Home Shipping from China to the USA Shipping medicines from China to the USA — what can be sent, and how
Shipping medicines from China to the USA — what can be sent, and how
Sending medicines from China to the United States is a well-established practice, particularly among Chinese communities abroad who rely on preparations they are used to and cannot buy locally. It is lawful, but it only works reliably through the right channel and with the right declaration — and the single most common reason for failure is that the sender walked into a post office and tried to post it themselves.
This guide covers what can leave China by post, what each channel costs in 2026, the difference between personal-use and commercial consignments, and how the paperwork should be prepared. The choice of channel is really a choice about the physical form of the goods — granular, block-form or herbal preparations travel easily; liquids and loose powders generally do not.
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.
Channels for sending medicines from China to the USA
| Channel | What it suits | Charging basis | Reference rate | Typical transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMS (via a consolidating agent) | Personal-use supplies: prescription medicines, patent Chinese medicines, herbal materials, antibiotics, blood-pressure medication, pain patches | Per kg, by published weight band | To the USA: first 0.5 kg RMB 240, then RMB 75 per additional 0.5 kg | 7–15 days |
| Consolidated courier | Larger personal shipments and small commercial orders | Per kg or per CBM | Agent rates typically well below the direct courier tariff | 5–12 days |
| Air freight | Commercial volumes with full export documentation | Per kg on chargeable weight | Quoted per flight | 3–8 days |
| Sea LCL (groupage) | Bulk commercial volumes of granular or block-form products | Per CBM | Quoted by lane and season | 18–30 days port to port |
Post directly and it will be refused. China Post counters, SF Express, YTO, STO and the international couriers routinely decline medicine parcels from walk-in senders. The goods are not prohibited — the counter simply is not set up to declare them. Routing through a consolidating agent that handles the declaration is what makes the shipment work.
Form matters more than brand. Granular and block-form preparations and dried herbal materials ship without difficulty. Liquids and loose powders are the two categories that cannot normally be sent internationally. Check the physical form of the product before you order it.
Keep personal quantities personal. Small quantities for personal use — typically well under a kilogram — pass customs without difficulty. Bulk quantities for the same person attract attention and should be shipped commercially with full documentation.
Can medicines be sent out of China?
Yes, subject to the applicable rules. For personal use, prescription medicines, patent Chinese medicines, blood-pressure medication, antibiotics, herbal materials and pain patches can be sent to family and friends provided the quantity is modest. Chinese customs does not prohibit the export of these items.
For commercial quantities the position changes. The exporter needs proper export documentation and a customs broker to file the export declaration. Medicines that comply with customs and carrier requirements can then be exported formally and legitimately.
Why so many parcels fail
Three failures account for almost all the problems we see. The first is a counterfeit or non-compliant product — nothing can fix that. The second is a parcel posted directly at a counter with no declaration, which is refused or, worse, accepted and then returned from the destination country months later. The third is an inaccurate description: an invoice that does not match the contents will be stopped, and the consignee will not be able to retrieve it.
Working through an agent avoids all three. Before the parcel ships we check whether the product will clear security screening in China and customs at destination, and we help prepare the paperwork — which matters most when the sender is an elderly relative who is not comfortable with the forms.
What the 2026 postal rates look like
The EMS tariff is published by weight band and destination. Our records for the USA show RMB 240 for the first 0.5 kg and RMB 75 for each additional 0.5 kg, so a one-kilogram parcel is around RMB 315 to ship. Personal supplies rarely exceed a kilogram, which keeps the cost manageable.
Rates to other destinations follow the same pattern: Australia at RMB 210 for the first 0.5 kg and RMB 55 thereafter; the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam at RMB 190 and RMB 45; Papua New Guinea and New Zealand at RMB 210 and RMB 75; and a long list of European destinations — Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Denmark — sharing a single tariff band. Consignments of 21 kg and above can often move more cheaply through a consolidated courier service than through EMS.
Personal use versus commercial shipment
The distinction is mainly one of scale and paperwork. Personal-use parcels are declared as such and settle only the destination charges. Commercial shipments need an export declaration in China and a formal import entry in the United States, with the consignee registered as the importer of record. If your volume is growing beyond personal supplies, move to the commercial route before the quantities attract attention.