How Much is Sea Shipping Per KG?

What's in this article?

Ocean Freight Rates per KG
Choose a Freight Option
Additional Costs
Benefits of Sea Shipping
Higher shipping capacity
Cheaper costs
Fewer restrictions
Lower carbon footprint
Reasonably fast speed
Convenient pickup and delivery
How Does Ocean Freight Work?
Ocean Freight Car Shipping

Determining the exact cost of sea shipping per KG is essential. Maybe you're a business owner looking to expand your market overseas or curious about the cost of shipping goods across the ocean.

Whatever your reason, understanding the cost of sea shipping can be crucial in making informed decisions, as prices can vary significantly based on the size and weight of the cargo, the route taken, and the freight company you hire.

This piece will explore the factors that affect sea shipping rates and provide some general guidelines for estimating the cost of shipping goods by sea.

Ocean Freight Rates per KG

The most affordable way of transporting goods around the globe is by ocean freight shipping.

However, the exact rates vary depending on the dimensions and weight of your cargo and how far your shipment needs to travel.

Generally, you can expect to pay between $0.50 and $5 per kg for ocean freight shipments. This makes sea freight an ideal choice for transporting large quantities of goods - especially those that weigh more than 500 kg.

Choose a Freight Option

Even though figuring out sea shipping charges per kilogram can be challenging, you can apply a few tricks to estimate costs correctly.

The first step is understanding the different types of freight classifications. These include:

Dry container
Reefer container
Break bulk
Roll on/Roll off (Ro-Ro)

Dry container shipments are the most common type of sea shipping and can be divided into three categories based on size.

The first is a full container load (FCL), which usually involves shipping 20 to 40-foot containers.

The second is a less-than-container load (LCL) shipment, typically used for smaller shipments that don’t require an entire container.

Last, there are overweight and over-dimensional containers, usually used for oversized items.

Reefer container shipments involve refrigerated cargo, which is more expensive than typical containers.

The object's size determines the cost of break bulk shipments and often involves enormous, one-off items like heavy machinery or vehicles.

Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) is a type of sea shipping that involves loading cargo directly onto a ship and is typically used for vehicles.

Each classification has its own rate structure and size requirements.

Knowing your item's size is essential before you begin to calculate your shipping quote per kg.

Additional Costs

Once you have a general idea of the type of shipping container you require, you can begin looking at ocean freight rates.

These additional details will affect your final per kilogram price, such as:

Estimated weight per cubic meter (CBM)
Origin and destination port
Discounts
Port surcharges
Customs fees
Fuel surcharges

Generally, these are calculated based on an estimated shipment weight per cubic meter (CBM). This implies that an item would be charged 50 kg per CBM if it weighs 50 kg and occupies 1 CBM.

Additionally, the type of origin and destination port often affect ocean freight rates.

Depending on size, location, or other criteria, some ports may have higher or lower charges.

It's essential to research these different ports to better understand your specific shipping costs.

Many companies offer discounts for larger shipments and full container loads. It's worth researching these discounts to determine if they could bring your shipping rate down.

Discuss these additional costs like port surcharges, customs fees, and fuel surcharges. Getting an accurate estimate of these costs is important before booking a shipment.

The cost of sea shipping per kg can vary greatly depending on various factors.

Knowing what kind of freight you're dealing with and understanding the different port charges can help you estimate your shipping cost accurately.

Benefits of Sea Shipping

Sea shipping is the most popular option for transporting goods around the world. It's also the most cost-effective way of sending large quantities of items and can be surprisingly speedy.

Here are just some of the benefits that sea shipping offers:

Higher shipping capacity
Cheaper cost
Fewer restrictions
Lower carbon footprint
Reasonably fast speed
Convenient pickup and delivery

Further review of these benefits will help you decide if this is your best option for shipping.

1. Higher shipping capacity

When a company needs to move many items at once, shipping by sea is the best choice.

Compared to air freight, it has a higher shipping capacity and can accommodate much heavier packages, which makes it ideal for bulky items or those with a high volume.

With repeated shipments, you can conserve time and money and reduce the possibility of loss or damage in transit.

So if you’re looking to ship large amounts of goods, this could be a great way to save money.

2. Cheaper costs

Sea shipping is a great option for businesses looking to save money when sending goods overseas.

Not only does it offer higher capacity than air freight, but it also has much cheaper rates per kg.

You can also save money by opting for container shipping. This involves packing all your items into one or two large containers that can be sent on a single ship.

This means that any additional space in the hold not occupied by your containers is free and not charged.

Because it can help keep prices low and guarantee that your items reach securely and on schedule, this makes it an excellent option for firms operating on a tight budget.

Sea shipping is often cheaper than other air freight methods, especially when sending large quantities.

3. Fewer restrictions

Sea shipping is an excellent option for businesses that send goods overseas without air freight restrictions.

Most companies are familiar with the restrictions imposed on standard air freight, such as what type of goods can and cannot be shipped and their weight classifications.

However, sea freight restrictions are often much fewer and less stringent. This makes it ideal for sending items that may not be able to be sent via airplane.

As well as items that don't fit into a specific weight classification.

So, sea shipping can be just what you need if you're seeking a cheap option to send goods overseas without too many constraints.

4. Lower carbon footprint

Sea shipping is also becoming popular for businesses due to its significantly lower carbon footprint.

While air shipping has some of the highest emissions levels of any form of transport, sea freight has fewer emissions than air freight.

This is because ships transport freight with much less fuel per tonne than airplanes.
This results in fewer emissions and less pollution.

This makes it perfect for companies trying to lessen their carbon footprint while maintaining the transport of their products.

5. Reasonably fast speed

Sea shipping can often be surprisingly fast. While it may take a few days longer than air freight shipping, most items will usually arrive within a couple of weeks.

This is fantastic news for companies that need to move their products swiftly but want to avoid shelling out for air cargo's hefty costs.

Some ports offer express shipping services that can even get your goods there in as little as three days.

So sea shipping could be the perfect option if you need to get goods delivered quickly but want to avoid paying the high air freight price.

6. Convenient pickup and delivery

Businesses that need to pick up and deliver items to their destination may want to think about shipping by boat.

This is because most ports provide cargo pick-up and delivery services. This makes it convenient to deliver your goods where they need to go.

This makes it much simpler and more convenient than air freight, which usually requires the goods to be collected from an airport or other transportation hub.

So if you need your goods to be picked up and delivered at their destination, then sea shipping could be the convenience you need.

These are just a handful of the many advantages of shipping by ocean.

How Does Ocean Freight Work?

Ocean freight is the most dependable and economical method of shipping products worldwide.

The entire process is easy and efficient – meaning you get your products where they need to be quickly and affordably.

Also, with a professional freight forwarder's help, you can ensure that every area of your shipment is handled, including the paperwork, insurance, and more.

accordingly, ocean freight is the best solution if you're looking for a practical means of transporting vast amounts of cargo over international borders.

Ocean Freight Car Shipping

Sea shipping is a cost-effective option for transporting goods and cars, with prices different depending on a variety of factors.

You can save money and guarantee that your items reach safely and on time by being aware of the assorted prices associated with shipping and selecting the best method for your needs.

If you're a business owner or an individual wanting to export goods abroad, could you do some digging to find the best ocean transport solution?

International car shipping professionals at A1 Auto Transport have been in business for over 35 years.

Get your free quote today.