Shipping furniture and luggage by sea from Xiamen to Los Angeles

Client Information: Ms. Gu;
Shipping Route: Xiamen to Los Angeles;
Service Date: July 28, 2019;
Case Summary: Ms. Gu from Xiamen shipped furniture and personal belongings by sea to Los Angeles, USA

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, with over ten million people living across an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers. It is also a multicultural city: skyscrapers line the downtown area, palm trees sway on the beautiful beaches, and high-end shopping districts are filled with luxury brand stores. The climate is mild and sunny year-round, and crucially, Chinese Americans make up a large share of the population and enjoy relatively high status with fewer restrictions. Ms. Gu from Xiamen was preparing to relocate to Los Angeles permanently and arranged to ship her furniture and other belongings from her home in China as well.

Ms. Gu's shipment was not particularly large—books, dining chairs, a dining table, a sofa, mattresses, cabinets, and so on. According to the on-site surveyor's assessment, the total volume was about 7 cubic meters, and the Seapoe representative suggested she use LCL (less than container load) shipping to Los Angeles. Ms. Gu chose the door-to-door dual-customs-clearance service, which covers everything from packing to export customs declaration and onward to customs clearance and delivery, all handled by Seapoe. She only needed to provide the relevant documents. The entire process takes about a month and a half, so Ms. Gu could plan her schedule accordingly to ensure her belongings would be ready for use upon arrival in the US.

Packing is a critical factor affecting the safe shipment of goods. Seapoe follows international moving packing standards, using professional packing materials for all items to be shipped, with every step carried out according to strict procedures to ensure items are not damaged from handling during long-distance transport. Below are photos from the packing site that day:

Notes on Moving from Xiamen to Los Angeles:

1. Documents required for moving to Los Angeles: original passport, two photocopies of the immigration document, an item list (two copies in Chinese, one in English), a list of shipped item quantities, volume, marks and estimated weight, as well as the consignee's address, phone number, and fax.

2. Brand-new items or items used for less than 12 months must be declared to customs in advance; after declaration, customs will levy duties based on item type and value. US customs duties on ordinary brand-new items are around 6%, but anti-dumping duties of typically 30%–45% apply to brand-new textiles, bedroom furniture, and similar goods.

3. Due to extremely strict counter-terrorism measures, US customs inspection rates are relatively high: about 10% for regular goods and around 90% for personal effects. US customs clearance takes about 10 days, so please plan your travel schedule accordingly.
4. For valuables, fragile items, and irregularly shaped items, wooden crate packing is recommended to ensure safety.