How long do shipments take from China to Paraguay?

Today China is the country that exports the largest quantity and variety of products to the whole world and there is practically no country in the world that does not receive shipments every week, including Paraguay.

Despite the great geographical distance that separates both countries, shipping from China to Paraguay is not a complex process from an administrative and logistical point of view, but it does require some patience.

The distance and the complex situation that freight transport is experiencing today due to restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, may affect the time periods required for a cargo to arrive in Paraguay from the Asian nation .

Before continuing, let us remember that Paraguay and China do not have a direct trade agreement , but this has not prevented the flow of products from the Asian nation from growing more and more since 2018.

Initially, electronic products represented the majority of these imports, a large part of which was re-exported to Argentina and Brazil. Today, agrochemicals, insecticides, and vehicle assembly parts are a large percentage of the imports we receive from China.

But there is also a significant volume of cargo made up of computers, cell phones, televisions and household appliances, clothing, footwear and industrial machinery of various kinds.

It is important to know that not all merchandise is of great volume and weight and does not always require shipment by ship. Therefore, it is common to receive cargo by air via international postal services .

Shipping by post or air mail from China

If you want to bring merchandise from China using postal mail or air transport , you should know that it has to comply with a series of steps that can delay its departure from that country for several days .

In this case we are talking about the shipping time, which is the time it takes for the seller to process the order and deliver it to a transport company within China, which in turn will take it to the postal company that will be in charge of mobilizing it and delivering it in the nearest port of export and customs.

This time can vary greatly depending on whether the product must be manufactured or whether it is already available. The distance between the postal center of the region where the manufacturer or seller is located and the nearest point of export within China should also be considered.

For example, a shipment from a supplier located in a city or point of export is not the same as one located in a very distant region. In this second case, the cargo will have to travel the vast Chinese territory passing through several intermediate distribution centers until it reaches the nearest export and customs point.

On average, shipping times within China are in the range of 3 to 7 business days , considering the different scenarios that we have discussed.

China Customs Review

Just because a cargo arrives at an export port in China does not mean that it is immediately shipped to its destination in the rest of the world.

The customs clearance is a critical stage when shipping from China to Paraguay or to any other country, since each shipment must be processed to verify that no dangerous element or material leaves the country or illegal under the legal framework of that country.

The deep inspection of the packages is random and most of them are only checked through X-rays . But any suspicious cargo can be detained and subjected to various reviews before authorizing its departure from the country.

The customs review process before leaving China may require a maximum of 5 to 7 business days and a minimum of 1 to 2 days.

Therefore, we can see that the final departure of a merchandise from China can take up to 15 business days from the moment the purchase is formalized.

Once the departure is authorized, the packages will depart on direct flights to the United States, Canada or Mexico, but in the case of Europe and Latin America, flights with a stopover and possibly transfer from one airline to another will be required.

New inspections are not usually carried out at this stage, as shipments are grouped in containers that are taken from one plane to another to continue the journey.

Depending on the number of stopovers, this stage of air transport from China to the rest of the world can take between 1 to 5 days on average .

Customs in Paraguay

Finally, the time required to complete shipments from China to Paraguay must be added to the time required for the revision at Paraguayan customs.

At the Paraguayan customs, imported packages are checked to detect materials or products that are prohibited by national laws, regardless of whether they are not in China and the customs of that country has allowed them to leave.

The average time for customs review and authorization to enter Paraguay is a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 4 days , depending on the volume of cargo received.

Once the entry is authorized, the cargo is delivered to the company responsible for taking it to the client’s door within Paraguayan territory.

What means should I use for shipments from China to Paraguay?

China has the largest transportation infrastructure in the world, designed to support the exports of its companies.

This allows them to overcome the inconvenience of the gigantic size of their territory and the distances that separate many of their production centers from their export ports.

As indicated above, a cargo sent from China by air can arrive in approximately 7 to 15 days to Paraguay.

In the case of maritime transport, China has made a great effort to reactivate all its ports and return to the levels of cargo mobilization prior to the pandemic.

In this case, we can say that from a base port in China, maritime cargo can take 70 to 100 days to reach Paraguay .

It is important to mention that transit times are always estimates and are subject to different transport factors.

Let us help you bring your shipments from China to Paraguay

If you have doubts about the method to use or want to find the best cost and efficient way, seek professional help from our company Alfa Trading S.A .

We are a Paraguayan company with more than 28 years of experience in transport logistics at the national and international level. At Alfa Trading we help you prepare your shipments from China to Paraguay .

We have Freight Agents in the main ports and airports of the world and we can support you in the monitoring and customs procedures of your cargo.