Home Shipping from China to Papua New Guinea LCL sea freight from China to Papua New Guinea (Lae, Port Moresby & Rabaul) — 2026 reference rates
LCL sea freight from China to Papua New Guinea (Lae, Port Moresby & Rabaul) — 2026 reference rates
Papua New Guinea is served through three ports: Lae, the country's industrial hub on the Huon Gulf; Port Moresby, the capital; and Rabaul in East New Britain. Every lane we hold uses ONE, and transits are short — 20 to 31 days in most cases.
Xiamen reaches Lae in just 20 days at USD 276 per CBM, the fastest lane here. Freight collect is available on some services but not others, so check the collection terms before you book — Rabaul is prepaid only on every lane.
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 Papua New Guinea
| Port of departure | Port of destination | Volume range (CBM) | Rate (USD/CBM) | MIN (CBM) | Transit port | Cut-off / ETD | Carrier | Transit time (days) | Collect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen | Lae | 0~15 | 249 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Tue | ONE | 31 | Yes |
| Shenzhen | Port Moresby | 0~15 | 226 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Tue | ONE | 28 | No |
| Guangzhou | Rabaul | 0~15 | 494 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Tue | ONE | 31 | No |
| Xiamen | Lae | 0~15 | 276 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Wed | ONE | 20 | Yes |
| Dalian | Port Moresby | 0~15 | 239 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Wed | ONE | 31 | Yes |
| Tianjin | Rabaul | 0~15 | 521 | 1 | Direct | Closed Thu / ETD Wed | ONE | 28 | No |
| Ningbo | Lae | 0~15 | 336 | 1 | Direct | Closed Tue / ETD Fri | COSCO | 60 | No |
Shenzhen to Lae — USD 249 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Tue; transit time about 31 days.
Shenzhen to Port Moresby — USD 226 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Tue; transit time about 28 days.
Guangzhou to Rabaul — USD 494 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Tue; transit time about 31 days.
Xiamen to Lae — USD 276 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Wed; transit time about 20 days.
Dalian to Port Moresby — USD 239 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Wed; transit time about 31 days.
Tianjin to Rabaul — USD 521 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier ONE; cut-off/ETD Closed Thu / ETD Wed; transit time about 28 days.
Ningbo to Lae — USD 336 per CBM, volume range 0~15 CBM; minimum 1 CBM; direct consolidation; carrier COSCO; cut-off/ETD Closed Tue / ETD Fri; transit time about 60 days.
PNG is expensive per cubic metre. Rates run from USD 226 to USD 521, well above comparable Asian destinations, because volumes are thin and the island network is served by a single carrier. Rabaul is the priciest at USD 494–521.
Collect terms vary. Freight collect is available on the Shenzhen–Lae, Xiamen–Lae and Dalian–Port Moresby lanes, but not on the Port Moresby lane from Shenzhen or either Rabaul lane. Confirm before you promise the consignee anything.
Ningbo is slow. The COSCO lane from Ningbo takes 60 days, roughly double every other option, and costs more than Shenzhen. Use it only if the cargo must originate in Zhejiang.
Choosing a PNG port
Lae is the country's main commercial port and serves the highlands and the Morobe province; Port Moresby is the capital and administrative centre; Rabaul serves East New Britain and the islands. The price gap between them is significant — Port Moresby at USD 226 from Shenzhen against Rabaul at USD 494 from Guangzhou — so getting the discharge port right matters more than squeezing the origin.
Project and mining cargo
Much PNG-bound cargo supports mining, energy and infrastructure projects, often with tight delivery windows and heavy, out-of-gauge pieces that need flat-rack or open-top equipment. Give us the dimensions and weights early: on a single-carrier route, equipment availability, not the freight rate, is usually the binding constraint.