Complete Guide to Commercial Sea Express
What is commercial sea express?
Commercial sea express is a "fast shipping service by sea" designed for cross-border e-commerce sellers, wholesalers and high-volume consolidation members. Compared with the Sea freight line (7-14 days; large consolidated cargo depends on sailing schedules), commercial sea express uses fast vessels + priority clearance and arrives in 5-10 days. Freight is a project quote (bulk shipments); contact customer service with your goods and volume. Dual customs clearance is included.
Commercial sea express = a B2B option that is "faster than the Sea freight line and quoted per project by volume (bulk shipments)", especially suited to Taiwanese sellers buying in bulk from 1688 / Pinduoduo.
This service is exclusively for commercial imports (B2B): the importer is the buying company, customs duty and business tax are declared according to the amount actually assessed by Customs, and they are already included in the freight quotation with a uniform invoice issued. HowBridge does not advance or pay the taxes on your behalf.
Personal consolidation parcels are not covered by this service: for personal imports, the customs duty and business tax are borne by the recipient and collected in cash by HCT Logistics on delivery. HowBridge neither advances nor pays them.
HowBridge does not provide buying-agent or procurement services, and does not collect or pay for the goods on your behalf (under Article 29 of the Banking Act (銀行法), a non-bank may not conduct remittance business); please order and pay the seller yourself.
Commercial sea express vs other shipping methods
| Method | Rate | Transit time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight line | NT$100/kg | 3-5 days | Urgent, light, high-value |
| Sea express line | NT$50/unit | 5-10 days | Heavy personal consolidation |
| Commercial sea express | Project quote (bulk shipments) | 5-10 days | Wholesale, seller restocking |
| Ocean freight line | from NT$25/kg or NT$150/cu ft, minimum NT$3,500 per shipment | 7-14 days | Large furniture, not urgent |
Sea express vs commercial sea express: what is the difference?
Many people mix up "sea express" and "commercial sea express". In fact both run through the same maritime express channel, and the difference lies in who they serve and how they are priced: sea express (the sea express line) is fast shipping by sea for individual consolidation members, while commercial sea express is a high-volume option designed for e-commerce sellers and wholesalers. The sea express line costs about NT$50 per unit and suits personal consolidation of 10-30kg a month; commercial sea express is a project quote (bulk shipments) and suits steady restocking of 30kg or more a month, or 50kg or more in a single shipment.
| Comparison | Sea express (sea express line) | Commercial sea express |
|---|---|---|
| Main users | Heavy individual consolidation members | E-commerce sellers / wholesalers |
| Rate | About NT$50/unit | Project quote (bulk shipments) |
| Suitable volume | 10-30kg a month | 30kg+ a month / 50kg+ per shipment |
| Declaration identity | Mostly personal real-name declaration (EZ Way) | Formal declaration under a company is available (B2B) |
| Clearance category | Maritime express consignment | Maritime express consignment (same regime) |
| Dual customs clearance | ✅ | ✅ |
Sea express and commercial sea express are both "maritime express consignments": both clear in the maritime express consignment zone and include dual customs clearance; sea express is mostly filed on the simplified declaration form, while commercial sea express is formally declared on the general import/export declaration (G1). The other difference: sea express is priced for personal consolidation (about NT$50/unit), while commercial sea express is a project quote by volume (bulk shipments). The larger your monthly purchase volume, the more you should use commercial sea express.
At Customs, sea express and commercial sea express are both classed as "maritime express consignments" and fall under the same simplified maritime express clearance regime. According to issue 105 of the journal of the Customs Association of the Republic of China (中華民國關稅協會), the volume of cross-border e-commerce express clearances in the maritime express consignment zone has grown year by year since the zone was established; although scattered low-value goods account for only about 0.4% of total import trade value, they consume considerable inspection manpower. Maritime express is charged on volumetric weight, with a gross weight ceiling of 70 kg per piece (bag) (Customs Association journal, issue 94), so for light bulky goods it is advisable to compress and pack them tightly to reduce volume and save on freight.
2027 (ROC year 116): no new sea express zones and no new clearance lines — what does it mean?
