Every first-time exporter searches for an ocean freight price list, hoping to compare a few numbers before talking to anyone. That list does not exist — and not because forwarders are hiding it.
Here is what actually sits inside a quote, why two forwarders can differ by double, and how to get a number you can sign against.
1. Why no universal ocean freight price list exists
Ocean freight is not a listed price. It is three variables multiplied by a point in time:
- Ports. Yantian to Los Angeles and Nansha to New York are not the same lane. The spread is more than double
- Container type. 20GP, 40HQ, open-top and flat-rack each carry a different rate
- Commodity. General cargo, batteries, magnets and branded goods all move differently
- Timing. The same lane in July and October can differ by 30–50%
Any price list with fixed numbers starts expiring the day it is published. That is why most tables you find online are months old.
2. The five cost segments in a door-to-door quote
A full container to the door breaks into five segments, in order of occurrence:
| Segment | Cost items | Who charges |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Origin | Drayage, loading, export declaration, port charges, manifest | Trucker, broker, terminal |
| 2. Ocean | Ocean freight (incl. GRI/PSS), bunker | Carrier |
| 3. Destination port | THC, document fee, pickup, devanning | Terminal and destination agent |
| 4. Clearance | Brokerage, ISF filing, duty, MPF/HMF | Broker, US Customs |
| 5. Delivery | Drayage to door or inland rail, unloading | US trucker, rail |
The key point: many low quotes cover only segments 1 and 2. A headline figure of "USD X per container" leaves the last three entirely on the receiver. A real door price has all five.
Rough share of each segment
For a 40HQ of general cargo to the US West Coast, the segments sit roughly here within the door total:
| Segment | Share | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Origin | 10–15% | Low, largely fixed |
| 2. Ocean | 40–55% | Highest, moves with sailing and space |
| 3. Destination port | 10–15% | Medium, container type and terminal |
| 4. Clearance and duty | 10–25% | High, driven by HTS code and declared value |
| 5. Delivery | 5–15% | Medium, distance and inland transfer |
Segments 2 and 4 are where quotes really diverge. Compare those two first rather than the headline total — a cheap total usually means segment 4 was carved out.
3. FCL, LCL and air freight use different billing units
This is the most common mix-up when requesting rates:
- FCL is billed per container. One shipment, one price, however full
- LCL is billed per cubic metre (W/M, greater of volume and weight), with a minimum
- Air freight is billed per kilogram, but on chargeable weight (greater of actual and volumetric)
So "how much per kilo by sea" has no answer for FCL. You can divide a total by total gross weight, but the result means nothing — a full container and a half-full one can differ threefold on that metric.
4. Why the price tables you find online do not work
Three reasons:
- Unclear basis. Is the figure ocean freight only, or door-to-door? Does it include destination charges? Most tables do not say
- Unclear lane. "To the USA" spans West Coast and East Coast — a twofold difference
- Unclear timing. Rates move with sailings. Last year's table has no relationship to this month
A useful reference point must fix four things at once: same origin port, same destination port, same container type, same week of sailing. Miss one and the numbers are not comparable.
5. Six details that get you an accurate number
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Determines HTS code, whether it is sensitive, whether certification applies |
| Volume and weight | Decides container type and whether you hit the weight limit |
| Origin and factory address | Sets drayage distance and choice of load port |
| Destination port or delivery address | Sets the lane and the last-mile method (ZIP code is enough) |
| Target ship date | Sets sailing options and whether peak season applies |
| Terms | FCL ocean freight door-to-door, or FOB to port only |
You can ask with partial information, but you will get a range. With all six, you get a number you can contract against.
6. Four common traps
Trap 1: comparing ocean freight alone. Ocean freight is the easiest line to quote and usually only 40–60% of the door total. The other four segments are where the differences live.
Trap 2: treating a port price as a door price. Port charges, clearance, duty and delivery all come after arrival. If the receiver cannot clear cargo, a port price is not a price.
Trap 3: ignoring overweight and out-of-gauge. A 20GP fills up on heavy cargo long before it fills on volume, and terminals reject overweight boxes. Open-top and flat-rack carry surcharges.
Trap 4: budgeting off-season for peak season. GRI and PSS stack during peak. When you lock space and price matters more than haggling.
7. FAQ
Q: Why did three forwarders quote such different numbers?
Compare the basis first. Most likely one quote includes destination and clearance and another stops at the port. Line up the five segments and the gap usually narrows to within 10%.
Q: Is there a rough range I can budget against?
Yes, but it must be qualified. A 40HQ of general cargo to the US West Coast, door-to-door, runs into the low thousands of USD and up, depending on month, carrier and whether duty is included. Budget against the top of the range plus 20%.
Q: Can clearance and duty be quoted separately?
Yes. Duty depends on HTS code and declared value and is calculable; brokerage is a fixed service fee. See US customs clearance for how that is scoped.
Q: My shipment is only a few cubic metres — sea or air?
Below about 15 CBM, LCL usually wins once destination devanning is counted; if time matters, compare against air freight. Put both door-to-door totals side by side.
Fix the basis, then compare price
Most of the spread between ocean freight quotes comes from different bases, not from anyone cheating you. List the five segments line by line and the price explains itself.
Send us the commodity, volume and weight, origin, destination, ship date and terms, and we will return a five-segment door price against current sailings.
Phone: Mr. Yang +86 151 1842 9977 (WeChat same number).