Sourcing glossary
Container freight station
Also known as: CFS, CFS warehouse, Consolidation warehouse
A warehouse near a port where LCL cargo from different shippers is received, consolidated and loaded into shared containers for export, or unloaded and sorted for release on import.
When you ship LCL from China, your supplier delivers the cartons to the forwarder's CFS by the cut-off date. There they are measured and weighed, which sets the CBM you are billed for, and loaded with other shipments. At the destination the container goes to a CFS to be unpacked before your cartons can be collected.
CFS charges are billed at both ends on top of the ocean rate, so compare them across quotes. Make sure the supplier marks each carton clearly with your shipping marks, because unmarked cartons are easily mixed up during consolidation. See LCL vs FCL.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
Compliance
Is Your Order Too Small to Import from China? A Break-Even Test
Why 20 units or a US$100–500 budget rarely pays to import from China: per-shipment fixed costs, a simple break-even test, and six options for small buyers.
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Shipping Small Orders from China to Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Peru
Courier, air or sea for a first order from China to Latin America, the customs thresholds and taxes in Brazil, Mexico and Peru, and how consolidation works.
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Yiwu
How to Buy from the Yiwu Market Without Visiting
How overseas buyers source from Yiwu remotely: agents, video-call booth tours, the Chinagoods platform, consolidation warehouses, payment, QC and the main risks.
Updated 2026-09-29 · 7 min read
Platforms
How to Buy from 1688.com Outside China: A Step-by-Step Guide
How overseas buyers buy on 1688.com: account and payment options, Chinese and image search, shipping to a China forwarder, agents, and supplier checks.
Updated 2026-09-29 · 9 min read
Trade terms
EXW vs FOB vs DDP: Which Incoterm to Use When Buying from China
EXW, FOB and DDP compared for China imports: who pays each cost, where risk transfers, and which term suits first-time buyers vs experienced importers.
Updated 2026-09-26 · 3 min read
Compliance
How to Calculate Landed Cost When Importing from China
A step-by-step landed cost formula for China imports: product cost, freight, insurance, duty, VAT, fees and delivery, with why US and EU/UK duty bases differ.
Updated 2026-09-17 · 6 min read
Part of Shipping & Logistics.