Freight is usually the second-largest line on an eyewear purchase order after the goods themselves, and it is the line most suppliers leave out of the conversation. This page sets out how we calculate it, the packing our eyewear ships in, and the tariff rates behind the numbers.
Volume, not weight: eyewear is light but bulky, so carriers bill on volumetric weight
The formula: length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000
Courier to the US: from RMB 122 per kg (7–12 days)
Sea freight to the US: from RMB 10.2 per kg (25–35 days)
Adding case sets: increases shipped volume roughly eightfold
1. How freight is calculated
Carriers bill on whichever is greater: the actual weight of the shipment, or its volumetric weight. Eyewear frames are light — a pair weighs a fraction of what its box occupies — so in practice volumetric weight governs almost every eyewear shipment.
Formula
Volumetric weight (kg) = length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000
The divisor varies by carrier and lane. 6000 is the figure our forwarders apply on the routes we use. Some carriers apply 5000, which produces a higher chargeable weight on the same carton — always confirm the divisor in the quotation.
2. Packing specifications
Eyewear ships in aircraft-style boxes, packed into export cartons. The number of pairs per box varies by series because frame shapes and thicknesses differ.
| Aircraft box (cm) | Pairs per box | Export carton (cm) | Boxes per carton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small 24.2 × 15.2 × 8.5 | 12 (KB, K5) | 78.5 × 26.5 × 46 | 25 |
| Medium 24.2 × 15.2 × 10.3 | 12 (KA) / 16 (KB) / 18 (K5) | 78.5 × 26.5 × 55 | 25 |
| Medium-large 24.2 × 15.2 × 11.7 | 10 (KC, KU) / 18 (KA, KB) / 24 (K5) | 78.5 × 26.5 × 61.5 | 25 |
| Large 28 × 17 × 12 | 16 (KU, KC) / 20 (KA, KB) / 30 (K5) | 88.5 × 30 × 63.5 | 25 |
Taking a KA-series frame in the medium-large box as the worked example:
- One export carton holds 25 boxes × 18 pairs = 450 pairs
- Carton volume = 78.5 × 26.5 × 61.5 = 127,900 cm³ = 0.128 m³
- Volume per pair = 127,900 ÷ 450 = 284 cm³
The case set changes the arithmetic
A protective case measures 19 × 9 × 8 cm, or 1,368 cm³ each. Packing efficiency matters as much as the case itself: an export carton takes four cases across, two deep and seven high — 56 cases — so each pair with a case occupies 127,900 ÷ 56 = 2,284 cm³.
The multiplier
284 cm³ per pair without a case, 2,284 cm³ with one. Case sets increase shipped volume roughly eightfold, and because freight bills on volume, they increase freight by a similar order.
3. Courier rates — United States
Our courier tariffs to the United States, at the 2 kg and above weight band, across the service tiers we use:
| Service | Transit | Rate per kg | Handling per shipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| International e-commerce — CD | 7–12 days | RMB 122 | RMB 9 |
| International e-commerce — Fengxuan | 7–12 days | RMB 125 | RMB 40 |
| International e-commerce — Preferred | 7–12 days | RMB 130 | RMB 9 |
| International e-commerce — Standard | 7–12 days | RMB 137 | RMB 9 |
| International e-commerce — Express | 6–10 days | RMB 150 | RMB 42 |
4. Courier rates — Europe
| Destination | Transit | Rate per kg | Handling per shipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8–12 days | RMB 83 | RMB 16 |
| France | 8–12 days | RMB 92 | RMB 23 |
| Germany | 8–12 days | RMB 97 | RMB 22 |
| Austria | 8–12 days | RMB 102 | RMB 23 |
| Sweden | 10–15 days | RMB 105 | RMB 21 |
| Denmark | 10–15 days | RMB 115 | RMB 36 |
| Netherlands | 8–10 days | RMB 119 | RMB 23 |
| Belgium | 8–10 days | RMB 121 | RMB 23 |
| Norway | 10–15 days | RMB 134 | RMB 32 |
| Switzerland | 8–12 days | RMB 170 | RMB 30 |
Switzerland sits well above its neighbours because it is outside the EU customs union: the clearance process is separate even though the transit time is comparable.
5. Sea freight — United States
Above roughly 100 kg chargeable weight, sea freight becomes substantially cheaper than courier. The rates below are FBA first-leg tariffs — delivery to an Amazon warehouse — and exclude customs clearance and the final-mile delivery to a commercial address.
| Service | Weight band | Rate per kg | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea — standard container trucking | 12 kg+ | RMB 10.2 | 25–35 days |
| Sea — standard container trucking | 101 kg+ | RMB 9.2 | 25–35 days |
| Sea — express container trucking | 12 kg+ | RMB 10.5 | 22–30 days |
| Sea — express container trucking | 101 kg+ | RMB 9.5 | 22–30 days |
| Sea — Matson CLX expedited | 12–50 kg | RMB 21 | 13–14 days |
| Sea — Matson CLX expedited | 51 kg+ | RMB 17.5 | 13–14 days |
6. Worked examples
Eyewear only, in transit boxes, to the United States. Rates converted at RMB 6.65 to the US dollar.
| Quantity | Volumetric weight | Courier — CD | Courier — Standard | Sea — Matson CLX | Sea — standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 pairs | 2.4 kg | US$46 | US$51 | — | — |
| 100 pairs | 4.7 kg | US$88 | US$98 | — | — |
| 300 pairs | 14.2 kg | US$262 | US$294 | US$45 | US$22 |
| 500 pairs | 23.7 kg | US$436 | US$489 | US$75 | US$37 |
| 900 pairs | 42.6 kg | US$783 | US$878 | US$135 | US$66 |
Per pair, that works out at roughly US$0.98 by courier, US$0.15 by expedited sea and US$0.07 by standard sea at the 300-pair level.
7. What happens when you add case sets
This is the single largest freight decision in an eyewear order, and it is usually made without anyone noticing.
| 40 pairs to the United States | Volumetric weight | Courier cost |
|---|---|---|
| Eyewear only, in transit boxes | 1.9 kg | US$40 |
| Eyewear with a case set per pair | 15.2 kg | US$315 |
The case sets add US$275 to the freight while costing US$100 in goods. Shipping them by courier at small volumes costs more than the cases themselves.
What we recommend
Quote case sets as a separate line, as we do. For orders of a few hundred pairs, ship the eyewear by courier and the cases by sea consolidation; for larger orders, ship both together by sea. We will show both options when we quote.
8. Sources
- SF Express — International e-commerce product tariff, effective 15 July 2026. Courier rates and transit times for the CD, Fengxuan, Preferred, Standard and Express services, including volumetric weight divisors.
- SF Cross-border FBA tariff, effective 2 September 2026 (Fujian schedule). US west coast container trucking and Matson CLX expedited sea rates.
- Factory packing specification, 13 October 2026. Aircraft box dimensions, pairs per box, export carton dimensions and boxes per carton.
Rates are indicative and are based on published carrier tariffs at the dates shown. Actual freight is quoted per shipment against the confirmed weight, volume, destination and service level. Volumetric weight divisors vary by carrier and lane; confirm the applicable divisor before relying on a figure. Currency conversion in the worked examples uses RMB 6.65 to the US dollar.
WORLUX SPORTS ships custom sports eyewear from Xiamen, China. Stock wholesale · Download the catalogue · Request a quote