Door-to-door time includes more than the vessel or flight. Add supplier pickup, export handling, booking/space, linehaul, destination handling, customs and inland delivery.
Typical planning figures
- Ocean, Shanghai to Vancouver: about 14 to 18 days port to port.
- Ocean, Ningbo to Prince Rupert: about 12 to 16 days port to port.
- Air freight, China to Toronto: about 4 to 7 days door to door.
- Inland, Vancouver to Toronto: about 5 to 6 days by truck, or 6 to 8 days door to door by rail intermodal.
The stages of a sea shipment
- Origin: trucking from the factory, export clearance and delivery to the terminal or consolidation warehouse, often several days.
- Waiting for the sailing: cargo must reach the terminal before the vessel's cut-off.
- Ocean transit: the figures above for the west coast.
- Canadian port and customs: unloading, terminal release and customs clearance, faster when documents and the importer's CARM setup are ready.
- Inland delivery: local drayage, or rail and truck to Prairie and Eastern Canada.
LCL adds time at both ends for consolidation and deconsolidation; see FCL vs LCL.
Why schedules move
Carrier schedule changes, port congestion, transshipment, weather, documentation and customs can all affect the final delivery date. Treat published transit times as planning inputs, not absolute guarantees. The biggest predictable delay is the Lunar New Year shutdown; read Chinese New Year 2027 shipping if you need stock in early 2027.
How to shorten the timeline
- Have the commercial invoice and packing list ready before cargo is finished (see the import documents checklist).
- Set up your import account and CARM access before the first shipment (CARM guide).
- Move urgent SKUs by air freight and the rest by sea.
Need a route-specific answer?
Use the quote form with your actual origin, destination, cargo dimensions/weight and timing. That turns a general guide into a usable shipment plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Canada take by sea?
As a planning figure, about 14 to 18 days port to port from Shanghai to Vancouver, plus origin handling, customs and inland delivery. Door to door to Eastern Canada is typically several weeks.
How long does air freight from China to Canada take?
About 4 to 7 days door to door from China to Toronto as a planning figure, depending on the service and the origin and destination cities.
Why is my shipment from China taking longer than quoted?
Common causes are late production, carrier schedule changes or rolled bookings, port congestion, transshipment, missing documents and customs holds. Published transit times are planning figures, not guarantees.