Shipping from China to Siem Reap
China → Siem Reap · via REP air / Sihanoukville sea · clearance by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE)
Freight from China into Siem Reap clears through REP air / Sihanoukville sea. Siem Reap is tourism economy with hospitality supply demand, and allow +2 days for the inland leg on top of clearance.
Clearance itself is handled by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), and typical dwell at the gateway runs 3–7 days.
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.
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 |
| Sea gateways used | Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river) |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 6–10 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Siem Reap | REP air / Sihanoukville sea |
| Inland leg to Siem Reap | +2 days from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–7 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Siem Reap checklist
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Cambodia duty rate against it yourself.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: CamControl inspection for regulated goods; Form E for duty preference.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Put the Siem Reap delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Air, sea or overland into Siem Reap?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 3–5 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 6–10 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Cambodia gateway and excludes the +2 days inland leg to Siem Reap and 3–7 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Siem Reap
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Siem Reap take?
China to the Cambodia gateway is 3–5 business days by air, 6–10 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3–7 days of clearance with General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) and a +2 days inland leg to Siem Reap.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Siem Reap?
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 Siem Reap.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Siem Reap?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
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.
Which port or airport does cargo for Siem Reap clear through?
Cargo for Siem Reap is routed via REP air / Sihanoukville sea. Sea gateways for Cambodia are Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river); air gateways are PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Siem Reap?
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 +2 days 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.
- Pallet Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Conveyor Belts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Hotel Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Restaurant Furniture Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Fabrication Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Pressure Vessels Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Switchgear New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Doors & Windows Building Materials & Construction Products
- Corrugated Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Glass Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Kitchenware Furniture & Home Products
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.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
For a wider view of how importing into Cambodia actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Cambodia customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Siem Reap. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Sea Freight from China: How to import from China to your country via Ocean Shipping — SINO Shipping. 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 →