Kaohsiung Customs (2026-10-12) and Taichung Customs (2026-10-20) announced that in 2027 (ROC year 116) they will not accept applications to set up new maritime express cargo zones or to add cargo clearance lines. This is the yearly decision that Article 7(1) of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments requires each customs office to announce before the end of October. It is not a new ban; existing zones keep operating.
Key points of the two notices
| Customs office | Date / reference | What the notice says | Original |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaohsiung Customs | 2026-10-12 Ref. No. 1151031766 | Legal basis: Article 7(1) of the Regulations. There are currently 2 approved zone operators (4 clearance lines in total). After assessing clearance order, zone set-up, customs manpower and overall policy needs, the office found no conditions for new zones or extra lines, so it will not accept applications in 2027. | Kaohsiung Customs notice |
| Taichung Customs | 2026-10-20 (date in the Customs Administration notice list) | Title: "Notice: this office will not accept applications in 2027 to set up maritime express cargo zones or add cargo clearance lines." When checked on 2026-10-23 the original URL redirected to the Taichung Customs home page, so the body text could not be verified; this page cites the title only. | Taichung Customs notice |
Legal basis: what does Article 7 say?
Article 7(1) of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments (amended 2026-02-23): "The district Customs office at the location of the Unit shall, before the end of October each year, announce the port areas, number of lines, application conditions, and application period for the following year, regarding the acceptance of applications for the establishment or expansion of cargo clearance lines." Article 7(2) requires an applicant to have a net asset value of at least NT$50 million (or provide a guarantee), and Article 8 says an approved applicant must finish building the facilities within 6 months and pass an on-site inspection before Customs registers it and it may operate. In other words, the number of zones and clearance lines is set by each customs office every year; operators cannot add lines on their own.
How many zones and clearance lines are there now? (official public figures)
- Keelung Customs (page updated 2026-05-15): Taipei Port has 3 sea express zones with 12 clearance lines in total — the port area with the largest maritime express cargo volume in Taiwan, about 2,500 containers cleared per month. In the Keelung Port area, 2 zones with 3 clearance lines were approved on 2025-08-15 and 2026-03-19, and there is an outlying-island zone at Fuao Port, Matsu (approved November 2022).
- Kaohsiung Customs (notice of 2026-10-12): 2 zone operators, 4 clearance lines in total.
- Taichung Customs: the public material we found does not state the number of zones or lines (not found does not mean none).
- We did not find a similar "no applications in 2027" notice from Keelung Customs or Taipei Customs.
What does it mean for sea express parcels from China to Taiwan?
What is documented: in 2027 Kaohsiung Customs and Taichung Customs will add no zones or clearance lines, so the number of sea express clearance lines at these two offices stays as it is. Under Article 3 of the same Regulations, all inbound and outbound maritime express cargo must pass X-ray inspection (unless the goods are unsuitable for X-ray and Customs approves), so the number of lines is directly tied to inspection equipment and customs manpower.
Our inference (not an official statement): if volumes rise in peak season while the number of lines stays the same, waiting time for X-ray screening and inspection may get longer. The real effect depends on volume, zone shift schedules and customs manpower; the notices give no estimate of clearance times. HowBridge does not use this notice to estimate or promise delivery times; the in-house statistics on this page are past records and do not predict the future.
What is the express clearance handling fee, and who pays it?
Under Article 6 of the Regulations Governing Collection of Customs Service Fees, for goods cleared in an express cargo zone or an air cargo transshipment center, the express clearance handling fee is charged as a fixed monthly amount based on the extra manpower and material costs Customs incurs for clearance. Within an express zone, each operator's share is apportioned by that operator's operating weight for the month as a share of the zone's total operating weight. Customs reviews and announces the amounts every six months, and the fee must be backed by an adequate guarantee. Article 22 of the maritime express Regulations also says maritime express cargo is subject to this fee under those Rules.
