Sometimes businesses focus so much on the goods they need to buy and sell that they ignore a critical part of their supply chain logistics- freight forwarders. The truth is if you’re importing goods from China, you won’t get so much done without a freight forwarder. International shipping heavily relies on experienced and reliable freight forwarders to move goods to different continents. In this article, we explain how to choose the best freight forwarders, and give a profile of the top ten freight forwarders in China you can partner with in 2025.

Freight forwarders are logistics experts who manage shipping goods on your behalf. Do not confuse them with shipping companies. Freight forwarders are different because they don’t own ships, trucks, or planes to carry your goods. But they are middlemen who work with carriers, airlines, trucking services, and rail freight companies.

China freight forwarders may be small local businesses or bigger international companies with numerous branches. The best freight forwarders have a solid network of carriers and customs brokers in every continent. They also understand customs procedures and shipping routes well, so you don’t need to worry about these details. Many Chinese freight forwarding companies have become global leaders thanks to China’s massive manufacturing industries.

In simple terms, freight forwarders make international shipping easier. Without them, businesses would struggle with the complex logistics of shipping to different countries. A good freight forwarder’s role covers:

• Finding the best shipping routes and methods.
• Handling documentation
• Loading/unloading and consolidation of cargo
• Customs clearance
• Cargo insurance
• Cargo tracking.
• Handling special goods like fragile goods and perishables.
• Warehousing and storage.

If you’re shipping from China or the Asian region, getting a Chinese freight forwarder should be a no-brainer. You might ask why you need a freight forwarder when you can manage shipping yourself. Let’s see the biggest benefits you get from working with Chinese freight forwarders:

1. Cheaper Shipping: You are guaranteed cheaper shipping prices when you work with Chinese freight forwarders than you do when you ship yourself. Freight forwarders have great relationships with shipping carriers and usually get discount prices because they negotiate for bulk shipments. Shipping with a freight forwarder will also reduce your inland transportation costs.
2. Easy Customs procedure: No one understands how better to sort out Chinese export clearance and regulation procedures than a Chinese freight forwarder. Since China is the world’s manufacturing hub, you can expect a Chinese freight forwarder to be very knowledgeable about import duties, tariffs, and customs requirements on any continent you’re shipping from.
3. Smoother Communication: Freight forwarders are exposed to people who speak many different languages by virtue of their jobs. A local freight forwarder makes it easier to communicate with Chinese suppliers and manufacturers. They can even help you negotiate prices with your suppliers and conduct quality checks on your products before shipping.
4. Fast shipping: Your freight forwarder can take over the logistics right from your supplier and handle the entire process until it gets to you. Their relationships with local shipping companies, port authorities, and customs brokers mean your goods won’t be delayed. A freight forwarder also understands the best routes to get goods delivered to you quickly. If you choose a door-to-door service, then you simply wait and have your goods delivered to your doorstep.
5. Experience in Handling High-Volume Shipments: As we mentioned already, China is a major global manufacturing hub, so Chinese freight forwarders are used to dealing with high cargo volumes. No matter the container size, urgency, or specialized handling requirements of your goods, a freight forwarder will handle it.
6. Global Network: Chinese freight forwarders have shipped goods everywhere. They have connections in Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and other major trade routes you can think of. You can rest assured that they’ll satisfactorily handle your international shipping.

Once you decide on goods to ship and find a reliable supplier, it’s time to find a reputable freight forwarder. We recommend checking out quotes with different companies before settling on one. During the negotiation stage, there are important factors to consider:

Experience and Reputation
The best freight forwarder for you is one that has handled similar shipments in the past and has a good track record of successfully shipping goods related to yours. They should also be knowledgeable in customs clearance and the import/export regulations of China and destination countries.

You can check reviews or ask for references from other clients to be sure before shipping. Do they deliver goods on time? Do previous customers enjoy working with them? Do they have quality certifications? If the answer to these questions is yes, you can proceed with that freight forwarder.

Global Reach and Network
The freight forwarder you choose must have extensive experience shipping goods to your country. This isn’t always too much of a problem because most freight forwarders have a global network of local carriers, customs brokers, and port authorities. But if you’re stuck deciding on the best freight forwarder, choose the one that has shipped to the most countries, especially yours. Check out where their company headquarters is located and in how many countries they have branches or partners.

Costs
No matter how great a potential freight forwarder is, they’re not good for you if their costs are out of your budget. We usually advise importers to negotiate with different freight forwarders before choosing one. Please, don’t just jump at the cheapest option, no matter how tempting it looks. If you’re choosing DDP/door-to-door shipping, make sure the freight forwarder is transparent about all fees, and beware of hidden charges like customs duties, fuel surcharges, and handling fees that can hike your shipping cost.

