How long China-direct parcels really take: delivery times from 17,567 parcels (January–August 2026)
We measured order-to-delivery time for 17,567 parcels shipped direct from China between January and August 2026. The median was 6.8 days: UK 5.6, Japan and Singapore 5.2, Australia 6.9, US 7.3, Canada 7.5. 99.1% were delivered and 0.22% returned. Here is the data by destination and service, where the days go, and what slows a parcel down.
What did we measure?
We took every China-direct parcel ShopRest shipped with an order date between 2 January and 20 August 2026: 17,567 parcels. 12,306 went to the United States, 3,527 to the United Kingdom, 521 to Singapore, 424 to Canada, 355 to Japan, 333 to Australia and 101 elsewhere. For each parcel we measured the time from the order being created in our system to the carrier’s delivery scan, using the tracking events. Times are calendar days unless we say working days; working days count Monday to Friday from the order date in China. The median is the day by which half of the parcels were delivered; the 90th percentile is the day by which nine in ten were. No customer or recipient details are used or published.
Most parcels were light: the median weight was 0.3 kg, 82% weighed 0.5 kg or less, and fewer than 2% weighed more than 1 kg.
How long does a China-direct parcel take?
Across all 17,567 parcels the median was 6.8 days from order to delivery and the 90th percentile 9.8 days. 91% arrived within 10 days and 98% within 14. In working days the median was 5 and the 90th percentile 7.
By destination (median / 90th percentile, calendar days): United Kingdom 5.6 / 7.7. Japan 5.2 / 8.1. Singapore 5.2 / 6.4. Australia 6.9 / 9.4. United States 7.3 / 10.5. Canada 7.5 / 10.8.
How did each service perform?
Services are named here by our internal line names; the calculator on each route page shows the current lanes for that country with their quoted transit times. Figures are median / 90th percentile.
US and UK express line, to the US (10,912 parcels): 6.9 / 9.8 days, 5 / 6 working days. 53% arrived within 7 days and 92% within 10.
US and UK express line, to the UK (1,807 parcels): 6.3 / 8.5 days, 4 / 6 working days. 97% within 10 days.
Standard general goods, to the UK (1,499 parcels): 5.4 / 6.5 days, 4 / 5 working days. 92% within 7 days and none returned.
Apparel line, to the US (1,216 parcels): 8.4 / 11.8 days, 5 / 8 working days. To Canada (424): 7.5 / 10.8 days, 5 / 8 working days. To Australia (118): 7.1 / 9.9 days, 5 / 7 working days.
Economy general goods, to Australia (198 parcels): 6.9 / 8.9 days, 5 / 6 working days, 95% within 10 days. To Japan (351): 5.2 / 8.1 days, 4 / 6 working days, 80% within 7 days.
Global general goods, to Singapore (518 parcels): 5.2 / 6.4 days, 4 / 5 working days. 95% within 7 days.
Islands line, to Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico and US military addresses (176 parcels): 11.4 / 15.2 days, 8 / 10 working days. Remote US addresses took about four days longer than the mainland.
The transit times on our route pages are counted in working days from warehouse dispatch. The figures above start earlier, at order creation, so they also include China-side handling. Measured this way they still fall within the published ranges for each country, which is why we have not shortened those ranges: they also have to cover peak season and remote postcodes.
Where do the days go?
Median time per stage, in calendar days: order to arrival at the China sorting centre 0.5. Sorting to international departure 1.7. Flight 0.7. Landing to customs release 0.6. Customs release to delivery 3.1.
The last mile is about half of the total: 3.6 days in the US and 4.3 days in Australia at the median. Customs, the step sellers worry about most, took well under a day at the median. A faster flight buys less than you might expect; the delivery network at the destination decides more of the time.
Does the day of the week matter?
For US parcels, orders placed on Wednesday or Thursday were delivered fastest (median 6.8 days) and orders placed on Monday or Friday slowest (7.6 to 7.7 days), because more of those parcels lose days to a weekend on the way. You cannot choose when customers order, but you can avoid promising Friday orders the same delivery date as midweek ones.
Does the season matter?
Lunar New Year shows in the data. US express-line parcels ordered in February and March took about one day longer at the median (7.7 to 7.8 days) than those ordered from April onwards (6.7 to 7.1 days). UK parcels were fastest in July and August (5.3 to 5.4 days). Our operations team expects December, up to the Christmas break, to run one to three days slower than these figures. For Christmas orders, use the cut-off dates in our Christmas shipping guide rather than the medians here.
How reliable is China-direct delivery?
99.1% of the parcels show a delivery scan. 39 (0.22%) were returned to sender and 11 were flagged as exceptions. 104 stopped updating in tracking before a delivery scan; 47 of those were a group held at a US cargo terminal for a customs inspection in July, which were delivered although their tracking did not update.
What should I promise customers at checkout?
Promise the 90th percentile, not the median. From order to delivery that is about 10 to 11 days for the US mainland, about 15 for Hawaii, Alaska and other remote US addresses, 8 to 9 for the UK, 9 to 10 for Australia, about 11 for Canada and 6 to 8 for Japan and Singapore. Add one day around Lunar New Year and one to three in the December peak. A promise that nine in ten orders beat costs fewer "where is my order" emails than one that only half of them meet.
How can I use this data?
The summary table is published as a CSV under CC BY 4.0; the link is below. It covers orders from January to August 2026, and we will add later months when they are available. Please cite ShopRest and link to this page.