Ocean Freight (FCL / LCL)
FCL & LCL Ocean Freight
FCL & LCL Ocean Freight
Full container load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) sea freight from Chinese ports to Europe. Freight costs are assessed based on cargo details, routing and the services required.
35–40 days door-to-door from China to EU
Full container load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) sea freight from Chinese ports to Europe. Freight costs are assessed based on cargo details, routing and the services required.
Reference data updated: August 2026
Transit times and service descriptions are planning references, not fixed commitments or live quotations. Actual delivery depends on origin, cargo type, capacity, border handling, customs documents, final address and peak-season conditions.
Start with the cargo-ready date and the latest acceptable delivery date, then compare door-to-door time and total cost rather than only the main sea, rail or air leg. Sea freight can be compared for planned replenishment with a flexible deadline; rail and road options can be assessed for tighter replenishment windows. Very urgent cargo may justify air freight, subject to cargo acceptance, capacity and final delivery arrangements. Use the same pickup address, delivery postcode, cargo details and scope for every comparison. If expediting the whole shipment is too costly, assess sending the critical quantity first and the balance later.
Ocean freight is only one component of shipment cost. Pickup in China, port handling, inland transport in Europe, customs brokerage and storage may use different charging methods and change at different times. A lower ocean rate does not mean every other charge falls. Compare the same shipping period, ports, final destination, container type or cargo quantity and service scope. Check surcharges, free-time allowances and exclusions. Freight indices provide market context but do not replace a valid quotation for a specific shipment.
Consolidation can be assessed, but combining shipments depends on each supplier's readiness, cargo characteristics, packaging, documents and delivery arrangements. First collect factory addresses and packing details, then plan receipt and checking at a consolidation warehouse and compare LCL or full-container options for the combined volume. If some goods will be ready later, compare waiting and storage costs with split-shipment costs. Consolidation does not remove the need for accurate declarations for each shipment: packing lists, invoices and other required documents must match the actual cargo and declaration arrangements.