Service Offering
Do you need a freight forwarder with multimodal expertise or one specialized in sea or air shipping? What matters is the freight forwarder should offer the service you need. Freight forwarders like Winsky Freight will provide sea, air, rail, and express shipping, so you can be confident any shipping method is covered. You should also look for additional services like warehousing, cargo insurance, goods consolidation, etc.

Customer Support
Your freight forwarder must be on top of matters as soon as you’re ready to ship, or you will face delays and lose profit. Some freight forwarders are just too busy to attend to you promptly, and that’s not a good sign. A good way to know a freight forwarder’s customer service is to see how long they take to respond to your initial inquiries. If they delay in responding, they’ll probably be worse once you start shipping with them.

Company size and scale
You’ll generally meet two types of freight forwarder companies: The big global brands and the smaller ones. They have their pros and cons. Large companies have a wider network and may be cheaper, but a smaller forwarder could provide a better service and flexibility. If you ship large cargoes often, you might want a bigger freight forwarder to handle your shipping requirements. If you’re a small business, smaller companies are better. In any case, the large global brands are usually unwilling to quote for smaller businesses anyway.

Tracking Capabilities

Every importer loves to know the location of their goods because it makes it easier to make business plans. Any freight forwarder that can’t offer goods tracking during transit isn’t worth your time.

In compiling our list of the best freight forwarders in China, we have considered their experience, the number of shipping services offered and the number of countries they ship to. With this criteria, here’s our list of the 10 best freight forwarders in China in 2025:

Winsky Freight is regarded as one of China’s top freight forwarding companies. Since 2007, Winsky has shipped goods from China to several destinations around Europe, Americas, Asia, and Africa. We’re based in Shenzhen but operate branches in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yiwu, Xiamen, and Ningbo. Clients love Winsky Freight for its professional handling of small and large-scale shipments.

Services Offered

• Sea Freight (FCL/LCL),
• Air Freight (including express shipping)
• Rail Freight (EU countries and the UK)
• Truck Freight
• Customs Clearance
• Cheap Cargo Insurance
• Door-to-door Delivery
• 30-day free warehousing
• Free Packaging
• E-commerce logistics and Amazon FBA deliveries

Why Choose Them?

Winsky Freight fully understands the how difficult it is to ship from China, so we provide affordable solutions to our clients. You can ship all types of cargo with us, including special handling and hazardous items like batteries. We also accept several payment options for convenience- PayPal, T/T Bank Transfer, Wise.com, Western Union, and MoneyGram.

Our clients enjoy our custom shipping solutions, strong relationships with global carriers, and excellent customer service. Our experienced team manages logistics from start to finish, and we guarantee you unbeatable prices, quick and stress-free deliveries, and cargo tracking during transit. If you have a shipment from China, feel free to reach out for a quote! We’ll make your shipping smooth and stress-free.

SINO is another trusted name in the freight forwarding and logistics industry. In recent years, their partnership with Hong Kong-based FS International has expanded their international reach. Their major offices are located in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, from where they serve global markets in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Services Offered

• Sea freight, air freight, rail freight, and express delivery
• Customs clearance

Why Choose Them?
SINO shipping is known for being flexible with shipments and customer-friendly. Businesses with various shipping needs will enjoy its comprehensive logistics options.

Bansar has been in the logistics industry for over 10 years. From their 10 offices spread across China, they offer affordable and fast freight forwarding from China to any country in the world.

Services Offered

• Sea freight, air freight, and road transportation
• Customs Clearance
• Free container usage up to 28 days
• 20-day free warehousing

Why Choose Them?

Bansar is known for affordable shipping and quick delivery of goods. They have great partnerships with carriers and airlines and offer shipping perks to their clients.

Guided Imports has over a decade long experience in international shipping from China. They are based in Shenzhen, and cater to Fortune 500 and high-growth e-commerce brands.

Services Offered

• Product sourcing
• Sea Freight, Air freight, Road freight
• Customs clearance
• Amazon FBA

Why Choose Them?

Guided Imports are highly recommended for sourcing and quality control shipping for e-commerce businesses shipping to Amazon FBA, especially in the USA.

DFH Global is a prominent logistics company “based in Shenzhen, China. Since 2009, they’ve extensively managed shipping from China to many countries and run personalized services for small, medium, and large businesses.

Services Offered

• Sea freight, air freight, rail freight
• Customs Clearance
• Amazon FBA
• Free Warehousing
• Cargo Insurance

Why Choose Them?

