All categories
Featured selections
Trade Assurance
Buyer Central
Help Center
Get the app
Become a supplier

About products and suppliers

About sea freight

Ever since world trade has become more open and interconnected, sea freight is considered one of the most affordable transportation methods. For small companies and large corporations that need to move their final products to retailers and customers, sea freight is ideally a safe and budget-friendly option. Approximately 90 percent of the goods trading is completed via sea freight. They are also a reliable method for transporting key commodities such as oil, aircraft parts and defense equipment.

How sea freight works

Sea freight is used for imported and exported products. Goods are loaded onto large metal containers on a cargo ship. When the cargo ship reaches its destination, the goods are unloaded for storage or distribution. There are typically less restrictions imposed on sea freight compared to air freight. The entire process typically involves a seller, a buyer, ocean carriers, shipping agents, port authorities, and insurance providers.

Sea freight cost varies due to shipping companies having their own base rates. Generally speaking, they do sea freight calculation by multiplying the base rate by the weight of goods (either in tons or cubic meters for volume). Shipping companies begin the process with providing a sea freight quote after a customer provides the weight and the type of goods as well as the pick-up location and the destination. Customer can either drop off or send the goods to the shipping company, or pay a small service fee to have the shipping service pick up the goods. If products need to be transported on a frequent basis, and depending on how heavy they are, many global shipping companies offer short, medium, and long-term contracts for the purpose of greater savings on the cost.

Additionally, international sea shipping rates involve many factors, but it is still a highly cost-effective and safe method. This is a great option for customers who need to transport heavy and/or large amount of goods across oceans. The port location, tax duties, VAT, and the destination country will affect the sea freight charges.

Sea freight capacity

If a customer needs to move a product load of 100kg or more, sea freight is the best option. The capacity of cargo ships can provide between 1000kg and 500,000kg per day. A buyer should be aware of the weight capacity as well as the type of cargo ship in that their transported goods are suitable for the cargo type. For example, perishable or fragile items or dangerous goods need to be transported in special containers and therefore, these details should be clear in the quote estimate.

Sea freight rates can be overwhelming especially they may or may not include other service fees and insurance. Many global shipping companies offer low insurance rates and greater discounts if freight service is needed in the long run. Overall, this method of transport is safe, environment-friendly, and suitable for extremely heavy loads, making the sea freight shipping costs a lot lower than air freight costs or other transportation types.