If you want to be an importer or shipper from China to Spain, then you are in the right place. No matter whether you are a newcomer in this industry, or maybe you have developed many skills in the field, you might learn something from this article. We try to organize every process and all the details in the whole operation, not to mention the regulations and duties, and shipping costs. If you don't know the files and the clearance well, check our dedicated page for your information, and let us be your guide through this article.

DocShipper Alert : DocShipper is a logistics service provider that offers customized solutions for your company's transportation and logistics needs. We help you manage your company's procurement, warehousing and distribution operations efficiently and cost-effectively by providing personalized service and in-depth market expertise. Contact us.

What is the best method of transport between China and Spain?

 

It's acknowledge that the most applied 3 ways are: Sea freight, Air freight and Rail freight. This works the same for the shipment from China to Spain. Check our comparisons and find the most suitable one adjusting to your own business method.

Sea freight from China to Spain

Overview - Trade relations between China and Spain

China and Spain established diplomatic relations on March 9, 1973. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations have developed steadily, and exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the fields of politics, economy and trade, science and technology, and culture have expanded continuously. Political relations between the two countries have become increasingly close, and leaders of the two sides maintain regular contacts.

Judging from the amount of Spain's main products imported from China as a proportion of the total imports of such products, China is the largest source of imports of Spanish textiles and raw materials, furniture and toys, shoes, boots and umbrellas, and other light industrial products, accounting for 17.6%, 33.5%, and 28.5% respectively of Spain's market share of similar products.

The volume of bilateral trade between China and Spain will continue to grow. In recent years, bilateral trade between China and Spain has increased by 39.44 percent. With the strengthening of China's influence in global trade, as well as the continuous advancement and landing of China's "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure projects in Europe, China-European Union (CEU) class train projects, and port expansion projects in Valencia and Bilbao, Spain, etc., better development opportunities and conditions will be created for China-Spain trade, which will help push forward the China-West bilateral trade.

Port of Algeciras

The Port of Algeciras, located east of the Strait of Gibraltar on the southern coast of Spain. On the western shore of the Gulf of Algeciras to the north, it is Spain's largest container port and crude oil import port. Strategically located at the crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It is connected to the Spanish interior by rail and has a ferry service to and from Morocco. It has a pleasant climate, beautiful seaside baths, mineral springs, winter resorts, and a well-developed tourist and fishing industry. The port is about 120 km from the nearest airport of Malaga.

Website:Port of Algeciras

 

Port of Bilbao

The Port of Bilbao is one of the most important ports in Europe, in terms of transport and infrastructure as a transport and logistics hub and maritime route, linking it to about 900 ports worldwide. The multi-purpose port terminal with the deepest containers in Spain is 21 meters deep and can receive any vessel or cargo without restriction. It is directly connected to the national network of motorways and railways and offers competitive intermodal links to cover any part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Website: Port of Bilbao

 

How much time does it take to ship freight from China to Spain?

The average sea freight shipping time from China to Spain is between 24 and 38 days. And this will vary depending on several factors such as customs formalities, and the distance between the different ports. As well as other factors.

Valencia

Barcelona

Algeciras

Bilbao

Shangaï 27 28 33 33
Shenzhen 24 33 26 34
Guangzhou 26 29 27 29
Qingdao 30 30 31 33
Tianjin 32 31 39 36
Ningbo 29 29 34 27
Dalian 28 28 38 31

 

What are the choices of the container do I have for shipment from China to Spain?

Three main choices remain available for us as suggest below: 

  • 20'GP, 20 feet container for general purpose, 33 cm3 capacity
  • 40'GP, 40 feet container for general purpose, 67 cm3 capacity
  • 40'HC, 40 feet high cube container, 76 cm3 capacity

To begin with, we should be familiar with the container type:

Container Hand Over method

In container transport, full container cargo and LCL cargo in the ship between the two sides of the delivery are of the following ways:

1. Door to door: the shipper is responsible for loading the container, in its warehouse or factory warehouse to the carrier after acceptance, responsible for the entire transport, until the delivery of the goods to the consignee's warehouse or factory warehouse. This kind of full-line transport is known as "door-to-door" transport.

