Can you do express shipping?

When a sample needs to arrive in three days, or a small production run is too urgent for the six-week sea freight timeline, you need express shipping. The phrase 能发快递吗 (néng fā kuàidì ma) is your shortcut to fast delivery — but navigating China’s courier ecosystem requires knowing which services exist, how they are priced, and what Chinese suppliers actually have access to.

China’s domestic courier market is among the most developed and competitive in the world, but international express shipping from China is a different game. Domestically, 顺丰 (Shùnfēng — SF Express) is the gold standard for speed and reliability, and every Chinese supplier has a 顺丰 account. For international shipments, Chinese suppliers typically work through freight forwarders who have consolidated rates with DHL, FedEx, and UPS — rates that are often significantly cheaper than what you would pay booking directly from your side. When you ask 能发快递吗, the supplier hears two things: “this is urgent” (so they will prioritize it) and “the buyer will probably pay for shipping” (so they will quote you a rate). If you have your own courier account with better rates,明确提出 用我们到付账号 (yòng wǒmen dàofù zhànghào — use our freight collect account) — Chinese suppliers are generally happy to do this because it saves them the hassle of arranging and paying for shipping upfront.

The phrase 发快递 covers a surprisingly wide range of services that differ dramatically in speed and cost. Standard international express (国际快递, guójì kuàidì) through DHL or FedEx typically takes 3-7 business days. Economy express services from the same carriers might take 7-15 days at roughly half the price. And then there is the wild card: 专线 (zhuānxiàn — dedicated line), which are consolidated shipping routes operated by Chinese logistics companies to specific countries. A 专线 to the US or Europe can be significantly cheaper than DHL while taking only a few days longer. When a supplier says 能发快递, ask 哪家? 几天到? (nǎ jiā? jǐ tiān dào? — which carrier? how many days to arrive?) to clarify what exactly you are getting.

For sample shipments specifically, there is a well-established convention that international buyers should know. The standard arrangement is: buyer pays for the sample (样品费, yàngpǐn fèi) and the shipping (快递费, kuàidì fèi), or buyer provides a freight collect account. If the supplier offers free samples with free shipping, they are either very eager for your business, operating on high margins, or the “samples” are so cheap that the relationship value exceeds the cost. The phrase 样品费可以退吗 (yàngpǐn fèi kěyǐ tuì ma — can the sample fee be refunded?) is a common negotiation point — many suppliers will agree to deduct the sample cost from your first bulk order (下单后退还, xiàdān hòu tuìhuán — refunded after ordering). This is understood as standard practice, not a special favor.