The price of cargo from China comes down to three things: the mode (truck, air or rail), the volume of the cargo or its chargeable weight, and the density in kg/m³. As of September 2026, truck cargo starts at $110 per m³ — the density picks the exact rate — and air costs $9–12/kg. Below are the formulas, the density table, 5 worked examples and what the price includes.
What makes up the cargo price?
Cargo is delivery from a warehouse in China to a warehouse in Tashkent at a single price. That price usually covers four jobs: intake and measuring at the Yiwu warehouse, consolidation (joining a lot), transport via Khorgos, and customs clearance in Tashkent. What moves the price:
- Mode. Truck is the cheapest at 15–25 days; air is the fastest at 5–10 days but $9–12 per kilogram; rail is priced per container and takes 20–35 days.
- Volume and chargeable weight. By truck you pay for the real volume of the cargo (m³); by air, for the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
- Density. For truck cargo it sets the price of a cubic metre: from $110 for light goods to $320 for dense ones.
- Goods category. By air, branded and serial goods (3 or more identical units) cost more; goods with batteries, liquids and magnets travel by truck only.
- Extra services. Inspection, repacking, insurance and regional delivery are charged separately.
What is volumetric weight and how is it calculated?
Volumetric weight is a notional “weight” derived from the box dimensions. Space in an aircraft is limited: a large box weighing 12 kg takes more room than a small one weighing 25 kg, so the air carrier counts volume as well. Truck cargo is billed on the volume itself, so there it needs no volumetric weight:
| Mode | What you pay for | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Truck cargo | volume (m³), with the density picking the rate | length × width × height (cm) ÷ 1 000 000 = m³; minimum 0.1 m³ |
| Air cargo | chargeable weight (kg) | the greater of the actual weight and length × width × height (cm) ÷ 5 000 |
Example: a 50×40×40 cm box weighing 8 kg. By air the volumetric weight is 80,000 ÷ 5 000 = 16 kg, and 16 > 8, so you pay for 16 kg. By truck the same box is 0.08 m³, and the price follows the volume and the density. The ÷ 6 000 rule (1 m³ ≈ 167 kg) is still used on the market to judge how bulky a shipment is (Transasia, June 23, 2026), but it does not set our truck tariff.
What is density, and how does it set the truck price?
Density is the ratio of cargo weight to its volume, in kg/m³. Calculation: total weight ÷ total volume. 180 kg and 2 m³ → 90 kg/m³; 48 kg and 0.2 m³ → 240 kg/m³.
Truck cargo is priced from exactly that number: the density picks the rate for one cubic metre, and that rate is multiplied by the volume. The denser the cargo, the more a cubic metre costs — the same space carries more weight.
| Density | Price per m³ |
|---|---|
| up to 100 kg/m³ | $110 |
| 101–150 kg/m³ | $130 |
| 151–200 kg/m³ | $160 |
| 201–250 kg/m³ | $180 |
| 251–300 kg/m³ | $200 |
| 301–350 kg/m³ | $230 |
| 351–400 kg/m³ | $260 |
| 401–450 kg/m³ | $280 |
| 451–500 kg/m³ | $290 |
| 501–700 kg/m³ | $300 |
| 701–1,000 kg/m³ | $320 |
| 1,000 kg/m³ and above | $0.55/kg |
The same two examples in money: 48 kg in 0.2 m³ → 240 kg/m³ → 0.2 × 180 = $36; 180 kg in 2 m³ → 90 kg/m³ → 2 × 110 = $220. Cargo denser than water — 1,200 kg in 1 m³, that is 1,200 kg/m³ — is billed per kilogram: 1,200 × 0.55 = $660, because such a load runs out the truck’s tonnage before its volume. The minimum billable volume is 0.1 m³. Air is always priced per kilogram.
Typical densities and the rate they fall into:
| Goods | Typical density | Truck rate |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic toys | 60–100 kg/m³ | $110/m³ |
| Furniture | 80–150 kg/m³ | $110–130/m³ |
| Boxed footwear | 150–200 kg/m³ | $130–160/m³ |
| Tightly packed clothing | 250–350 kg/m³ | $180–230/m³ |
| Fabric on rolls | 350–500 kg/m³ | $230–290/m³ |
| Spare parts, metal goods | 400–700 kg/m³ | $260–300/m³ |
Estimated tariffs as of September 2026
The figures below are September medians for the Tashkent market; they come from the same source as the table on the Pricing page and are updated monthly. Updated: September 8, 2026.
| Tariff | Estimated price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Truck, light cargo up to 100 kg/m³ | $110/m³ | from 0.1 m³ |
| Truck, medium density 101–300 kg/m³ | $130–200/m³ | full table above |
| Truck, dense cargo 301–1,000 kg/m³ | $230–320/m³ | full table above |
| Truck, 1,000 kg/m³ and denser | $0.55/kg | metal, spare parts, liquids |
| Air, standard goods | $9/kg | from 0.5 kg |
| Air, serial / commercial | $11.50/kg | 3 or more identical units |
| Air, branded | $12/kg | in original packaging |
| Rail, 20 ft / 40 ft | $2,800–5,500 / $5,200–6,800 | per container |
For comparison: iCargo prices consolidated cargo on the same model — a per-m³ rate by density, in a $100–190/m³ range; Transasia describes the ÷ 5 000 and ÷ 6 000 volumetric rules (June 23, 2026); and our air rates sit at the market level MK Express publishes (March 27, 2025). Prices are fixed in dollars and paid in Tashkent in soums: on September 8, 2026 the Central Bank rate was UZS 11,789.33.
