Sea freight, also known as ocean freight forwarder, is the transportation of goods via a sea vessel from one seaport to another. Cargo is often consolidated by freight forwarder into shipping containers or placed directly onto the vessel.
A sea freight forwarder will arrange the shipping and warehousing distribution services to ensure that your ordered goods arrive from their overseas source to your intended location. This includes aiding you to prepare the relevant documentation to obtain custom clearance by both the exporting and importing countries’ customs. Not only that, they will also have specialize knowledge about international shipping and will be able to advise you on the laws and fees that both ports abide by to ensure a smooth shipment.
What Is The Process Of Sea Freight?
Sea Freight vs Air Freight
Speed
Air freight wins hands down as it often takes 3-5 days to ship via air as compared to around 30 days to ship via sea. This is crucial when you need to get your products out in the market quickly.
Ecological Footprint
Sea freight takes this one. Despite its quick and speedy nature, air freights leave behind a larger carbon footprint due to the excessive carbon dioxide output from aircrafts. Despite companies’ concerns about profits, it is also important to spare a thought for the world we leave in when time permits.
Cost
Sea Freight is often the more affordable of the two as the price of air freight can come up to 5-6X the cost of sea freight due to factors like a more costly fuel. However, this is only one aspect of the overall cost consideration as there may be additional costs incurred via added trucking from seaports if the destination is located inland.
Reliability
Air freight wins this round as airlines usually respond very quickly to any flight delays and will often set you back about 1-2 days. However, for sea freight, any delays in shipping schedule often sets you back 1-2 weeks due to the relatively relaxed control over shipping lines.
Capacity
Sea Freight trumps in this aspect due to shipping vessels towering over the largest cargo planes that currently exist.
Who Is Sea Freight Suitable For?
Customers that often choose sea freight as the mode of transport often ship goods which are not needed urgently, bulky in nature and/or large in quantity.
This may include stocks of bulky furniture or large motor vehicles that are transported via RoRo ships.
Sea freight is a suitable option for various individuals and businesses shipping to and from countries around the world, such as:
Why choose M&P International Freights?
M&P International Freights is a one-stop shipping solutions company located in Singapore. By being located in one of the world’s busiest port-of-call with free-trade zone benefits we are primed and ready to meet the transportation needs of international clientele.
Global Reach
By being located in one of the world’s busiest port-of-call with free-trade zone benefits, we have served a multitude of clients from around the world. To do so, we have partnered with many companies worldwide such as sea carriers like NVOCCs and VOCCs. This ensures that you get the most efficient routes at the most competitive prices.