What is a China 3PL?
A third-party logistics provider (3PL) runs the physical side of your business: receiving goods, storing them, picking and packing orders and handing them to carriers. A China 3PL does all of that from a warehouse in China, next to the factories that make your products.
The model is different from a dropshipping agent, who buys each unit after the order comes in. With a 3PL you purchase inventory upfront, which lowers your unit cost and gives you full control over stock, packaging and lead times. It is the setup most brands move to once they have proven products.
Why put your 3PL warehouse in China?
No import leg before you can sell
With a US or EU 3PL, inventory travels factory → port → import customs → domestic warehouse before the first order ships. In China, the factory delivers to the warehouse in a day or two. Restocking is faster and you tie up less cash in goods sitting in transit.
One inventory for every market
A single stock in Shenzhen serves the USA, Europe, the UK, Australia and the rest of the world. No splitting inventory across regional warehouses, no stranded stock in the wrong country when demand shifts.
Lower storage and handling costs
Warehouse space and labor cost less in China than in the US or Western Europe. For brands with hundreds of SKUs or bulky products, the difference on monthly storage alone is significant.
Quality control where it matters
Because our team is a short drive from your suppliers, defects are caught at receiving, before goods are shipped across an ocean. Batches that fail inspection go back to the factory, not into your customers’ hands.
The honest trade-off: delivery time
A domestic 3PL delivers in 1 to 5 days. From China, express takes 3 to 5 days, standard 5 to 8 and economy 8 to 15. For most ecommerce categories this is well within what customers accept, and the margin gained on product and storage usually outweighs it. If next-day delivery is central to your offer, a hybrid setup (bulk in China, a small buffer stock domestically) is the right answer, and we can help you plan it.
China 3PL vs domestic 3PL vs dropshipping agent
| Factor | China 3PL | US / EU 3PL | Dropshipping agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where inventory sits | Next to the factory | In the destination market | Nowhere, bought per order |
| Unit cost | Lowest (bulk buying) | Low, plus import freight and duties upfront | Highest per unit |
| Delivery to US customers | 3–15 days by tier | 1–5 days | 5–15 days |
| Markets served from one stock | Worldwide | One region | Worldwide |
| Restock lead time | Days | Weeks (ocean freight) | None |
| Best for | Proven SKUs, multi-market brands | Single-market brands needing speed | Testing and early scaling |
Still deciding between per-order sourcing and stocked inventory? Our guide dropshipping agent vs 3PL walks through the numbers.
Our China 3PL services
Inbound from your factories
We coordinate delivery from your suppliers to our warehouse, check quantities against the purchase order and inspect the goods before they enter stock. Need the sourcing done as well? Our China sourcing agent team handles supplier search, samples and production follow-up.
Storage and inventory management
Secure, organized storage with live stock levels synced to your store, low-stock alerts and reorder planning based on your sell-through.
Pick, pack and branded packaging
Every order is picked, checked and packed in your custom packaging with inserts, labels and kitting as required. Your customer never sees a supplier’s box.
B2C, B2B and Amazon FBA from one stock
Single parcels to consumers, cartons or pallets to retailers and distributors, and FBA-ready shipments prepped by our FBA prep center. One inventory, every channel.
Worldwide shipping
We match each order with the carrier and service level that fits its destination and your margins, with tracking and customs handling included:
Average door-to-door delivery time by service level. Every tier includes tracking and customs handling.
Store integration
Shopify, WooCommerce and Amazon orders flow into our system automatically; stock levels and tracking numbers flow back. No spreadsheets, no manual order forwarding.
How our 3PL onboarding works
How China 3PL pricing works
Third-party logistics is priced per activity, which is what makes it predictable once your volume is stable:
- Receiving: a fee per inbound shipment or per carton, covering counting and inspection.
- Storage: charged per cubic meter or pallet per month. This is where China has the clearest cost advantage over Western warehouses.
- Pick and pack: a fee per order, sometimes with a small add-on per extra item.
- Packaging and extras: custom boxes, inserts, kitting and labeling, priced per unit.
- Shipping: the carrier rate for the tier you choose, passed through with no hidden margin.
Apex Hub quotes every line upfront and you pay Apex Hub directly by bank transfer, Wise or PayPal, in USD. No minimum contract length to get started.
Who a China 3PL is for
Brands with proven products
You know your winners, you sell 50 or more orders a day on stable SKUs, and per-order sourcing is now eating your margin.
Brands selling in several countries
US, EU, UK and Australian customers served from one inventory instead of three regional warehouses.
Amazon and multi-channel sellers
FBA replenishment, merchant-fulfilled orders and your own Shopify store, all from the same stock.
Brands running a hybrid model
Bulk inventory for winners with us, new products tested through our dropshipping agent service, and a graduation path from one to the other without changing partners.
Get a China 3PL quote
Send us your catalog, your monthly volume and where your customers are. Our team, based in Shenzhen, replies within one business day with an itemized quote and a recommended setup. Contact Apex Hub, or read more about our China fulfillment center operations.
