A free, plain-English walkthrough of how wholesale handbags are packed and shipped from China — packaging options, Incoterms, sea vs air vs express, and real transit times to the US, EU, GCC and beyond.
| Layer | What it is | When used |
|---|---|---|
| Individual poly bag | OPP/PE bag with adhesive closure, usually with silica gel for PU/leather | Every bag (dust & scratch protection) |
| Dust bag / non-woven pouch | Soft drawstring fabric pouch | Mid/high-end, giftable lines |
| Hang tag / care label | Branded card + barcode/FNSKU | Retail & Amazon FBA programs |
| Export carton | 5-ply corrugated, 60×40×40cm or 50×40×30cm, strapped | Master packing for sea/air |
A standard carton holds roughly 20–40 medium handbags depending on bag volume and fill. Keep carton gross weight ≤ 15–20 kg for safe manual handling and lower chargeable weight on air.
| Container | Approx. handbags (medium) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 8,000 – 11,000 pcs | First container order |
| 40ft HQ | 18,000 – 24,000 pcs | Full-season replenishment |
| LCL (shared) | from ~1–2 CBM (≈200–400 pcs) | Trial / small batch |
| Term | Freight | Insurance | Duty/Tax | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | You | You | You | Buyers with own freight forwarder |
| FOB | You (from port) | You | You | Most experienced importers |
| CIF | Us (to port) | Us | You | Importers who want freight handled |
| DDP | Us | Us | Us | First-time / DTC brands (US & EU page) |
| Route | Port-to-port | + Customs & last-mile |
|---|---|---|
| China → US West Coast | 18–25 days | +3–7 days |
| China → US East Coast | 28–35 days | +3–7 days |
| China → EU / Mediterranean | 30–38 days | +3–7 days |
| China → GCC (UAE / Saudi) | 20–28 days | +3–7 days |
| China → Australia | 22–30 days | +3–7 days |
Express (DHL / FedEx / UPS): 3–7 days door-to-door — use for samples and urgent small orders. Air freight: 5–10 days, a middle option for 100–1,000 pcs.
Yes. For the US & EU we can label cartons with FNSKU, apply barcodes and ship to your Amazon warehouse (even DDP). Just share the FBA inbound plan.
For FOB/CIF/DDP we issue the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading with the correct HS 4202 code and your declared value. See our HS code & duty reference.
About 1–2 CBM via LCL (roughly 200–400 medium bags). Below that, express or air is usually simpler.
Tell us your country, order quantity and target timeline — we'll return EXW/FOB/CIF/DDP options with transit times.
Each bag is normally put in an individual poly bag (with silica gel for leather/PU), then into a dust bag or non-woven pouch for mid/high-end lines, and master-packed into a 5-ply export carton (commonly 60x40x40cm or 50x40x30cm). Cartons are strapped and labelled with SKU, quantity and side-mark. We can add hang tags, barcodes and FNSKU for Amazon FBA on request.
EXW = you collect from our factory (cheapest unit, you handle everything). FOB = we deliver to the China port, you book and pay sea freight. CIF = we pay sea freight to your port (you clear customs). DDP = Delivered Duty Paid — we handle freight AND import duty/tax and deliver to your door. For US/EU first-time importers, DDP (offered on our US & EU wholesale page) is the simplest.
Typical ocean transit: China → US West Coast 18–25 days, US East Coast 28–35 days, EU/Med 30–38 days, GCC (UAE/Saudi) 20–28 days, Australia 22–30 days. Add 3–7 days for customs clearance and local delivery. Express (DHL/FedEx) is 3–7 days door-to-door but costs far more — best for samples and small urgent orders.
A 20ft container typically holds about 8,000–11,000 medium handbags; a 40ft HQ about 18,000–24,000 pcs depending on carton size and bag volume. Sea LCL (less-than-container) is available from ~1–2 CBM (≈ 200–400 pcs) so you don't need a full container for a first order.
It depends on how densely the bags pack. Flat-packed PU styles pack far more units per carton than structured leather ones, so freight per unit varies by shape as much as by distance. We state carton quantity, dimensions and freight on every quote rather than quoting a flat per-bag figure.
LCL suits shipments under roughly 15 cubic metres; above that a full container is usually cheaper per unit and avoids consolidation delays at the destination. Send us your volume and we will quote both.
Yes. We FNSKU label, poly bag and carton mark to Amazon requirements and deliver under DDP to the fulfilment centre you nominate.
Mode choice is the single biggest lever on landed cost after unit price. The right answer depends on your order value, your deadline and how much stock cover you already hold.
Ask for these before you pay the balance. A missing document is the most common reason a shipment sits at the port accruing storage charges.
These are decided before production starts, and they are cheaper to get right at quotation stage than to fix afterwards.
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