NIKCO.LOG China freight guide
FCL or LCL: assess supplier collection, origin port and destination delivery as one freight plan.
There are two main options for containerised sea freight.
FCL stands for Full Container Load.
A container is reserved for your shipment without another shipper's cargo inside.
This method is usually more worth considering when:
A container does not have to be completely full to use FCL.
LCL stands for Less than Container Load.
Your shipment shares a container with cargo from other shippers.
For cargo that does not need a full container, LCL can avoid paying for a dedicated container.
But compared to FCL, it usually has more steps:
Delivery to CFS → Consolidation → Container loading → Shipping → Unloading → Separation at destination
These stages affect time, local charges and the number of cargo-handling operations.
There is no rule that every shipment below 15 CBM must use LCL and every shipment above it must use FCL.
The cost crossover depends on:
If the volume of the shipment falls into the middle range, it is better Request a quote for both scenarios.
Choosing FCL or LCL ↗Collection from several sellers
If orders are ready in Guangzhou, Foshan or Shenzhen, assess combined collection and dispatch. The decision depends on final volume, supplier distances and each order's ready date.
Provide each order's collection address, weight, dimensions and ready date separately.
Collection from each origin, inland transport in China and storage until the final order is ready are assessed.
Once total weight and volume are known, LCL and FCL options are compared.
Choosing the port of origin is not done just by looking at the map.
Factory location, inland cost, vessel schedule, commodity, container requirements and available routes can affect the choice.
Important Chinese container hubs considered in international freight planning include:
For cargoes in East China and industrial areas around Shanghai, it can be considered.
An important eastern China option, particularly for Zhejiang and nearby areas.
An origin option for southern Chinese factories and many Guangdong shipments.
May suit cargo from Guangzhou, Foshan and parts of southern China.
From important ports in the north and east of China.
An option for factories in northern China and areas near Beijing.
Can be checked for Southeast China shipments.
The nearest port is not always the cheapest or fastest option.
When enquiring, rather than naming a port in advance, Send the supplier's city or address.
The exact process depends on the Incoterm and service scope, but a typical shipment follows these stages.
Commodity, package count, weight, CBM, dimensions and supplier location are established.
The shipment plan is assessed against the cargo, origin port, container type and current conditions.
Where pickup is included, cargo is collected from the Chinese supplier or suppliers and moved to the appropriate operating point.
Depending on the mode, this stage may include trucking, CFS delivery, consolidation, container stuffing, export handling and export formalities.
The container or LCL shipment departs on the booked vessel.
The route may be direct or include transshipment.
After discharge, port handling and destination documentation follow.
Import clearance is separate from sea carriage; responsibility must be defined in the service proposal.
If inland transport in Iran is included, the goods or container continue to the agreed destination after the relevant procedures.
It is better to answer this question Instead of a number, let's look at the cost path.
Under EXW or similar purchase terms, collection from the factory may need to be arranged.
This leg's cost depends on factory distance, vehicle type, weight and volume.
The factory is not always near a port.
For example, cargo produced in an inland city must first travel by truck or another mode to the port or CFS.
Depending on FCL or LCL may include Things like:
Be.
The exact scope should be specified in the quote.
The charge for the main sea leg.
FCL is usually quoted for a specified container.
In LCL, volume and weight usually have an effect on the rate structure.
Some routes are indirect, with containers transferred to another vessel or feeder at an intermediate port.
Transshipment may affect schedules and total lead time.
Do not assume a direct service without booking confirmation.
Vessel arrival does not mark the end of transport costs.
Depending on the quote and contract, there may be costs like:
They are important in the destination.
Ocean freight is not the total cost of importing.
Import duties, taxes, permits and customs formalities in Iran are separate unless explicitly included in the proposal you receive.
If cargo must travel from the port to Tehran, your factory or warehouse, define inland delivery separately.
Typical LCL pricing compares weight and volume. With a ratio of one cubic metre to one tonne, for example, 2 CBM weighing 3 tonnes gives 3 chargeable units. Confirm the ratio, minimum charge and local fees in the quotation.
Illustrative comparison only: the following figures are not actual or current market rates:
Quotation A: USD 1,800
Quotation B: USD 2,150
It cannot be said that A is cheaper based on these two numbers.
First, both rates must be determined:
Ask the carrier to break the quotation into these components:
Origin + Ocean Freight + Destination + Inland, if requested
Price comparisons are meaningful only when the service scope matches.
One fixed lead time cannot accurately describe every China–Iran shipment.
Break total lead time into separate stages.
First, all the goods must be ready for delivery.
With multiple suppliers, the last order to become ready may delay dispatch.