DFH Global is best for businesses that require custom shipping or specialized goods handling. It has a good network of logistics partners and operates several warehouses in China.

As a Freight Forwarder with 11 years of experience, ZggShip has garnered a very good reputation in the freight forwarding and logistics industry. They have thousands of clients who love their e-commerce and dropshipping services. ZggShip is based in Shenzhen and operate warehouses in major Chinese cities.

After more than two decades of operation, Sinotrans remains one of the biggest freight forwarders in China. They have partners in major countries and offer comprehensive logistics, customs clearance, and warehousing.

They are an international freight forwarder and 3PL service provider. Their Chinese office is in Hong Kong, and they have offices in 40 countries, including Qatar, France, and Malaysia. They provide logistic support from product and supplier sourcing to final delivery.

They are a Zhejiang-based sourcing agent and freight forwarder that caters to small- to medium-sized e-commerce businesses. In addition to product sourcing, they provide sea freight, air freight, and door-to-door shipping for different types of goods from China.

SIS provides air, sea, rail, trucking, warehousing, and customs clearance services from China to major countries worldwide. They’re based in Hong Kong with networks in Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Before you proceed with your new freight forwarder, read these tips to learn how to properly relate to them.

• Verify their licenses: This should be your first move with any business partner anyway. Your freight forwarder must have the licenses that make them eligible to ship in China and your country.
• Communicate clearly: Chinese freight forwarders are usually proficient in English, but it helps when you state what you want in clear and concise terms. They should not be confused about your shipping requirements, cargo type and volume, preferred route, deadlines, special handling needs, etc.
• Document everything: Make a record of conversations with your freight forwarder for future referencing. Ask them to make a detailed quote that covers costs, insurance, and incoterms to be used. If you have to make any changes to your previous agreements for any reason, keep a record of the discussion to avoid future disputes.
• Start small: If ever in doubt, you can begin by shipping smaller shipments with a freight forwarder. You can upgrade once you get more familiar with and trust them.
• Negotiate payment terms: We mentioned already that the best Chinese freight forwarders like Winsky Freight, accept T/T Bank Transfer, PayPal, and Western Union. It’s usually better when you use options like PayPal because it protects your interests and you can dispute the transaction if you’re unsatisfied with a service. We also recommend you break your payments into installments based on every shipping milestone. If you don’t fully trust a freight forwarder, making full payment upfront might not be a great idea.
• Agree on a shipping route and Incoterm: No matter the mode of transportation you use, ensure you agree with the freight forwarder on an Incoterm. This way, you will understand where the freight forwarder’s responsibility ends and where yours starts. If you need help getting started, read our guide to understanding Incoterms.
• Compare Costs and Services: Requesting quotes from different forwarders gives you the average shipping cost and service offerings for your shipment. It also helps you negotiate better with your freight forwarder.
• Plan for Peak Shipping Seasons: Holidays like the Chinese New Year and Golden Week cause port congestion, delayed shipping, and increased freight rates. We call these periods of the year peak shipping seasons. Follow our guide to peak season shipping to plan these periods better.
• Build a long-term relationship: Finally, once you find a reliable freight forwarder, establish a long-term relationship with them. They become familiar with your requirements and you get better pricing over time.

The best freight forwarders can be found online through their websites or social media. Physical trade fairs and product-sourcing sites like Alibaba are other good options to find a freight forwarder.

Consider their experience level, services offered, and compare costs from several freight forwarders before settling on one. Selecting the right freight forwarder involves considering their industry expertise, service offerings, customer service quality, technological capabilities, and pricing. It’s also important to check their licenses, certifications, and reputation in the industry.

Reputable freight forwarders like Winsky Freight offer air, sea, rail, and road shipping, customs clearance, free warehousing, cargo insurance, and specialized goods handling.

Not all freight forwarders can provide door-to-door (DDP) shipping from China. It’s one of the important questions you must ask before choosing to ship with them. Freight forwarders like Winsky Freight provide DDP and DDU shipping from China to any country in the world.

You may face challenges like poor communication or differences in time zones. On the other hand, standard freight forwarders have experienced staff fluent in English, so you’ll hardly face these problems with them.

Finally, you understand your business the most. Choosing the right freight forwarder will depend on the factors that matter most to your operations. The top freight forwarders on our list are our top picks for smooth and reliable shipping from China. We hope this list gets you started in finding a reliable freight forwarder from China in 2025. When you’re ready to ship, remember that Winsky is just a message away. We look forward to being your trusted logistics partner. Contact us today.