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Ocean freight should be considered when sending large amounts of freight. From choosing the right mode of transportation to calculating transit times and costs, here is your guide to ocean travel.

Ocean Freight Meaning: What Is Ocean Freight?
By using shipping containers, goods can be transported by sea.

Importers and exporters most commonly use ocean freight as their mode of transport. 90% of all cargo is shipped via ocean freight or sea freight. (By courier, standard air freight, express air freight) The other modes of international freight transportation are faster, but they are more expensive. Other modes of transport are primarily used for shipments that are small and of high value.

Some freight forwarders offer express shipping in case ocean freight is too slow, but air freight is too expensive. As fast as air freight, this service may be less expensive. It streamlines ocean freight processes by identifying only the fastest ocean services and premium trucking services.

Why Ship By Sea?
One container can hold ten thousand beer bottles! And ocean freight is cheaper. Any shipment weighing more than 500 kg is too expensive for air freight. Use this chargeable weight calculator to work out whether you will be charged by actual weight or dimensional weight for your light shipment. Our FBX index provides live rates for international shipping.
The number of restrictions on the transport of dangerous goods is lessened through the harmonisation of international law, national law, and regulations of individual carriers. In general, more air cargo is restricted than ocean freight, including: gases (e. lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. Items that are toxic or corrosive (e.g., perfume, Samsung Galaxy Note 7) should be avoided. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. ), oxidizers and biochemical products (e.g. chemical medicines), and public health risks (e.g. untanned hides). For more information, please see our Hazardous Material Table.
Ocean freight emits much less CO2 than air freight. The research found that for 5000 kilometers of ocean freight, each ton will generate 150 kilograms of CO2 emissions, while air freight emits 6605 kilograms of CO2.

ocean freight
What Are The Downsides Of Ocean Freight?
Speedy airplanes move about thirty times faster than ocean liners - passenger jets cruise at 575 mph while slow-steaming ocean liners move at 16-18 mph. As a result, it's no surprise that a shipment going by air freight from China to the US usually takes at least 20 extra days than a shipment by ocean freight.
Ocean freight generally takes much longer to deliver than air freight because of port congestion, customs delays, and bad weather conditions. The tracking technology used by air cargo is often far more advanced than that used by ocean freight. The result is that ocean freight is more likely to get lost than air freight. Shipments less than a container load are especially costly. With that said, ocean freight is becoming more reliable due to digitization.
The chances of ocean freight getting damaged or destroyed are greater than those of air cargo. It takes longer because it is in transit and ships are more subject to movement. Do not worry too much about ocean cargo falling off of ships. A common myth claims that the container movement is lost 10000 times per year, but it is actually 546 of the 120 million movements that go down the drain. Even less likely is piracy. The Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Straits have been hot spots in recent years.
Ocean Freight Services
Sea freight services also fall into two types: full container loads (FCLs) and less than container loads (LCLs). LCL entails packing several shipments into a single container. Moreover, this means more paperwork for the forwarder, in addition to consolidating many shipments into a container and de-consolidating them after the main transit. This gives LCL three disadvantages:

Delivery of LCL shipments takes longer than FCL shipments. One or two extra weeks for LCL are typically recommended.
The use of LCL comes with an increased risk of damage, misplacement, and loss.
LCL costs more per cubic meter.
As shipping rates are lower for FCL, you may want to use a full container once your shipment reaches a certain size, even if your goods don't fill the container. About 15 cubic meters is the tipping point to upgrade from LCL to FCL (the smallest container size is a 20 footer).

Sea Freight Rates per kg
For all but exceptionally heavy goods, most LCL is priced by volume, not by weight.

In selecting the most cost-effective mode, follow these guidelines:

When it comes to shipments weighing over 500 kilograms, air freight becomes uneconomic.
Shipments from China to the US take 30-40 days and cost around $2-$4 / kg.
Using air freight for a China-US shipment between 150 kg and 500 kg costs about $5-8 per kilo and can take 8-10 days.
The express air freight service is quicker but more expensive.
Those packages weighing less than 150 kg are best transported by courier (express freight).

The following are common ocean and sea freight rates and charges:
These items will be included on ocean freight quotes and invoices: Shipping