How to Calculate Sea Freight Cost for International Shipping (2026)

Every ocean freight quotation, whether it comes from a carrier or a forwarder, is built from the same building blocks:

• Base ocean freight — the port-to-port rate for the container.
• BAF / EBS — bunker adjustment factor, absorbing fuel cost volatility.
• LSS — low-sulphur surcharge under IMO 2020 regulations.
• THC origin & THC destination — terminal handling charges at each port.
• Documentation — bill of lading fee, telex release, seal fee.
• Local charges — port dues, customs handling, delivery order fee at destination.

The sum of these is often called the "all-in" freight. Compare quotes at the all-in level, not the base rate.

1. Confirm the lane. Origin port, destination GCC port, transit routing (direct vs transshipment).
2. Pick the container. 20-ft dry, 40-ft dry, 40-ft high cube (40HC) or reefer. Heavy cargo — metals, minerals, urea — usually maxes a 20-ft on weight. Bulky polymer bags need 40HC.
3. Get the base rate. Use Tradloc's Sea Freight Cost Calculator for a market-average reference. This is what carriers publish on their FAK tariffs.
4. Add surcharges. BAF and LSS are near-universal today. Peak-season surcharges (PSS) appear July–October and Chinese New Year.
5. Add local charges. Origin THC + destination THC + documentation. GCC destination charges are typically USD 250–450 per container.
6. Express per MT. Divide all-in freight by cargo weight in MT to compare against per-MT commodity pricing.

20-ft dry: 28 MT max payload, 33 CBM. Best for dense cargo — steel, minerals, fertiliser.

40-ft dry: 28 MT max payload, 67 CBM. Best when volume matters more than weight.

40-ft high cube (40HC): 76 CBM. Preferred for polymer resins, packaged consumer goods.

Reefer 20/40: Temperature-controlled — food, pharmaceuticals, some chemicals.

Use Tradloc's CBM Calculator and Container Loading Calculator to right-size before quoting.

China → UAE (Jebel Ali / Khalifa): 15–22 days transit; the most competitive Asia-GCC lane.

India → Oman (Sohar / Salalah): 6–9 days; the shortest Asia-GCC route — perfect for time-sensitive cargo.

Turkey → Saudi Arabia (Dammam / Jeddah): 8–14 days via Suez; strong for chemicals, metals, food.

Europe → GCC (Rotterdam / Genoa → Jebel Ali): 18–28 days; premium goods, machinery.

USA → GCC (Houston → Jebel Ali): 30–42 days; petrochemicals, polymers, specialty steels.

25 MT of polypropylene homopolymer in 25-kg bags, palletised, in one 40-ft dry container:

• Base ocean freight (Busan → Jebel Ali): USD 1,650
• BAF + LSS: USD 220
• Origin THC + documentation: USD 180
• Destination THC + delivery order + port charges: USD 340
• All-in freight: USD 2,390 per container = USD 95.6/MT

Feed this into Tradloc's Landed Cost Calculator along with FOB, insurance and duty to see your true cost per MT delivered.

• Comparing base rates instead of all-in.
• Ignoring destination charges — often 20% of the ocean cost.
• Booking a 40HC for dense cargo that maxes out a 20-ft on weight.
• Forgetting demurrage / detention — 5–7 free days is standard; overruns cost USD 75–150 per day.
• Skipping marine insurance and finding out the hard way.