Sourcing glossary
Chargeable weight
Also known as: Billable weight, Volumetric weight, Dimensional weight, DIM weight
The weight a carrier bills you for: the greater of the shipment's actual gross weight and its volumetric weight, which is calculated from its dimensions.
For air freight, volumetric weight is usually length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6,000, which equals 167 kg per CBM. Express couriers such as DHL, FedEx and UPS commonly divide by 5,000, so the same box weighs more on their invoice. A light, bulky carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm weighing 5 kg is billed at 16 kg by air (96,000 ÷ 6,000) and about 19 kg by express.
The practical lesson is to reduce empty space: ask your Chinese supplier for compact packaging and exact carton dimensions before comparing quotes, and check which divisor each forwarder or courier uses. See sea vs air vs rail vs express.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
Private label
Product Samples from China: Types, Costs and How to Evaluate Them
Stock, custom, pre-production and golden samples explained: what they cost, who pays, sample fee refunds, express shipping and how to judge a sample properly.
Updated 2026-09-11 · 5 min read
Shipping
Sea vs Air vs Rail vs Express: Shipping from China Compared
Sea freight, air freight, China–Europe rail and express couriers compared: transit times, relative cost, chargeable weight formulas and when to use each.
Updated 2026-09-05 · 6 min read
Part of Shipping & Logistics.