Cargo transfer from factory to port or warehouse is part of the lead time.
Arrival at the port does not mean departure the same day.
Cut-off, booking, equipment and ship schedule are important.
is the time cargo spends moving within the sea freight network.
For a non-direct route, waiting at the intermediate port and connecting to the next service may add time.
Unloading the ship, terminal and preparation of documents also take time.
This stage is outside the transit time of the ship itself.
When requesting a lead time, ask:
Is this number Port-to-Port or from the time of pickup to delivery?
For regular packaged cargo, the most common options are:
May suit many general goods, particularly cargo with a higher weight-to-volume ratio.
More space than a 20-foot container, for higher-volume shipments.
Greater internal height may suit cargo whose main constraint is volume.
Nominal container capacity does not mean that every carton or pallet arrangement can use the full volume.
Check package and pallet dimensions, door opening, weight distribution and payload limits.
For some long cargo or goods that need to be loaded from above.
For some machines and over-width or over-height loads.
For goods that need temperature control.
Choosing a reefer involves more than selecting a different container: temperature settings, commodity characteristics and acceptance conditions must also be defined.
Container type selection tool ↗If you have a packing list, sending it is the best starting point.
Otherwise, send this information:
Commodity
Supplier city or address in China
Package count
Final dimensions of each type of package
Gross weight
Total CBM
Cargo ready date
Purchase Incoterm, if known
Destination city or port
FCL or LCL requirement, if already selected
If you have not decided between FCL and LCL, send the cargo details so both options can be assessed.
Calculate shipment volume in CBM ↗The Incoterm, named place and edition define responsibilities, costs and the point of risk transfer between seller and buyer; for example, FCA with the precise named place, Incoterms® 2020.
For shipping inquiries, it is important to know how much responsibility the seller has.
Goods are made available at the seller's premises, leaving most onward transport and operations to the buyer.
Before choosing EXW, assess its practical constraints in international trade, including export formalities.
The seller delivers the goods to the carrier or person nominated by the buyer at the agreed place. Under FCA, the seller also handles export clearance.
For many containerized shipments, FCA is worth serious consideration.
FOB is for sea or inland waterway transportation.
The seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the origin port; risk transfers at that point under the applicable rule.
The seller pays freight to the named destination port, but paying freight to destination does not mean retaining risk to destination. Under CFR, risk transfers at origin.
Similar to CFR, but the seller must also arrange the insurance cover specified by the rule.
CIF does not mean "all costs to your warehouse".
Destination charges, clearance and inland delivery must be assessed separately.
Container delay charges
Free time, or Free Time and the tariff after that period are determined by the booking terms. Container charges and port storage may be billed separately.
In common usage, retaining a container inside a port or terminal beyond its free period may incur demurrage.
After a container leaves the terminal, delays in unloading and returning the empty unit beyond the agreed period may incur detention.
The charge for using port or terminal space may be billed separately from demurrage, depending on the tariff.
Sea carriage does not automatically provide cargo insurance.
Whether the seller, buyer or another party arranges insurance depends on the sales contract and agreed services.
Under CIF the seller has a defined insurance obligation, but the type and level of cover should still be checked.
For valuable or sensitive goods, clarify insurance before dispatch.
Importers' questions
Rates are not fixed. They depend on origin port, container type and size, commodity, routing, market capacity and sailing date.
A usable quotation requires at least the supplier city, commodity and required container type.
LCL is often worth considering for smaller shipments, but as volume increases, ocean freight plus local charges may approach FCL cost.
There is no universal threshold for switching modes.
For intermediate volumes, both scenarios are best priced.
Not necessarily.
Both weight and volume may affect the chargeable basis and W/M calculation; check the quotation terms.
Do not assume a direct service before receiving the schedule and booking confirmation.
Some services may have transshipment.
Ask whether the proposed service is direct or involves transshipment and which stages the quoted lead time includes.
Collection and consolidation can often be assessed.
Whether this is economical depends on supplier locations, order readiness, pickup costs and final volume.
Not necessarily.
Sea freight and import clearance are separate stages.
The quotation must state whether clearance, import duties, taxes and other import costs are included.
Destination charges is a collective term for charges that may arise after the shipment reaches its destination.
Their nature and amount depend on the carrier, FCL or LCL service, port, contract and quotation.
Before booking, ask the forwarder to state inclusions and exclusions.
Not automatically.
It should be clear by whom and with what coverage the insurance is provided.
To start:
Commodity + supplier city + weight + CBM + package count + ready date + destination
If you have a packing list, send the same file.
Sea-freight enquiry
Send origin and destination cities, commodity, package weight and dimensions, and cargo ready date so route, lead time and cost can be assessed.