5 examples: how the price comes out
Example 1. Clothing, truck. 3 boxes of 60×40×40 cm, 85 kg in total. Volume: 3 × 0.096 = 0.288 m³. Density: 85 ÷ 0.288 = 295 kg/m³ → the 251–300 band, $200/m³. Price: 0.288 × 200 = $57.60.
Example 2. Plastic toys, truck. 1.2 m³, 120 kg. Density: 120 ÷ 1.2 = 100 kg/m³ → $110/m³. Price: 1.2 × 110 = $132. The same 120 kg packed into 0.4 m³: 300 kg/m³ → $200/m³ → 0.4 × 200 = $80 — the volume shrinks threefold while the rate less than doubles.
Example 3. Fabric, wholesale, truck. 400 kg, 1 m³. Density: 400 ÷ 1 = 400 kg/m³ → the 351–400 band, $260/m³. Price: 1 × 260 = $260. The same 400 kg loosely stacked over 2 m³: 200 kg/m³ → $160/m³ → 2 × 160 = $320. The final figure is confirmed after measuring at the warehouse.
Example 4. Electronics, air. A 50×40×40 cm box, 8 kg. Volumetric weight: 80,000 ÷ 5 000 = 16 kg > 8 kg → you pay for 16 kg. Standard goods $9/kg → $144; branded $12/kg → $192.
Example 5. Samples: air or truck? A 40×40×30 cm box, 20 kg. Air: volumetric weight 48,000 ÷ 5 000 = 9.6 kg < 20 → 20 × 9 = $180, 5–10 days. Truck: volume 0.048 m³, density 20 ÷ 0.048 = 417 kg/m³ → $280/m³; the volume is under the minimum, so 0.1 m³ is billed: 0.1 × 280 = $28, 15–25 days. A $152 difference — air pays for itself only when the deadline really is tight.
The Calculator applies the same rules to your own cargo and shows the rule used, the rate and the update date.
What does the price include and exclude?
| Service | Included? | Estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Intake, weighing and measuring at the Yiwu warehouse | Yes | — |
| Photo report | Yes, at every intake | extra photos on request from $1 |
| Consolidation and standard packing | Yes | — |
| Storage in China | Yes, up to 14 days | daily fee afterwards |
| Customs clearance and GTD | Yes | — |
| Delivery to the Tashkent warehouse | Yes | — |
| Storage in Tashkent | Yes, up to 3 days | daily fee afterwards |
| Opening and inspecting the goods | No | from $1/kg |
| Repacking (volume reduction) | No | $0.40/kg |
| Insurance | No | 1% of declared value |
| Duty, VAT, customs fee | No | by law, calculated in advance |
| Regional delivery | Free to a branch | to the door UZS 20,000–30,000 |
| Sourcing and buying | No | commission from 3% |
Are customs payments included in the price?
Customs clearance — documents, HS code, GTD — is our job and is included. Duty and VAT are paid to the state and depend on the goods code, so they are not part of the cargo tariff; we calculate them at the quote stage.
- Legal entities and sole traders: duty 0–30% (clothing 20%, phones 5%, furniture 15%, computers 0%), VAT 12% on customs value plus duty, and a customs fee of 1 BRV for lots up to $10,000. For example, a $5,000 clothing lot: duty $1,000, VAT (5,000 + 1,000) × 12% = $720 — about $1,720 in total plus 1 BRV.
- Individuals: since May 1, 2025 the courier-shipment limit is $200 per month, with 30% on the excess and a minimum of $3/kg (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 244). Every shipment also carries a fee of 2% of BRV per kilogram (Resolution No. 55, from May 4, 2025). As Gazeta.uz reported on September 2, 2026, the rate becomes 20% and $2/kg from January 1, 2027.
Goods for a shop or a marketplace are commercial cargo; they cannot be brought in “duty-free”, and we make no such promise. Details: Customs clearance.
How can you lower the shipping cost?
- Increase the density. Ask the supplier for vacuum packing or a smaller box: 120 kg of soft goods in 2 m³ is 60 kg/m³ → $110/m³ → $220, while the same 120 kg compressed into 0.8 m³ is 150 kg/m³ → $130/m³ → $104. Repacking at the warehouse costs $0.40/kg ($48 here), so the net saving is $68.
- Combine lots. The 0.1 m³ minimum applies to each shipment separately, so small parcels are cheaper gathered into one: 0.06 m³ / 30 kg (500 kg/m³ → $290/m³ → 0.1 × 290 = $29) and 0.06 m³ / 6 kg (100 kg/m³ → $110/m³ → 0.1 × 110 = $11) cost $40 apart, but $24 together — 0.12 m³ / 36 kg → 300 kg/m³ → $200/m³. The 14 days of free storage in China exist for exactly this.
- Pick the right mode. Light bulky goods and dense goods both travel by truck and are both priced per m³ — only at 1,000 kg/m³ and above does the tariff flip to $0.55/kg; compare a lot above 15 m³ with a container; take air only when the deadline decides.
- Mind the holidays. Before Chinese New Year and October 1–7, prices and transit times rise; around November 11, on the contrary, there are discounts.
- Prepare documents early. When the invoice and the HS code match, the cargo does not sit at customs — no storage or demurrage costs.
All figures are estimates, updated September 8, 2026. For an exact price, send the weight, dimensions and description of your cargo on Telegram — your manager replies with the rule, the rate and the final amount: Truck cargo, Pricing, Calculator.