivered at Place) is DDP without the duty: delivered to your door, but you pay import duty and tax on arrival. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) is FOB plus the supplier arranging and paying for freight and insurance to your port. If a quote uses an unfamiliar term, ask the supplier to explain exactly which costs are included. We offer EXW, FOB, and DDP as standard and will quote all three on request so you can compare.

Air Express vs Air Freight vs Sea: How to Choose

There are really three shipping modes for machined parts, and the right one depends on weight, urgency, and value.

Mode	Best for	Typical transit (Shenzhen to US/EU)	Cost driver
Air express (DHL, FedEx, UPS)	Prototypes and small batches, up to roughly 30 to 50 kg	3 to 5 working days door to door	Per-kg rate, high for small weights but all-inclusive (customs brokerage bundled)
Air freight (via forwarder)	50 kg to several hundred kg, time-sensitive production batches	5 to 10 days door to door including clearance	Per-kg rate lower than express, plus separate brokerage and delivery fees
Sea freight LCL (shared container)	Heavy batches from roughly 200 kg upward, non-urgent	4 to 6 weeks to US West Coast or Northern Europe, longer to East Coast and inland	Per cubic meter, plus origin/destination handling, brokerage, and trucking
Sea freight FCL (full container)	Very large volume programs	Similar to LCL, slightly faster handling	Flat container rate

Some rules of thumb. Below about 30 kg, express is almost always the right choice: the all-in price is competitive and the speed is unbeatable. Between 50 and 200 kg, compare express and air freight; air freight typically wins on cost above 100 kg. Above 200 to 300 kg, sea freight becomes significantly cheaper, but only if you can wait. Many buyers run a split: a small express shipment of the first 20 parts to start assembly, with the remaining batch following by sea.

One important detail: express carriers charge on volumetric weight (length x width x height in cm divided by 5,000) if that exceeds actual weight. Machined parts are dense, so this is rarely a problem, but bulky foam packaging can tip it. Ask your supplier for both actual and volumetric weight before choosing a mode.

Also remember that transit time is separate from production time. A typical lead time of 5 to 10 days for machining, plus 3 to 5 days express, means roughly two weeks from PO to parts on your bench for most small to medium orders.

Packaging for Machined Parts

Machined parts have a hard life in transit. A DHL box is dropped, stacked, and thrown more times than you would like to think about, and a sea container spends weeks in a humid, temperature-cycling steel box. Packaging has two jobs: prevent mechanical damage, and prevent corrosion.

Mechanical protection

No metal-on-metal contact. Every part should be individually wrapped or separated by foam, bubble wrap, or cardboard dividers. Anodized and polished surfaces are especially easy to scratch.
Foam inserts for precision parts. For tight-tolerance or thin-walled parts, die-cut or hand-cut foam that holds each part in its own cavity is worth the small extra cost.
Protect threads and sharp edges. Plastic caps on threaded studs, tape or tube over protruding pins.
Double-wall cartons, and a pallet or wooden crate for anything over about 25 kg. Wooden packaging for export must be ISPM 15 heat-treated and stamped, or customs will reject it.
Fill the void. Parts must not move inside the box. Shake the carton before sealing; if anything shifts, add more fill.

Corrosion protection

VCI (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor) paper or bags for steel and other ferrous parts. VCI releases a vapor that forms a protective layer on the metal. It is cheap and highly effective, especially for sea freight.
Light rust-preventive oil on bare steel surfaces, which you wipe off on arrival. Confirm with your supplier whether you want this, because some applications (medical, food, cleanroom) need parts to arrive dry.
Desiccant packs inside sealed bags for longer sea transits.
Aluminum and stainless generally do not need VCI, but should still be bagged to keep them clean.

Ask your supplier to send photos of the packed parts before the box is sealed. This takes them two minutes and it lets you check the packing standard before the shipment leaves. It also gives you evidence if a claim is needed later.

HS Codes for Machined Parts

Every import is classified under the Harmonized System (HS), a six-digit international code that each country extends to 8 or 10 digits. The code determines the duty rate and whether any special measures apply. For machined parts, the classification depends on two things: what the part is made of, and what it is for.

As general guidance only:

Chapter 73 (articles of iron or steel) covers general steel machined parts that are not identifiable as parts of a specific machine. Heading 7326 ("other articles of iron or steel") is a common catch-all.
Chapter 76 (aluminum and articles thereof) covers general aluminum machined parts. Heading 7616 ("other articles of aluminum") is the typical catch-all.
Chapter 84 and 85 (machinery and electrical equipment) apply when the part is clearly a component of a specific type of machine, such as a pump housing, a valve body, or a bracket for an industrial robot. Parts classified here often carry a different (sometimes lower) duty rate than the raw-material chapters.
Chapter 39 covers plastic machined parts (POM, PEEK, nylon), and Chapter 74 covers copper and brass.
Chapter 90 may apply to parts of measuring, medical, or optical instruments.

