How do I track my cargo shipment from China in real time?

Tracking a container shipment from China involves monitoring events across multiple legs of the journey. Here is how each tracking method works: (1) Shipping line tracking — use the container number (e.g., MSCU1234567) or Bill of Lading number on the carrier's website (Maersk, MSC, COSCO, CMA CGM). This shows vessel position, port events (load, discharge), and ETA updates. (2) AIS (Automatic Identification System) tracking — track the vessel by IMO number on sites like VesselFinder or MarineTraffic to see real-time vessel position on a map. (3) DCSA-standard events — major carriers now expose tracking APIs following the DCSA T&T standard, showing events like LOAD, DISC, GTIN (gate in terminal), GTOT (gate out). (4) Forwarder platform — your freight forwarder should provide consolidated tracking, especially for multimodal shipments where the cargo changes between vessel, rail, and truck. Key events to watch: vessel departure (ETD), vessel arrival (ETA), cargo discharge at destination port, customs status, delivery to warehouse. Common sources of delay: vessel rolling (shifted to next sailing due to space), port congestion, customs holds. When your forwarder provides an ETA, note that this is the vessel arrival date — actual warehouse receipt typically adds 7–14 days for port handling and customs clearance.