2. Door to CY: The container loading and unloading yard from the shipper's warehouse or factory warehouse to the destination or discharge port.

3. Door to CFS: the container freight station from the shipper's warehouse or factory warehouse to the destination or discharge port.

4. CY to door: From the container loading and unloading yard at the place of origin or container port to the consignee's warehouse or factory warehouse.

5. CY to CY: From the container yard at the place of origin or container port to the container yard at the place of destination or container port of discharge.

6. CY to CFS: A container freight station from the container loading and unloading yard at the place of origin or container port to the destination or discharge port.

7. CFS to Door: From the container freight station at the place of origin or container port to the consignee's warehouse or factory warehouse.

8. CFS to CF: Container Freight Station (CFS) from the place of origin or container port to the container loading yard at the place of destination or container discharge port.

9. CFS to CFS: The container freight station from the place of origin or container port to the destination of the container freight station at the port of discharge.

How much does sea freight between China and Spain cost?

You have various way to ship your goods from China and Spain. And not a single shipper can guarantee you a fixed quotation for all the time.

For your convenience, you can fill our our online form, and we will response as soon as possible with a quick while free quotation. 

DocShipper Advice: Transport your goods across the oceans safely and at competitive prices with DocShipper. Take advantage of our reliable and efficient sea freight service to ship your products worldwide.
Contact us for more information.

Air freight from China to Spain

There are 2 categories of Air Freight

Besides what we have mentioned - Sea Freight, you also have a choice when importing goods from China to Spain. Air Freight is another option for the importers.

Therefore, we have here two categories of air freight for you information, so you can decide when you are choosing the air freight companies.

They vary not only in price but also in the speed and service as we know.

  • Traditional Airfreight: for instance, Iberia, Air China, Air France
  • Express Airfreight: for example, UPS, DHL, TNT, FedEx, ...

Why do we choose air transport?

Always, if you choose air transport, it only takes within 7 days. But as what we have experienced working with many customers, it costs 3-5 days for the T/T, which is the transit time, which is to say, this takes far less than what sea freight needs.

But keep in mind, this is only for T/T, not the whole process, keep follow this article, you will know other procedures which need time as well.

What is volumetric weight?

The weight of goods is usually used as a measure for billing in both international and domestic transportation, and it is necessary to weigh goods for international shipping, international air transportation, international express, domestic land transportation, domestic sea transportation, railway transportation, and express transportation.

Calculation: Volumetric weight = (length cm * width cm * height cm) / 6000

Volumetric weight refers to the weight of a good with a volume converted weight greater than actual weight

 

How much time does it take to ship air cargo from China to Spain?

The average air freight shipping time from China to Spain is between 8 and 10 days. And can vary depending on several factors such as the type of service chosen, the carrier, the departure and arrival airports, and possible delays.

 

 

DocShipper info: Need to ship your goods overseas quickly? Trust our superior air freight service at DocShipper. We offer fast and secure air freight solutions for your urgent shipments. Our team of logistics professionals is here to help you find the best air freight solution to meet your specific needs. Contact us today.

Rail freight from China to Spain

Rail transport from China to Spain

On February 22, 2015, the first return trip of the "Yi Xin Europe" train arrived in Yiwu. The train was loaded with 64 containers of Spanish food products, including wine, olive oil, dairy products and ham, which are increasingly popular consumer goods among the Chinese middle class. The opening of the train is an effective measure to expand the market share of Yiwu small commodities in Europe, as well as the actual needs of the transformation and upgrading of the Yiwu market. In the future, with the introduction of a series of logistics products such as less-than-truckload (LTL) and parcels, the total trade cost of Yiwu's small commodities exported to Spain will be gradually reduced, and the transport advantages of the train will gradually appear.

The railway from China to Spain started from Yiwu, China, and left through Alashankou port in Xinjiang, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, and France, and lasted 21 days with a journey of more than 13,000 kilometers, almost crossing Europe, and finally arrived in Madrid, Spain. This is the world's longest railway freight train - "YiXinOu" China-Spain freight train.

 

How long does it take to travel by train from China?