Classification is genuinely ambiguous for many machined parts, and the difference between "article of aluminum" and "part of a machine" can mean a different duty rate and different tariff measures. Your supplier can suggest a code based on experience, but the legal responsibility for correct classification sits with the importer. Always confirm the code with your customs broker before the shipment leaves, and make sure the commercial invoice describes the part clearly (material, function, and what it is used in) so the broker can classify it correctly.

Duty and Tax Basics by Destination

The following is general orientation, not advice. Duty rates change, and country-specific measures on goods from China have been especially volatile in recent years. Always get a current estimate from a broker.

United States

Base duty rates under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for machined metal articles have typically been in the low single-digit percentages, but additional tariff measures on goods of Chinese origin have applied on top of the base rate and have changed several times. Budget conservatively and confirm the combined rate for your specific HS code at the time of import. Shipments are cleared through a licensed customs broker (express carriers act as the broker for express shipments). There is no federal VAT, but some states apply use tax on imported goods.

European Union

Duty on machined metal parts into the EU is commonly in the range of zero to a few percent depending on classification. Import VAT is charged on top at the destination country's standard rate (typically 19 to 25 percent), calculated on the customs value plus duty plus freight. VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim import VAT. Goods clear once into the EU and then move freely between member states.

United Kingdom

Post-Brexit, the UK runs its own tariff schedule. Duty on machined parts is commonly low, and import VAT at the standard rate is charged and generally reclaimable by VAT-registered businesses. The UK operates postponed VAT accounting for many importers, which helps cash flow.

Australia

Australia has a free trade agreement with China (ChAFTA) under which many manufactured goods enter at reduced or zero duty with the right certificate of origin. GST at 10 percent applies on the value including freight and insurance, and is generally claimable by registered businesses.

Canada, Japan, and others

Similar patterns apply: a duty rate determined by HS code and origin, plus a consumption tax (GST/HST in Canada, consumption tax in Japan) that businesses can usually recover. Check for any free trade agreement that may reduce the duty.

If all of this sounds like more than you want to manage, DDP solves it. The supplier's forwarder handles classification, pays the duty and tax, and you receive parts plus an invoice. For a first order, the simplicity is usually worth the small premium.

Insurance

Express carriers include a basic liability that is usually limited to a low fixed amount per shipment or per kilogram, nowhere near the value of a batch of precision parts. For anything of meaningful value, buy cargo insurance. It is inexpensive, commonly a fraction of a percent of the insured value, and is available through the express carrier at booking, through your freight forwarder, or through your own business insurer. Insure for the invoice value plus freight, plus a margin for replacement cost if the parts are on a critical path. Under DDP terms, ask the supplier to confirm that the shipment is insured and for what value.

What to Do If Parts Arrive Damaged

Act fast and document everything. Claims have short deadlines and depend on evidence.

Inspect on arrival, before signing. If the outer packaging is visibly damaged, note it on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves. "Received damaged, subject to inspection" is enough.
Photograph everything before you unpack further: the outer box, labels, the inner packing as you open it, and every damaged part. Keep all packaging until the claim is settled.
Notify the carrier and your supplier within 24 to 48 hours. Most carriers require notice of damage within a few days, sometimes less. Your supplier needs to know immediately so they can start a replacement run if needed.
Measure the damaged parts against the supplier's CMM or FAI report. If a part was in tolerance when it left the factory and is out of tolerance on arrival, the shipping report plus your measurements make a clear case.
File the claim with whichever party held the risk at the point of damage. Under DDP, that is the supplier and their forwarder, and you should expect them to manage the whole process. Under FOB or EXW, the risk passed to you earlier, and you or your forwarder file with the carrier and insurer.
Agree the remedy. Replacement parts on a priority run, repair if feasible, or credit. A good supplier will start the replacement batch while the insurance claim is still being processed rather than making you wait.

Damage is uncommon when packaging is done properly, and the pre-shipment photos mentioned earlier are your best protection. In our experience, the most frequent issues are cosmetic (scuffed anodize from parts touching) rather than dimensional, and they are almost always a packaging problem that is easy to fix for the next shipment.

A Shipping Checklist for Your Next Order

Decide the Incoterm (DDP for simplicity, FOB or EXW if you have your own forwarder).
Tell the supplier the delivery address, including any dock restrictions or delivery hours.
Agree the shipping mode based on weight and urgency; ask for actual and volumetric weight.
Confirm the packaging standard (individual wrapping, foam, VCI for steel) and ask for photos before sealing.
Provide your EORI (EU/UK), EIN or importer number (US), or ABN (Australia) for the customs entry.
Agree the HS code with your broker and make sure the commercial invoice describes the parts clearly.
Arrange insurance for the full value.
Know who to contact on both sides if there is a delay or damage.

Ship With a Supplier That Does This Every Week

OrangeSea ships CNC milled and CNC turned parts from Shenzhen to customers in more than 40 countries, with EXW, FOB, and DDP terms available on every quote and CMM and FAI reports packed with every batch. If you would like a quote that includes delivery to your door, upload your drawings here, tell us your address and preferred delivery date, and we will return machining, packaging, and DDP shipping pricing within 24 hours.