FCL ocean freight
Full-container sea freight from China to the UAE, Iraq and the GCC, with one named coordinator, an itemised quote and every stage in your case file.
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Ports, transport modes and typical transit ranges for this lane, taken directly from our lane record.
| Route | China → Iraq |
|---|---|
| Lane status | Restricted |
| Origin ports | ShanghaiCNSHANingbo-ZhoushanCNNGBShenzhenCNSZXYantianCNYTNGuangzhouCNCANNanshaCNNSA |
| Destination ports | Umm QasrIQUQRBasraIQBSRBaghdadIQBGWErbilIQEBL |
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| Transport modes | Sea — full container (FCL) · Sea — shared container (LCL) · Sea + road (multimodal) |
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| Transit: Sea — full container (FCL) | 25–40 daysTransit times are indicative ranges based on recent sailings. They change with carrier schedules, transshipment and port congestion; your quote states the expected range for your shipment. |
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| Transit: Sea — shared container (LCL) | 30–48 daysTransit times are indicative ranges based on recent sailings. They change with carrier schedules, transshipment and port congestion; your quote states the expected range for your shipment. |
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| Port-to-port time | Roughly 25–40 days to Umm Qasr in published ranges; longer and less predictable in 2026 |
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| Main Iraqi gateway | Umm Qasr North and South terminals (IQUQR), near Basra |
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| Customs system | ASYCUDA World since 1 January 2026 |
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| Duty basis | Per item by HS code under Decision 957/2025; reported rates from 5% |
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| Document checks | E-verified certificate of origin and commercial invoice since 10 July 2026 |
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| Conformity | COSQC Certificate of Conformity for regulated goods, issued before shipment |
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| Facts as of | 1 November 2026 |
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As of 1 Nov 2026
Most lanes can be served in more than one way. The right choice depends on your deadline, budget and destination documents.
| Option | Transit (indicative) | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea to Umm Qasr, direct or with one transshipment | About 25–40 days port to port, plus clearance and inland delivery | One bill of lading to Iraq; suits full containers for Basra, Baghdad and southern or central Iraq | Fewer direct services since March 2026, booking suspensions and short free time at Umm Qasr |
| Sea to Jebel Ali, then feeder or RoRo to Umm Qasr | China–UAE leg of about 20–35 days, plus several days to two weeks onward | Consolidation, more sailing options and JAFZA storage without UAE duty while a COC or e-verification is completed | Extra handling and hub charges, sometimes a second bill of lading; the UAE arrival itself may be via Khor Fakkan or Sohar |
| Sea to Türkiye (for example Mersin), then truck via Ibrahim Khalil | Varies widely with sailings and border queues | Practical for Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah and northern Iraq | Kurdistan pre-declaration, strict standards checks and two customs administrations |
| LCL through a consolidator in China or Dubai | Add about 1–2 weeks for consolidation and deconsolidation | Pay per cubic metre for small volumes or several suppliers | More handling, destination warehouse charges and less predictable dates |
Sea to Umm Qasr, direct or with one transshipment
Sea to Jebel Ali, then feeder or RoRo to Umm Qasr
Sea to Türkiye (for example Mersin), then truck via Ibrahim Khalil
LCL through a consolidator in China or Dubai
Transit times are indicative ranges based on recent sailings. They change with carrier schedules, transshipment and port congestion; your quote states the expected range for your shipment.
Status and facts as of 1 November 2026. Conditions change quickly: check our lane status board before you book.
Most containers sail from the main Chinese hubs to Umm Qasr, Iraq's main container port near Basra, either direct or with one transshipment, while some cargo is routed through the UAE or Türkiye.
| Origin region | Main ports (UN/LOCODE) | Typical supplier areas |
|---|---|---|
| East China | Shanghai (CNSHA), Ningbo-Zhoushan (CNNGB) | Shanghai, Zhejiang (including Yiwu), Jiangsu |
| South China | Shenzhen and Yantian (CNSZX, CNYTN), Guangzhou and Nansha (CNCAN, CNNSA), Xiamen (CNXMN) | Guangdong, Fujian |
| North China | Qingdao (CNTAO), Tianjin Xingang (CNTXG) | Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin |
In Iraq, Umm Qasr (IQUQR) has North and South terminals, and carriers increasingly discharge there rather than at Basra (IQBSR), so confirm the terminal before you book: clearance arrangements and inland trucking differ. Cargo for Baghdad (IQBGW) continues by truck. Cargo for Erbil (IQEBL) and the Kurdistan Region often goes by sea to a Turkish port such as Mersin and then by road through the Ibrahim Khalil crossing. Our guide Umm Qasr direct, Jebel Ali transshipment or overland? compares the three in detail.
Umm Qasr lies inside the Strait of Hormuz, so since about 1 March 2026, when most mainline container ships stopped transiting the Strait, Iraq-bound cargo has depended on transshipment, regional feeders and alternative routings.
Carrier advisories reported booking suspensions to Iraq and other upper-Gulf ports, and Xeneta reported war-risk surcharges of USD 2,000–4,000 per TEU in March 2026. At the same time, UAE–Umm Qasr capacity grew: PIL has run a Jebel Ali–Umm Qasr feeder since 2024, Gulftainer launched a UAE–Umm Qasr feeder in July 2026 and Iraqi Line resumed regional sailings. In practice, the choice between direct and via the UAE now depends on which connection is running in the week you ship. See our Hormuz advisory.