"YiXinOu" China-Spain freight train has shortened the railway speed between China and Spain. By railway freight, usually, it takes half of the month for shipment. But as the cooperation relationship is improving gradually, the speed of the railway is growing. And now, it costs from 12-15 days from China to Spain as our experience with the previous clients.  

Train China to Europe

Door-to-door delivery between China and Spain

What does door-to-door delivery mean? This means you don't have to deal with every detail and all the process, which will save you a lot of time and energy. All you need to find is a professional agent to deal with all these troublesome matters for you.

We offer a professional team for specialized door-to-door service for you. Check our dedicated website for more information, about any process, any documents required. This is what Docshipper is good at.

Customs clearance in Spain for goods imported from China

 

Customs clearance, means that imported goods, exported goods and goods in transit must be declared to the customs authorities when they enter or exit a country's customs territory or national territory and must go through all the formalities prescribed by the customs authorities and fulfill the obligations stipulated in various laws and regulations; only after they have fulfilled their obligations and gone through the formalities of customs declaration, inspection, taxation and release can the goods be released and the owner or declarant take delivery of the goods.

Likewise, all means of transport carrying imported and exported goods for entry, exit or transshipment must be declared to Customs, go through Customs formalities and obtain Customs' permission.

 

Methodology for the collection of customs duties

Different countries apply for different duties, but normally, all over the world, customs have the same standard to calculate the duties on the goods imported and exported. Four taxes are mainly applied here in the calculation. Ad valorem tax, ad valorem tax, mixed tax, and Sliding Duties.

What are the customs duties and taxes?

How to calculate customs duties and taxes?

Customs value, origin, and tariff type should be the three major parts when it comes to deciding the customs taxes and duties.

First and foremost, you should find the tariff type for your imported goods. The tariff type works with the products all over the world, therefore, there must be a standardized system to decide which type your goods belong to.

HS code, which is short for the Harmonized System Code, is what we applied nowadays.

HS uses a six-digit code to classify all internationally traded commodities into 22 categories and 98 chapters. After the chapter is divided into items and subheadings. The first two digits of the commodity code represent "chapter", the third and fourth digits represent "Heading", and the fifth and sixth digits represent "subheading". (Subheading). The first six digits are HS international standard codes, and HS has 1241 four-digit tax headings and 5113 six-digit subheadings. Some countries have subdivided the seventh, eighth, and ninth digits according to their own practices.

The composition of an HS Code is as follows

hs code pineapple

Does Docshipper charge duty?

Remember one most important thing: Docshipper never charges duty, nor does any other agent.

You should keep in mind to avoid the scams when you dealing with all the agents, the customs duty and taxes should be paid to the government where you import your goods to, and for the customs clearance, the agents charge it because they need to help you with the clearance process, like the documents and everything else. Dont be cheated by anyone at this point.

Procedure and customs contact

Difference-Between-a-Freight-Forwarder-and-a-Customs-Broker

Required documents

 

Bill of Lading

The bill of lading is used as the basis for handling the rights and obligations of both parties in the transport between the carrier and the shipper. So what is the content in the bill of lading?

The name of the carrier: the shipping company that bears the transport, the bill of lading is issued by the carrier, so the name of the carrier in general - in the bill of lading. The bill of lading will be prominently printed in advance. The name of the bill of lading: - generally for the bill of lading, if it is intermodal, will be in the second column of this place, will be typed on the intermodal bill of lading (Combined Transport BILL OF LADING), if it is a direct or forwarding bill of lading, it will be marked in the second column as direct or words in the wording of the bill of lading (DIRECT OR WITH TRANSSHIPMENT BILL OF LADING). This is the name field of the bill of lading. B/L No. of B/L. It should be the same as the B/L number. (The "B/L No. - - - field" is to be used when filling out the inspection declaration.  Shipper. shipper is a person who signs a contract of carriage with the carrier, generally speaking, the exporter, that is, the consignor. And Consignee, and etc..