Taipei Customs notice Ref. No. 1151067675 (amending its notice of 2026-07-01): FedEx's Taiwan branch is charged an express clearance handling fee of NT$1,651,000 per month from 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31. The attached analysis table bases manpower cost on 28 rotating staff (regular shifts excluded, multiplied by 2/3), adds overtime and office costs for a total of NT$1,650,901 per month, rounded to the nearest thousand. Compared with the previous table, FedEx rotating staff rose by 4 and the monthly amount by NT$235,000; the UPS transshipment center stays at NT$649,000 per month. This is an air cargo transshipment center and is calculated separately from sea express zones.
Who pays: under the article and the notice above, the fee is levied on the zone operator or transshipment-center operator (this notice names FedEx's Taiwan branch); Customs does not bill individual recipients parcel by parcel. Whether an operator passes this cost on in its shipping rates is not regulated.
Original documents you can check
- Kaohsiung Customs: no applications in 2027 for new maritime express cargo zones or added clearance lines (2026-10-12)
- Taichung Customs: same notice for 2027 (2026-10-20; the original URL redirected when checked)
- Taipei Customs: express clearance handling fee for FedEx's Taiwan branch, Oct–Dec 2026 (2026-10-22)
- Taipei Customs attachment: fee analysis table for the FEDEX and UPS transshipment centers (PDF)
- Laws & Regulations Database: Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments (Articles 3, 7, 8, 22)
- Laws & Regulations Database: Regulations Governing Collection of Customs Service Fees (Article 6)
- Keelung Customs: office profile (largest maritime express port area, zones and clearance lines)
- Taichung Customs: eligibility, procedure and forms for sea express zone operators
Compiled on 2026-10-23. Laws follow the current text in the Laws & Regulations Database; fees follow the latest customs notices.
Who is commercial sea express for?
1. Shopee / momo / PChome sellers
Sourcing from 1688 / Alibaba and restocking 30-100kg a week. Commercial sea express is a project quote (bulk shipments) with a 5–10 day transit time, suited to bulk restocking of 30–100kg a week (sea express is NT$50 per unit, charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight).
2. Cross-border e-commerce wholesale
More than 100kg a month, with fixed suppliers and a need for a steady arrival rhythm. Commercial sea express can run on a "designated container" + locked-in space.
3. Pinduoduo bulk purchasing
50kg+ per shipment of Pinduoduo household goods / clothing / accessories. Commercial sea express includes dual customs clearance, sparing you the hassle of declaring.
4. Own brands shipping direct from Shenzhen factories
Own-brand operators need a steady 5-10 day arrival rhythm; commercial sea express is quoted per project by volume (bulk shipments).
5. Heavy individual consolidation members
Members consolidating 30kg+ a month who are used to waiting 1-2 weeks. For large volumes, ask for a commercial sea express project quote (bulk shipments).
Commercial sea express cost calculator
Volumetric weight (kg) = length(cm) × width(cm) × height(cm) ÷ 10000
Chargeable weight = the greater of volumetric weight vs actual weight
Freight = project quote based on your goods and volume (bulk shipments); please contact customer service
| Batch | Actual weight | Freight (incl. dual customs clearance) | Cost per kilogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small batch | 10kg | Project quote | — |
| Medium batch | 50kg | Project quote | — |
| Large batch | 100kg | Project quote | — |
| Extra-large batch | 1 CBM (about 200kg) | Project quote | — |
"Light bulky goods" with big cartons and little weight (such as stuffed toys and toilet paper) get hit by volumetric weight. Vacuum packing and tight stacking to reduce volume is recommended and can save 30-50% on freight.
How commercial sea express works
- Register with HowBridgeRegister free to get the Shenzhen warehouse address
- Order on 1688 / Pinduoduo / TaobaoEnter "好运器" as the recipient, and use the personal address one-tap copied from the 0523.tw homepage as the delivery address (it ends with an H-code ID for automatic matching).
- Arrival at the Shenzhen warehouseSelect "commercial sea express" as the shipping method (in the dashboard menu)
- Consolidated into one boxAll parcels are merged into one large carton (consolidation is free)
- Back to Taiwan, usually 5-10 daysCustoms clearance and dual customs clearance are handled automatically
- Home deliveryDelivered by HCT Logistics
Commercial sea express FAQ
Start your commercial sea express
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