Sea freight

To calculate the cost, we will need the following information:

1. delivery terms (Incoterms);
2. the place of loading (address or port);
3. the place of delivery (address or port);
4. the volume of the cargo;
5. a description of the cargo;
6. cargo readiness date and preferred delivery date.

INCOTERMS, or the terms of delivery, determine the point at which the responsibility for transporting the cargo and the related costs are transferred between the seller and the buyer. They are usually stated in the purchase contract or invoice. For more details on Incoterms, visit: incoterms.

The total cost of sea freight transport is determined by a number of factors.

1. The cost of freight from the consignor's warehouse to the port.
Depending on the Incoterms applicable to your cargo, the total cost of delivery may increase due to ancillary services defined by the relevant type of Incoterms (e.g., picking up the cargo at the consignor’s warehouse (EXW) will always increase the total cost compared to the cargo delivered to the port by the consignor (FOB/CFR).

2. Port costs at the port of shipment.
The port costs consist of services such as unloading a container from the platform and putting it in the container storage area, documentation, loading the container on board, etc.

3. Sea freight charges (the charge for carriage by ship).
The freight charge is a fee for the use of a ship (or a place on it) for freight forwarding. The amount of freight charge is determined by the route and the type, packaging, dimensions and other characteristics of the cargo. If your cargo is classified as hazardous (ADR), it should be noted that the cost of the carriage will be higher than for normal cargo. The dimensions of the cargo also have a significant impact on the freight charges. The freight charges will always be higher for large cargo than for smaller cargo.

4. Port costs at the destination port.
The costs at the destination port consist of unloading the container from the ship and putting it in the container storage area, documentation, loading the container on vehicle platform for delivery to the final consignee, etc.

5. Customs formalities and duties.
The cost of customs formalities and duties depends on the type of cargo and the duty rates applicable thereto.

6. Delivery of the cargo from the port to the final consignee.
Once at the destination port, the sea container is transferred to a vehicle platform for delivery to its consignee.

7. Ancillary services.
When calculating the price of sea freight, we always take into account all preferences of the customer, such as cargo insurance, door-to-door delivery, etc. These are ancillary services that increase the total cost of sea freight.

The most popular type is the 40-foot container. Its capacity (depending on the type chosen) shall be sufficient to carry up to 30 Euro-pallets of cargo at once. However, if the cargo to be carried is smaller, a 20-foot container with a capacity of up to 11 Euro-pallets would be more appropriate. For more details on the types and sizes of all available containers, see: container sizes

The prices of sea freight depend on many variable factors and therefore today’s carriage costs can differ from the cost of carrying identical cargo a few months before. For this reason, we recommend to ask for an exact sea freight quote before each planned shipment. This especially applies if a long period of time has passed between shipments.

Our specialists continuously monitor the movement and the location of all goods being transported, allowing us to advise customers on both the current location of the cargo and scheduled date of delivery at the final destination.

EORI or Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (more information here: (EORI). It must be registered by enterprises, individual economic operators and natural persons exporting and/or importing goods from/to third countries.

The bill of lading (B/L) (or sea bill of lading) is the main sea freight accompanying document. The bill of lading is a contract between the consignor and the sea carrier, which certifies the carrier’s right to carry the cargo to the designated delivery destination on behalf of the consignor. The bill of lading governs the ownership rights of the cargo and serves as a confirmation document of the fact that the carrier has accepted the cargo for carriage in accordance with the number of spaces and volume stated in the bill of lading. Bill of lading is only used in sea freight.

The bill of lading is printed on special shipping line forms. The number of copies may vary, but a set of bills of lading usually consists of three copies. All copies contain the same information and the same date. The originals are issued to the carrier, the consignor and the consignee. All original copies of the bill of lading are marked with "Original". All these copies shall have the same legal effect.

The carrier issues the bill of lading to the consignor as proof that the cargo has been loaded on board the ship. To receive the cargo once it arrives at the destination port, the consignee must also present the bill of lading.

Yes, Ursus Forwarding provides all ancillary services related to sea freight, including customs formalities and the delivery of cargo from the port to the final consignee or from the consignor to the port.