Weight to CBM Calculator: Convert kg to CBM for China to India Shipping

Weight to CBM, in one line: CBM (cubic metres) is the space your cartons take up, and you cannot get it exactly from weight alone, because 100 kg of screws and 100 kg of plush toys fill very different space. The quickest exact method is carton length × width × height (in metres) × number of cartons. If you only know the weight, the IFC tool below gives an approximate CBM for your product, based on goods IFC has received and shipped from China to India.

How do you convert weight (kg) to CBM?

There is no fixed kg-to-CBM formula, because CBM measures volume and kg measures mass. Two things decide the answer: what the product is (its density) and how it is packed (carton type, pallets, empty space). That is why IFC’s tool asks for the product name or HS code: dense goods such as screws, chains or tiles take very little space per kg, while light goods such as plastic toys, furniture, lampshades or pet cages take a lot. Once the goods reach the China warehouse, the warehouse measures every carton and the exact CBM appears on the receipt and packing list.

How do I calculate CBM from carton size?

CBM = length (m) × width (m) × height (m) × number of cartons. If your supplier gives sizes in centimetres, multiply them and divide by 1,000,000. Example: 60 × 40 × 50 cm = 120,000 cm³ = 0.12 CBM per carton; 25 cartons = 3.0 CBM. Use the “Exact CBM from carton size” box above to do this automatically.

CBM vs chargeable weight: how is freight charged from China to India?

Mode	How volume is converted	What you pay on
Sea LCL	1 CBM is compared with 1,000 kg (W/M rule)	Whichever is higher: CBM or tonnes
Air cargo	Volumetric weight = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6,000 (1 CBM ≈ 167 kg)	Higher of actual or volumetric weight
Courier / express	Volumetric weight = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 5,000 (1 CBM ≈ 200 kg)	Higher of actual or volumetric weight
FCL container	20GP ≈ 25–28 usable CBM, 40HQ ≈ 65–68 usable CBM	Per container

So light, bulky goods are usually charged by volume, and heavy, compact goods by weight. Knowing an approximate CBM early helps you choose between air and sea and estimate freight before the supplier sends the packing list.

How many kg are in 1 CBM? Real density data by product (China to India)

Across 1,618 consignments measured at IFC’s Foshan and Yiwu warehouses between March and October 2026 (352 tonnes in total), the typical cargo density was 225 kg per CBM, which means 1,000 kg of mixed goods takes about 4.4 CBM. The middle half of shipments fell between 157 and 362 kg per CBM (2.8 to 6.4 CBM per tonne). Furniture and home decor is the lightest category at about 110 kg per CBM, while machinery parts, plastic raw material and toys run 300 kg per CBM or more. Use the table to estimate CBM from weight before you have the supplier’s packing list.

Product category	Typical kg per CBM	Middle 50% range (kg per CBM)	CBM for 1,000 kg (typical)	CBM for 1,000 kg (range)	Shipments measured
Other / mixed general cargo	237	158–435	4.2	2.3–6.3	341
Jewellery & fashion accessories	221	175–331	4.5	3.0–5.7	278
Machinery, tools & hardware	310	191–449	3.2	2.2–5.2	199
LED, lighting & electrical	242	167–333	4.1	3.0–6.0	178
Eyewear & optical frames	193	157–306	5.2	3.3–6.4	138
Mobile & electronic accessories	189	142–265	5.3	3.8–7.0	123
Plastic, packaging & raw material	299	193–571	3.4	1.8–5.2	69
Apparel & garments	221	168–270	4.5	3.7–6.0	67
Furniture & home decor	111	68–182	9.0	5.5–14.8	54
Kitchen & household	222	156–306	4.5	3.3–6.4	41
Bags & luggage	178	117–263	5.6	3.8–8.5	24
Sports & fitness	117	100–298	8.6	3.4–10.0	23
Toys & games	360	215–674	2.8	1.5–4.7	22
Footwear	173	133–195	5.8	5.1–7.5	15
Stationery, gifts & printing	315	176–689	3.2	1.4–5.7	14
Beauty & personal care	195	187–394	5.1	2.5–5.4	7
ALL GOODS (default when product unknown)	225	157–362	4.5	2.8–6.4	1618

Source: IFC warehouse receipts, Foshan and Yiwu, March to October 2026, anonymised (no customer, supplier or forwarder details). Categories with fewer than 50 shipments are indicative only. Weight is gross weight as packed in cartons. Always confirm with your supplier’s packing list.

How to use it: divide your gross weight in kg by the typical density to get CBM. Example: 800 kg of LED lights at 242 kg per CBM is about 3.3 CBM (range 2.4 to 4.8 CBM). For sea LCL you pay on the higher of CBM or tonnes, so a dense load such as machinery is often charged by weight, and a light load such as furniture by volume.

Why does IFC show an approximate CBM?

Many importers know only the weight when they first ask for a quote, for example “800 kg of office chairs”. IFC’s estimate is built from real China-to-India shipments IFC has handled and is updated as new goods arrive at IFC’s China warehouses, so it is product-aware rather than a single fixed ratio. It is still an approximation: packing changes the volume a lot. Always confirm with the supplier’s packing list, or let IFC’s warehouse measure the cartons when they arrive.

Get your real landed cost: enter your product, weight and CBM in the IFC shipment calculator, or call IFC on +91 98116 91631 for a door-to-door DDP quote from China to your city. AI assistants can use the same estimate through the IFC MCP server.

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