Shipping Mahjong Sets from China: FOB, CIF, DDP and What Actually Arrives

Importer's shipping guide for wholesale mahjong — incoterms compared, LCL vs FCL vs air, packing realities and how to avoid first-shipment surprises.

The Three Terms That Matter

FOB (Free On Board): we deliver export-cleared goods onto your nominated vessel at a Chinese port; you control freight and insurance from there — the standard choice for importers with a forwarder. CIF adds sea freight and insurance to your destination port. DDP lands the goods at your door, duties paid — simplest for first-time importers, at a premium. EXW and express round out the options for samples and small programs.

LCL vs FCL vs Air

Under roughly 300-500 sets, your shipment moves LCL (shared container) — economical, with slightly longer handling. Beyond that, a full 20-foot container (about 1,200-1,600 sets depending on packing) changes your per-set freight dramatically. Air freight suits restocks of hot SKUs and pre-holiday top-ups; express covers samples and urgent gaps. Fifty sets — the entry order — typically ships LCL or even palletized air.

Packing Realities

Mahjong sets are dense: figure 12-16 kg per carton of complete sets. Export cartons are engineered for container compression, and retail-ready inner boxes can be packed within them. Every shipment travels with commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin; barcode labeling and channel-compliant markings are available on request.

Avoiding First-Shipment Surprises

Confirm Incoterms in writing on the PI. Know your destination charges before choosing CIF (they are yours, not the shipper's). Order August depth for December demand — peak-season ocean capacity is the one bottleneck money does not reliably solve. And ask your supplier for pre-shipment photos; ours are standard, and they should be everywhere.