One box? or Ten?
One Box? Or Ten? Here's How to Ship from Multiple Chinese Suppliers.
Ordered from 5 different shops? Here's what to do.
Shopping from multiple suppliers in China? You don't necessarily need five separate international shipments.
Whether you're purchasing from Taobao, 1688, Alibaba, or directly from Chinese factories, you can arrange for your purchases to arrive at one ICL warehouse before shipping to the Maldives.
Here's how it works.
Different Suppliers. One Warehouse.
Imagine you've ordered:
- Clothes from Guangzhou
- Electronics from Shenzhen
- Home accessories from Yiwu
- Stationery from Ningbo
- Furniture accessories from Foshan
That's five different suppliers, potentially sending five or more cartons.
Instead of arranging international shipping separately with every supplier, you can have them deliver their goods to ICL's warehouse in China.
Five suppliers. One receiving point. A simpler way to manage your cargo.
How Does It Work?
Step 1 — Create Your Cargo Booking
Visit iclmaldives.com and create a cargo booking for your purchases from China.
Choose your preferred shipping method: sea freight or air freight.
Step 2 — Share Your Booking Details
Send your ICL booking link to your suppliers.
Each supplier can provide their carton and product information, allowing the required shipping marks to be generated.
Make sure every carton carries its correct ICL shipping mark.
Step 3 — Send Everything to One Warehouse
Ask your suppliers to deliver their cartons to the designated ICL warehouse in China.
As your packages arrive, ICL records their arrival, weight, measurements, and condition.
Your cartons can be tracked against your cargo booking.
Step 4 — Consolidate
- Cargo consolidation: Multiple cartons are grouped into a shipment for international transport.
Step 5 — Ship to the Maldives
Once your cargo is ready, ICL arranges international transportation, customs clearance, and delivery or collection arrangements in the Maldives.
You can check the shipment schedule and freight pricing online.
Is One Box Always Better Than Ten?
Not necessarily!
Combining several small packages into fewer cartons may reduce unnecessary packaging and overall shipment volume.
However, some goods are better kept in their original cartons, especially fragile items, electronics, or products requiring individual handling.
Freight charges also depend on the shipping method:
- Sea freight: Generally calculated using cargo volume (CBM).
- Air freight: Generally calculated using chargeable weight, considering both actual weight and dimensions.
The best option depends on what you're shipping, how much space it occupies, and how quickly you need it.
Fewer boxes don't automatically mean lower shipping costs. Smarter packing and planning make the difference.
Before You Send Your Purchases
A little preparation can make shipping easier.
Ensure your suppliers use the correct shipping marks, provide genuine invoices, and declare the contents of every carton.
Check that your goods are eligible for your chosen shipping method and that your packages reach the warehouse before the relevant shipment cut-off.
Remember: Your cargo booking allows 15 days to submit carton details, followed by another 30 days for warehouse delivery.