Shipping from China to Amman
China → Amman · via AMM air / Aqaba sea · clearance by Jordan Customs Department
We move freight cargo from South China into Amman through AMM air / Aqaba sea. Amman is capital holding most of the national market, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
On the destination side, Jordan Customs Department handles clearance; budget 3–8 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
Routing and transit on this lane
Aqaba is Jordan's only seaport and also the transit gateway for cargo continuing to Iraq and, historically, the wider Levant. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone offers reduced duty for goods consumed inside it, which is worth checking before assuming standard rates apply.
| Air gateways used | AMM (Amman Queen Alia) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3–6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Aqaba |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20–28 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Amman | AMM air / Aqaba sea |
| Inland leg to Amman | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
What you will pay on arrival in Jordan
Imports into Jordan are cleared by Jordan Customs Department. The headline position is: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0–30%. The de-minimis threshold is JOD 200 for personal consignments.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: JSMO conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Jordan: Aqaba Special Economic Zone rules differ from the rest of the country. Transit cargo to neighboring markets needs bonded documentation. Arabic labeling required for retail goods.
Air, sea or overland into Amman?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 3–6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 20–28 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Jordan gateway and excludes the +1 day inland leg to Amman and 3–8 days of clearance.
Before you book: Amman checklist
- Check the de-minimis position (JOD 200 for personal consignments) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Jordan duty rate against it yourself.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Confirm the consignee in Amman can act as importer of record — Jordan Customs Department will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
Mode guides for Amman
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Amman take?
China to the Jordan gateway is 3–6 business days by air, 20–28 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3–8 days of clearance with Jordan Customs Department and a +1 day inland leg to Amman.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Amman?
Jordan Customs Department applies: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0–30%. The de-minimis position is JOD 200 for personal consignments. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Amman.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Amman?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via AMM (Amman Queen Alia). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Which port or airport does cargo for Amman clear through?
Cargo for Amman is routed via AMM air / Aqaba sea. Sea gateways for Jordan are Aqaba; air gateways are AMM (Amman Queen Alia). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
When is the busiest time on the China–Jordan 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.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Amman?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Other delivery cities in Jordan
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Jordan 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 Jordan Customs Department or your broker before you ship.
- Jordan Customs
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
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.
- Salon Furniture Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- Sheet Metal Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Compressors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Electrical Cabinets New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Flooring Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plastic Products Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Ceramic Tableware Glass & Ceramic Products
- Tableware Furniture & Home Products
- Display Stands Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Umbrellas Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Bearings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Solar Panel New Energy, Power & Electrical
Checking the Jordan duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Jordan Customs Department 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.
If this is your first shipment into Jordan, the Jordan 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 Amman. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Bill of Lading Explained (BOL) | Types, Components & Full Beginner Guide | Shipping Document — 10 Min For Supply Chain. 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 Jordan
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Jordan clearance requirements →