Home Shipping from China to Ireland LCL sea freight from China to Ireland (Dublin, Cork, Galway & more) — 2026 reference rates

LCL sea freight from China to Ireland (Dublin, Cork, Galway & more) — 2026 reference rates

Ireland is well covered on our Europe service, with eight destinations in the price list and Dublin as the gateway for all of them. Chongqing is the fastest and most flexible origin: it is the only lane with a progressive volume ladder, falling from USD 40 per CBM below 1 CBM to just USD 20 above 5 CBM.

That ladder makes Chongqing the obvious choice for anything over 3 CBM. For smaller consignments from the Pearl River delta, the Guangxi, Ningbo and Huangpu lanes all price at USD 19 per CBM to the western and inland towns.

How to read these rates: figures are indicative reference levels for port-to-port LCL ocean freight, updated for October 2026. They exclude origin haulage, warehouse and customs charges, destination port charges and any surcharges. Space, cut-off times and rates must be re-confirmed at booking.

LCL rates from China to Ireland

Chongqing to Dublin — USD 40 per CBM, volume range 0~1 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 35 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 1000 kg.
Chongqing to Dublin — USD 35 per CBM, volume range 1~3 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 35 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 1000 kg.
Chongqing to Dublin — USD 25 per CBM, volume range 3~5 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 35 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 1000 kg.
Chongqing to Dublin — USD 20 per CBM, volume range 5~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 35 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 1000 kg.
Zhongshan to Cork — USD 20 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 1000 kg.
Guangxi to Galway — USD 19 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.
Guangxi to Monaghan — USD 19 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.
Ningbo to Wicklow — USD 19 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.
Huangpu New Port to Wexford — USD 19 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.
Huangpu New Port to Westmeath — USD 19 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.
Xiamen to Suspended — this consolidation service is temporarily suspended, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; transhipment via Dublin; carrier MSK; cut-off/ETD Closed Mon / ETD Sun; transit time about 40 days; chargeable ratio 1 CBM = 333 kg.

Chongqing's volume ladder. USD 40, 35, 25 and 20 per CBM as the consignment grows. Above 5 CBM the Chongqing rate matches or beats every other origin on the list, which makes it the natural choice for larger Irish shipments.

Watch the 1:333 ratio. The Guangxi, Ningbo and Huangpu lanes convert at 1 CBM = 333 kg, far more favourable to the shipper than the usual 1:1000. For dense cargo those lanes are considerably cheaper in practice than the headline suggests.

ENS applies. A USD 25 ENS filing per bill of lading is charged on all Ireland services under EU pre-arrival security rules.

Source note. The original document lists one suspended lane whose destination appears as “Delhi”, which does not exist on the Irish network; the row is retained only to show that the lane is currently unavailable. Carrier names in that document also contained obvious typos (Cork, Wicklow, Wexford and Westmeath were misspelt); the standard spellings are used above.

Why Ireland is cheaper than Britain

Ireland enjoys competitive direct and one-transhipment routings, and Dublin is a well-served gateway. The result is per-CBM rates in the high teens to low twenties, well below comparable UK lanes — as long as you can meet the minimum volumes and the cargo suits the 1:333 conversion the southern-China lanes apply.

Getting the chargeable volume right

On the 1:333 lanes, divide the gross weight in kilograms by 333 to get the weight-derived volume, then compare with the actual cubic volume. A 1 CBM shipment weighing 400 kg becomes 1.2 CBM and is billed on 1.2 CBM, not 1. That conversion is generous compared with the standard 1:1000 rule and is worth checking on every quotation.

FAQ — LCL shipping from China to Ireland