Iraq now clears imports electronically in ASYCUDA World, charges duty per item by HS code and will not process a declaration until the certificate of origin and the commercial invoice have been verified electronically.
See our Iraq import checklist, the Iraq customs 2026 guide, the Iraq COC guide and the Iraq customs advisory.
On this lane the duty bill and the time your container spends at Umm Qasr can move your landed cost as much as the ocean freight.
These are reported market examples, not our prices. Your quote shows every line separately with a validity date, and any new charge needs your approval.
Most problems on this lane come from documents, customs valuation and free time, and each has a simple control.
| Risk | How we reduce it |
|---|---|
| COC not issued when the vessel sails | We check each HS code for COC or COI scope at booking and warn you when departure is less than 3–4 weeks away without a certificate |
| Certificate of origin or invoice fails e-verification | Draft documents are checked against each other before loading, and the final versions are ready before arrival |
| Valuation higher than declared | Duty is estimated per HS code with the Iraqi broker before you confirm the order, with a buffer on your cost sheet |
| Free time running out at Umm Qasr | Free days are agreed in writing and counted down per container in your case file |
| Booking suspended or rerouted through a hub | Two route options with the same validity date, and the discharge port confirmed in writing before loading |
| Wrong terminal or inland plan | Umm Qasr North or South, the trucking and the empty-return depot are confirmed before arrival |
We don't publish fixed prices because rates change every week. These are the charges that commonly appear on this lane; your quote shows which ones apply to your shipment.
The price we quote is the price you pay. If a carrier, port or authority adds a charge later, we show it in your case file and ask for your approval before billing.
Common questions about Shipping from China to Iraq.
Published forwarder ranges put China to Umm Qasr at roughly 25–40 days port to port, plus customs clearance and inland delivery. Since March 2026 the Hormuz disruption has made the time longer and less predictable, so we give a range for your carrier, origin port and routing and confirm it on the booking.
Yes, but mostly through transshipment and regional feeders rather than mainline direct services, because Umm Qasr lies inside the Strait of Hormuz. New UAE–Umm Qasr feeder capacity was added in 2026. Our lane status board shows the current position, and we confirm the discharge port before loading.
Direct suits full containers with documents ready for southern or central Iraq. Routing through Jebel Ali suits mixed suppliers, LCL, or cargo that must wait for a COC, an e-verified document or a payment, because it can be stored in JAFZA without UAE duty. We quote both with the same validity date.
A commercial invoice and certificate of origin that pass electronic verification, a packing list, the bill of lading, a registered Iraqi importer and, for regulated products, a COSQC Certificate of Conformity issued before shipment. Descriptions, HS codes, values and weights must match across all documents and the ASYCUDA declaration.
Since 1 January 2026 duty is calculated per item by HS code under Decision 957/2025, with reported rates starting at 5%, and customs may value goods on your invoice or on its own tariff book. Budget per line, not per container, and ask for a duty estimate before you confirm the order.
Yes. We coordinate it and compare two options: sea to Umm Qasr plus a long truck haul, or sea to a Turkish port and road through the Ibrahim Khalil crossing. The northern route needs the Kurdistan Region's ASYCUDA pre-declaration and careful standards compliance, so we prepare the documents before the cargo leaves China.
Before the vessel arrives, the importer should be registered, the COC issued, and the invoice and certificate of origin ready for e-verification, with free days agreed in writing. Free time at Umm Qasr is often quoted at about 7–10 days, which leaves little margin, so we count it down per container in your case file.
Full-container sea freight from China to the UAE, Iraq and the GCC, with one named coordinator, an itemised quote and every stage in your case file.
Ship smaller volumes by sea in a shared container from China to Dubai, and consolidate goods from several suppliers in Jebel Ali for the UAE, Iraq, the GCC or East Africa.
Sea freight combined with bonded or cross-border trucking: the main way into Jebel Ali in 2026 via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar, and a flexible way to reach inland Iraq and the GCC.
Hold goods duty-suspended in Jebel Ali, combine purchases from China and the UAE, and re-export them to Iraq, the GCC or East Africa with the destination paperwork ready.
We prepare and check your customs documents, estimate duties by HS code and coordinate licensed customs brokers at origin and destination, with every step visible in your case file.
Out-of-gauge machinery, steel structures and vehicles moved on flat racks, open tops, breakbulk or RoRo vessels and low-bed trucks, with a route and equipment plan agreed before booking.
Next step
Share the cargo, volume and ready date. Your coordinator will compare the route options and send an itemised quote.
Restricted: extra checks apply
Operating with restrictions. Umm Qasr lies inside the Strait of Hormuz, and since about 1 March 2026 most mainline container ships do not transit the Strait, so Iraq-bound cargo moves by transshipment, regional feeders or via Jebel Ali, with longer, less predictable transit and separate surcharges. Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA World, Decision 957/2025, e-verification since 10 July 2026) also apply. We confirm the routing in writing before you ship.
ChinatoIraq
Sea freight from China to Iraq usually sails from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen or Qingdao to Umm Qasr, and published ranges put the voyage at roughly 25–40 days port to port. Since March 2026 the Hormuz disruption has cut direct services, so much cargo moves by transshipment or on feeders from Jebel Ali. Iraq now clears imports in ASYCUDA World, charges duty per item and requires e-verified invoices and certificates of origin.
From
China
To
Iraq
Transit time (indicative)
