What goods are better shipped by international sea in international logistics? How long is the shipping time?

What goods are better shipped by international sea in international logistics? How long is the shipping time?

 

In international logistics transportation, international sea freight has always been favored by foreign trade enterprises due to its low price. However, it is worth noting that the price of international sea freight is indeed very affordable, but it is not the best choice for customers with high time requirements. So, what kind of goods are best shipped by international sea freight? What is the common time limit for international shipping?

 

 

Firstly, what kind of goods are suitable for sea freight

 

1. Goods with relatively large volume or weight

 

If the volume or weight of the goods is large and international express delivery or air freight is chosen, the cost will be high. In this case, sea freight can be chosen, such as international moving, industrial heavy goods, etc., to save costs through sea freight. However, if the goods are urgent, it is recommended not to use sea freight.

 

2. Goods without time requirements

 

If we need to ship some goods that are not urgent and may take a long time to use, then we can choose sea freight because it is the most cost-effective way to save shipping costs without time restrictions.

 

3. Containerized cargo

 

Usually, some industrial products that are loaded in containers, such as tires, machines, etc., cannot be transported by air due to their volume. In this case, sea freight is more suitable. For some factory goods and raw materials, the most common transportation method is to use sea freight.

 

Secondly, how long does the sea freight usually take

 

The disadvantage of sea freight is slow delivery time, but regardless, friends who choose sea freight want to know the voyage time in order to arrange import and export time reasonably. The following are the voyage times from China to major regions around the world, for reference only:

 

1. East Asia (Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan): It is relatively fast from China to East Asia, usually taking 1-3 days;

 

2. Southeast Asia region (countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand): Goods are shipped by sea to Southeast Asia, which takes approximately 7-10 days;

 

3. South Asia region (countries such as India and Pakistan): approximately 15 days;

 

4. Australia New Zealand Line (Australia, New Zealand and other countries): It usually takes about 15 days from China to Sydney, Australia, and about 20 days to New Zealand;

 

5. Middle East Line (Dubai, Iran and other Arab countries): 15-25 days;

 

6. North Africa Mediterranean area (Türkiye, Spain, Greece and other countries): the ports in the eastern Mediterranean countries are about 25 days, while those in Spain and Portugal in the western Mediterranean are about 30 days;

 

7. European countries (such as England, France, Germany, Italy, etc.): Shipping to Europe usually takes over a month, approximately 30-40 days;

 

8. The East African route (including Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, and other countries): Although Africa is far away, it usually takes about 25 days to reach the eastern ports;

 

9. West Africa route: Compared to ports in East Africa, ports in West Africa need to first bypass East Africa before entering West Africa, which naturally takes longer, usually more than 35 days;

 

10. East and West of North America: Western ports in North America generally take 12-14 days, while eastern ports require 25-30 days to complete a large circle;

 

11. Central America: In the Central American region, the shipping time to Mexico is generally 20 days, while other ports generally take 28-35 days;

 

12. South America route: Due to the influence of ocean currents, it usually takes 25-30 days in the west of South America, and 30-35 days in the east due to the need for detours.

The above is the ideal sea freight time. Once there are other factors affecting it, the specific time becomes uncertain, such as customs inspection, missing clearance documents, weather, sudden ship conditions, etc., all of which may affect the sea freight time.

 

If you don't have high requirements for timeliness, kapoklog Logistics suggests that it is more cost-effective to take international shipping, and it can also make tax refunds later, which is really cost-effective. If the buyer wants goods urgently, it is better to choose air or express delivery channels. Of course, if you prepare goods in advance, it is also feasible to transport goods to overseas warehouses by sea earlier.

 

In summary, the purpose of selecting channels is to ensure timely delivery, high cost-effectiveness, and good service quality.