Air Freight from China to Kandal
China → Kandal · via PNH air / Phnom Penh river port · clearance by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE)
Freight from China into Kandal clears through PNH air / Phnom Penh river port. Kandal is garment factory belt surrounding the capital, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
On the destination side, General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) handles clearance; budget 3–7 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
What the routing looks like in practice
Sihanoukville takes direct South China calls, while Phnom Penh is reachable by river barge from Cai Mep in Vietnam — often the cheaper option for LCL. Land trucking through the Bavet crossing from Ho Chi Minh City is a practical third route for urgent cargo that does not justify air.
| Air gateways used | PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3–5 business days |
| Gateway serving Kandal | PNH air / Phnom Penh river port |
| Inland leg to Kandal | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–7 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
What you will pay on arrival in Cambodia
Imports into Cambodia are cleared by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE). The headline position is: VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E. The de-minimis threshold is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: CamControl inspection for regulated goods; Form E for duty preference. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Cambodia: Garment and footwear inputs move under specific duty-exemption schemes tied to the factory license, so the consignee's status changes the landed cost materially. Used goods and secondhand electronics face restrictions.
Before you book: Kandal checklist
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Put the Kandal delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Confirm the consignee in Kandal can act as importer of record — General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Kandal take?
China to the Cambodia gateway is 3–5 business days. On top of that, allow 3–7 days of clearance with General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) and a same-day inland leg to Kandal.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Kandal?
General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) applies: VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Kandal.
What certification do I need for Cambodia?
For regulated goods, plan for: CamControl inspection for regulated goods; Form E for duty preference. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
When is the busiest time on the China–Cambodia lane?
Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Kandal?
Yes. Delivery to a Kandal address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Kandal?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 6–10 calendar days by sea versus 3–5 business days by air to the Cambodia gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
Other delivery cities in Cambodia
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Cambodia change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) or your broker before you ship.
- General Department of Customs and Excise
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Packaging Materials Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
Checking the Cambodia duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
If this is your first shipment into Cambodia, the Cambodia Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Kandal. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
What Is Chargeable Weight in Air Freight? — Smart Logistics Network. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Cambodia
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Cambodia clearance requirements →