Shipping & Logistics: What to Expect When Sourcing from Sournex
What "FOB Shenzhen" Actually Means
Most pricing on Sournex is quoted FOB (Free on Board) Shenzhen — meaning the price covers the product up to being loaded onto the shipping vessel or aircraft at that port, with the buyer responsible for freight, insurance, and import duties from that point forward. This is the standard arrangement for most wholesale electronics sourcing, and it's worth confirming your freight forwarder or customs broker understands this term before goods ship.
Air Freight vs Sea Freight
- Air freight — faster (typically days rather than weeks), but significantly more expensive per unit of weight/volume. Makes sense for smaller, lighter, higher-value orders or when you're testing a new product and can't wait weeks for sea transit.
- Sea freight — much lower cost per unit at scale, but transit time runs from roughly 2-6 weeks depending on destination. The standard choice for larger, established orders where lead time is planned in advance.
What Actually Determines Your Lead Time
Total lead time is production time plus shipping time — and production time varies more than shipping time does. A straightforward reorder of an in-stock product ships faster than a first order requiring new tooling, custom packaging, or a larger production run than the factory's current output. This is confirmed at the quote stage specifically for your order, rather than being a fixed number across all products.
Customs and Import Duties
Import duties and customs clearance are the buyer's responsibility under FOB terms, and requirements vary significantly by destination country and product category. This is where the compliance documentation (CE, FCC, RoHS, EN71) provided before you order becomes practically useful — customs brokers in most markets will ask for this documentation directly.
Planning Around Peak Season
Shipping capacity and pricing both tighten meaningfully around Chinese New Year (factories close for 1-3 weeks and freight demand spikes before/after) and Q3-Q4 as Western retailers stock for the holiday season. Building in extra lead time around these windows — or placing orders earlier than you'd otherwise need to — avoids the worst of the seasonal bottleneck.
What to Confirm Before You Order
- Your target in-market date, worked backward to a required ship date
- Whether your order timeline overlaps with Chinese New Year or peak shipping season
- Your customs broker's familiarity with the compliance documentation for your product category
Have a specific shipping timeline you're working against? Include it in your inquiry and our team will factor it into the quote.