 

Packing List

A packing list is a document supplemental to an invoice that lists the items agreed upon by the buyer and seller in a letter of credit (or contract). The details of packaging matters for the foreign buyer to facilitate customs inspection and verification of the goods when they arrive at the port of destination. It can usually be added to commercial invoices, but where a letter of credit specifically requires it, it must be complied with the L/C. Remember that, It is strictly made in accordance with the letter of the credit agreement. What does it contain?

PackingList: Fill out the packing list title in the space above the packing list. The name and address of the packing list can be changed according to the requirements. Issuer: The name and address of the issuer. In case of L/C mode of payment, this field should be identical to the following. The name and address of the beneficiary of a letter of credit are the same. To (To):The name and address of the beneficiary party. In most cases, the name and address of the importer Date: The date on which the "packing list" was repaired. Should be the same as the date of the invoice, not later than the date of the letter of credit. Expiration date and bill of lading date. Marks and Number: Also known as markings, these are shipping marks and markings on the packaging of goods for export. And also Description of package type and number of items.

 

Certificate of Origin

Certificate of origin is the exporter's proof of the origin or place of manufacture of products issued by a notary public or government or an exporter at the request of the importer. The certificate of origin is a trade relationship between people handing over goods, settlement of payments, claims settlement, customs inspection and acceptance of the importing country, the collection of tariffs of effective proof, it is also the exporting country to enjoy the quota treatment, importing country for different exporting countries to implement different trade policies of proof.

 

Documents of conformity (CE standard)

Before you import the products from a country, you have to check that, is this type of good complied with the regulations and safety standards with what requires in your targeted market. And you have you show the documents of conformity to prove that does apply to the requirements and safety standards there. Especially if you are an importer of electronics, electrical equipment or toys, or bikes... You can either check in the target country website about it or you can ask your supplier first to make sure everything is gonna happen smoothly. 

 

Your EORI number (Economic Operator Registration Identification)

EORI is a neologism that stands for Economic Operator Registration and Identification in English and Registro de Operador Económico y de Identificación in Spanish. The registration number is mandatory for all companies with economic activity in the EU, especially for import and export business. The number can be used throughout the European Union as long as it is registered with the customs of the country of the enterprise. So make sure you have this number before you start to do business in Spain.

 

Restricted and prohibited products

Here we should remind you that there are certain types of products are restricted and prohibited in Spain. Be careful with these type of goods and don't waste time until you fail this shipment

Docshipper Tip : Simplify your customs formalities with our customs clearance service at DocShipper. We offer full support for all your customs clearance needs, in Spain and around the world. Our logistics experts are with you every step of the way to ensure a fast and efficient customs clearance experience. Contact us for more information.

Cooperation relationship between China and Spain

The economies of China and Spain have strong complementarities. Trade and economic and technical cooperation and exchanges are of immense importance. As to development potential, Spain is a moderately developed capitalist country and an industrial country with the tenth-largest GDP in the world, of which the industrial system with a high level of modernization and fishing.  The bilateral trade between China and Spain, each party shall, on equal terms, give priority to importing from the other party what is needed. At the same time, the two governments also encourage national companies to invest in the other country for the establishment of factories. And recent years have witnessed the investment in the expansion of the petrochemical, construction, and fishing sectors. All in all, the relationship between China and Spain is getting better and better and there are huge potential there.

Top 7 freight forwarders in Spain

  • DocShipper
  • DHL Global Forwarding
  • Kuehne + Nagel
  • Bolloré Logistics
  • Panalpina Welttransport
  • Kuehne + Nagel
  • Expeditors International

 

Other logistics services

warehousing icon

packing services

transport insurance

sourcing services

3PL services

moving services

DocShipper info: Do you like our article today? For your business interest, you may like the following useful articles :

DocShipper Advise : We help you with the entire sourcing process so don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

  • Having trouble finding the appropriate product? Enjoy our sourcing services, we directly find the right suppliers for you!
  • You don't trust your supplier? Ask our experts to do quality control to guarantee the condition of your goods!
  • Do you need help with the logistics? Our international freight department supports you with door to door services!
  • You don't want to handle distribution? Our 3PL department will handle the storage, order fulfillment, and last-mile delivery!

 

DocShipper China | Procurement - Quality control - Logistics

 

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