US West Coast vs East Coast Shipping from China: Which Port Is Best?

Choosing the right US port for your China shipment affects transit time, freight cost, and inland delivery distance. This guide compares West Coast (Los Angeles/Long Beach) vs East Coast (New York/New Jersey) shipping routes.

Factor	West Coast (LA/LB)	East Coast (NY/NJ)
Sea transit	25–30 days DDP	30–35 days DDP
Ocean distance	Shorter (Pacific crossing)	Longer (via Panama/Suez)
Freight cost	Generally lower	Generally higher
Best for destinations	CA, NV, AZ, OR, WA, UT	NY, NJ, FL, GA, PA, NC, OH
Port volume	#1 in US (LA/LB)	#3 in US (NY/NJ)

Choose West Coast (Los Angeles) If:

• Your warehouse or customers are in California or the Western US
• You want the fastest sea transit from China
• You ship to West Coast Amazon FBA centers
• See our Los Angeles shipping guide

Choose East Coast (New York) If:

• Your destination is on the East Coast or in the Midwest/Eastern US
• Shipping heavy building materials or oversized machinery
• East Coast FBA centers are your primary inbound destination
• See our New York shipping guide

What About Inland Destinations?

GSC delivers DDP to any US address — not just port cities. For inland destinations (Texas, Colorado, Illinois), we factor in truck/rail costs when quoting. Sometimes West Coast port + cross-country trucking is still cheaper than East Coast port for central US locations. Request both quotes to compare.