Sisto BuyWhat shipping from Yiwu costs, and how it is calculated
Freight is not priced per item. It is priced per carton, on whichever of two numbers is the limiting one: the space the carton takes up, or what it weighs. Which of the two applies depends on where it is going.
That single fact explains most of what surprises first-time importers — why a cheap, bulky product can cost more to ship than an expensive small one, and why two suppliers shipped separately cost far more than the same goods shipped together.
The two bases
- To Iran — by volume
- Charged per cubic metre (CBM). A carton of 60 × 40 × 50 cm is 0.12 CBM. Light bulky goods are what cost you here.
- To the United States — by weight
- Charged per kilogram of the carton's gross weight. Dense goods are what cost you here.
- How CBM is worked out
- Length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 1,000,000. Measured on the packed carton, not the product.
Why we measure every carton
A supplier's stated carton size is frequently wrong, and often optimistic. Every carton that arrives at our warehouse in Yiwu is measured and weighed before it ships, and those figures — not the supplier's — are what the freight is calculated from.
The same measurement is what tells you the real cost per piece. Take a carton of lunch boxes from our catalogue: 96 pieces, 0.15 CBM, 11 kg. That is 0.0016 CBM and 115 grams a piece. Multiply by the rate for your destination and you have the landed freight on one lunch box, before anything else is added.
Why consolidating is cheaper
Freight has a floor. A single carton shipped alone carries the same handling, documents and minimum charge as twenty. Buying one carton each from five stalls and shipping them separately is the most expensive way to import anything.
Cartons from different suppliers are collected at our Yiwu warehouse and leave as one shipment, so the fixed costs are paid once instead of five times. You can add to a shipment while it is still open.
What the freight price does not include
Import duty, tax and customs clearance at the destination are not part of the freight and are not ours to collect. They depend on your country, the product's classification and your own importer status.
The figure shown at checkout covers the goods, the seller's delivery to our Yiwu warehouse, international freight and our 2.5% service fee. Anything charged after the goods land is between you and your customs authority.
Common questions
How much does one carton cost to ship?
It depends on the carton's volume or weight and on the destination, so there is no single figure. The checkout calculates it from the measured carton and shows you the amount before you commit — you never have to guess.
What is a CBM?
A cubic metre: length × width × height in centimetres divided by 1,000,000. A carton of 60 × 40 × 50 cm is 0.12 CBM, so roughly eight of them make one cubic metre.
Why is my light product expensive to ship to Iran?
Because that route is priced on volume. A carton of empty plastic bottles weighs almost nothing but fills the same space as a carton of tools. If the same goods went to the United States, where the basis is weight, the cost would look very different.
Can I ship by air?
For small, urgent and dense shipments it can make sense, and it is quoted case by case. For the bulky goods most of this market sells, sea freight is normally the only economic option.
Can I use my own freight forwarder?
Yes. We can deliver the consolidated cartons to a forwarder you nominate in Yiwu or Ningbo instead of shipping them ourselves. You still get the carton photographs and the measured figures.
Who pays if a carton is damaged?
Damage found at our warehouse is settled with the supplier before the goods ship, which is the reason every carton is opened and photographed there. Damage in transit is a matter for the freight insurance on the shipment.
See the real cost before you order
Add what you want to the cart and the checkout works out the freight from the measured cartons, for your destination, before you pay anything.