The short version: most freight disputes are not caused by the ocean rate. They are caused by a quote that listed the ocean rate and nothing else. If your quotation contains a single number per container or per cubic metre, you have not been quoted a delivered price — you have been quoted the first line of an invoice.
This page lists the charges that appear on China export shipments, which of them are fixed per shipment, and the questions to put to any forwarder before you confirm a booking. The checklist is written so you can apply it to us as well.
Why a low quote often ends up costing more
Cargo is quoted at origin and paid for at destination. Once the container has sailed, your leverage is gone: the goods are at a port you do not control, storage charges accrue daily, and the release of the cargo depends on charges being settled. That asymmetry is what makes undisclosed destination charges possible.
It is worth understanding that this is a structural problem rather than a matter of character. Ocean freight rates move weekly and are highly visible, so they get compared. Destination handling, documentation and de-consolidation are less visible, and a forwarder that competes only on the headline number has a commercial interest in quoting as little as possible. The defence is not to look for a more honest forwarder — it is to make the comparison happen on the total.
The charges that appear on a China export shipment
| Charge | Charged by | Basis | When it arises |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean or air freight | Carrier | Per container, or per cubic metre / per kg | Confirm whether included or billed separately |
| Origin terminal handling (THC) | Origin port / terminal | Per container, or per cubic metre | Confirm whether included or billed separately |
| Export customs declaration | Origin broker | Per shipment | Confirm whether included or billed separately |
| Documentation and bill of lading fee | Forwarder / carrier | Per shipment | Confirm whether included or billed separately |
| Telex release | Carrier | Per shipment | When original bills are not couriered |
| Destination terminal handling | Destination terminal | Per container, or per cubic metre | Confirm whether included or billed separately |
| De-consolidation / CFS charge | Destination CFS | Per cubic metre plus a fixed element | LCL only |
| Import customs entry and brokerage | Destination broker | Per entry, plus line fees | Where applicable; confirm who pays and whether included |
| Duty and import VAT / GST | Destination customs authority | Percentage of declared value | Where applicable; confirm who pays and whether included |
| Merchandise processing fee | Destination customs authority | Per entry, subject to a minimum and maximum | United States, formal entries |
| Examination / inspection fee | Customs or terminal | Per container | Only if the shipment is selected for inspection |
| Storage after free time | Terminal or warehouse | Per cubic metre or per container, per day | When the container is not collected in time |
| Detention and demurrage | Carrier | Per container, per day | When the container is held beyond its free days |
| Delivery to door | Destination trucker | Per shipment, plus waiting time and remote-area surcharges | Where door delivery is quoted |
Two structural points explain most surprises. First, the fixed charges — documentation, entry filing, de-consolidation — do not shrink when your shipment shrinks, so they dominate small consignments. Second, the timing charges — storage, detention, demurrage — are the ones nobody quotes, because nobody expects them until the paperwork slips.
Three questions that expose a hidden charge
- “If I pay exactly this amount at destination, will the cargo be released without any further payment?” Ask for an itemized answer, including known exclusions and charges triggered by inspection, storage, waiting time or changes to delivery requirements. A clearly stated conditional charge is different from an undisclosed charge.
- “Which of these charges are fixed per shipment, and which scale with volume?” On an LCL shipment the fixed element can exceed the freight itself. Knowing the split tells you whether consolidating two orders will actually save money.
- “What is the free time at destination, and who monitors it?” The start date, last free day and counting rules depend on the terminal, equipment and agreed terms. Ask who is responsible for telling you, and by when.
What to put in your request for quotation
A request that includes the details below can be answered with one total instead of a range. It also makes the responses comparable between forwarders, which is the real point:
- Cargo description, and whether it contains batteries, magnets, liquids, powders or branded items
- Package count, gross weight and dimensions per carton — not the total only
- Pickup address or supplier city in China, and the destination postcode
- Whether duties and taxes should be settled by the forwarder or by you as the importer
- Whether the goods must arrive by a specific date, and whether for an Amazon warehouse
- Your preferred Incoterm if you have one, or a request that the forwarder state which term the quote assumes
Where the quote assumes a term, that assumption matters more than the number. CIF and DDP prices for the same container can differ by more than the freight charge, because one of them contains the duty.
How we quote
Ask your LHD contact to state the transport mode, the chargeable weight or volume used, the origin and destination charges that are included, and the services that are excluded and available on request. Where a charge depends on an event — an inspection, storage after free time, a destination accessorial — ask for the charging basis and approval process in writing.
If a rate window matters to you, tell us at the time of quoting. Air and ocean rates move, and a quotation is normally valid for the period stated on it rather than indefinitely.
Send your cargo details through the quote request page, or compare modes first on our ocean freight and air freight pages.
Planning a full container to the USA?
For a USA FCL DDP shipping enquiry, include the container type, cargo description, packing list, cargo-ready date and US delivery ZIP code. Tell us whether the destination needs an appointment, a loading dock or special unloading arrangements. Ask for the transport, clearance and delivery scope to be confirmed before booking.
LHD international Logistics