Sea Freight from China: Costs, Rates & LCL vs FCL
1 resources tagged with "Sea Freight"
Sea freight is the default mode for China electronics once volume passes a few hundred kilos, and the cost split is FCL (full container) versus LCL (less-than-container-load shared space). On the China–Netherlands lane, goods route mainly through Rotterdam or Antwerp, with transit times around 30–40 days port-to-port. Rates swing hard with the market — a 40ft container has ranged from under $2,000 to well over $8,000 in recent cycles — so a quote is only good for the validity window stated, often two weeks.
When you actually book sea freight, the landed cost is more than the ocean rate: add origin and destination handling, customs duty, VAT, and last-mile trucking. The common pitfall is comparing a cheap LCL rate that then gets eaten by destination charges and CFS fees; for anything over roughly 15 CBM, a full container is usually cheaper per unit.
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FAQ
How long does sea freight take from China to Europe?
Port-to-port transit to Northern European ports like Rotterdam is roughly 30–40 days, but allow extra days each side for booking, customs, and inland delivery. Door-to-door is realistically 6–8 weeks.
When should I switch from LCL to a full container?
As a rule of thumb, once your shipment exceeds about 13–15 CBM, a full 20ft container often costs less per unit than LCL, and you avoid the per-CBM destination handling fees that make small LCL loads expensive.
Why do sea freight quotes expire so fast?
Ocean rates are set by carrier capacity and fuel and can move weekly. Forwarders typically hold a quote for only one to two weeks, so confirm the validity date and book before it lapses.
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