Sea Freight
Full and shared container shipments across international trade lanes, planned port to port around your cargo and your deadline.
Ocean freight at the centre of what we do
Most of the world’s trade travels by sea, and so does most of ours. We arrange international ocean freight for importers and exporters, choosing the carrier service, the container and the routing that fit each consignment.
Whether your cargo fills a container or shares one, we plan it from port to port, handle the paperwork that goes with it, and keep you informed until it is released at the other end.
FCL or LCL?
FCL: full container load
A 20′, 40′ or 40′ high-cube container for your cargo alone. The usual choice once a shipment fills most of a box, or when the goods should not share space.
LCL: less than container load
Your cargo travels in a shared container alongside other shippers’ goods. You pay for the space you use, which suits smaller or regular part-load shipments.
Not sure which suits your shipment? The cargo calculator works out your volume and suggests a container.
What the service covers
- FCL and LCL bookings
- Space secured on carrier services that suit the route, the transit time and the cargo.
- Point-to-point planning
- From the port of loading to the port of discharge, with the handovers at each end agreed in advance.
- Container selection
- Guidance on the right equipment: standard, high-cube, refrigerated or special containers for the goods.
- Shipping documentation
- Bills of lading, shipping instructions and the supporting paperwork prepared and checked.
- Customs clearance
- Export and import clearance handled alongside the booking, so the cargo is not held at the border.
- Cargo insurance
- Cover arranged for goods in transit where the shipment calls for it.
How a sea shipment moves
Every shipment is planned individually. Send us the details and we will set out how yours would move.
Your cargo details
What is moving, its volume and weight, the ports involved and the date it must arrive.
Carrier and equipment
We match the shipment to a suitable carrier service and container type, FCL or LCL.
Export formalities
Documents are prepared and export clearance is completed before the cargo is loaded.
Ocean transit
The container sails to the port of discharge, and the shipment is followed throughout.
Arrival and release
Import clearance is coordinated and the cargo is released at destination.
Other services
- Customs ClearanceImport and export clearance, classification and documentation handled with care.
- NVOCC ServicesOcean carriage arranged on carrier-operated vessels, with one accountable point of contact.
- Dangerous Goods (DG) CargoHazardous cargo prepared, declared and booked to the rules of the sea.
- Refrigerated (Reefer) CargoTemperature-controlled containers for cargo that must stay cold or frozen.
- Buyers ConsolidationConsignments from several suppliers combined into one well-used container.
- WarehousingSecure storage and cargo handling before shipment or after arrival.
Tell us about your cargo.
Use the calculator to work out your cargo volume, then send the ports and dates. We will reply with options and a quote.