Container Shipping Cost Calculator [2024] - Freightos (2024)

How to Instantly Calculate Your Container Costs and Determine Your Freight Rates

Our free container shipping calculator delivers accurate container rate estimates. Just tell us about your shipment to get an estimate from the world’s largest freight rate database. Then join Freightos to compare, book, and manage your upcoming shipments using our freight rate calculator.

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Instantly compare air, ocean, and trucking freight quotes from 75+ providers with the perfect balance of price and transit time.

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Our Freight Team is available to help with every step of your shipment process, from documentation to delivery specifics.

Container Shipping Rates Chart and Prices

Below is a port-to-port container shipping rates chart for cost ranges of common international shipping destinations (from Shanghai, China):

You can view live international freight rates, prices, and trends, updated daily from the world’s largest freight rate index on theFreightos Baltic Index (FBX).

Week of May 28th, 2024 Container Shipping Rates and Prices

Ocean rates – Freightos Baltic Index:

• Asia-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Weekly) increased 13% to $4,917/FEU
• Asia-US East Coast prices(FBX03 Weekly) climbed 18% to $6,323/FEU.
• Asia-N. Europe prices(FBX11 Weekly) climbed 6% to $4,876/FEU.
• Asia-Mediterranean prices(FBX13 Weekly) increased 3% to $5,637/FEU.

Ocean Freight Rates and Trends:

• Carrier Adjustments and Red Sea Diversions Impact: Increased vessel speeds and transshipment reliance to maintain container schedules.
• Supply Side Challenges: Congestion, port omissions, delays, missed departures, and decreased empty equipment availability.
• Demand and Rate Dynamics: Stable demand until May, unexpected increase in demand, congestion worsening, resulting in equipment shortages and rate spikes.
• Rate Trends by Route: Asia-North America rates nearing peak levels, East Coast and North Europe rates up 50% in May, with intra-Asia rates climbing.
• Comparison with Pandemic Disruptions: Volume increases without surges, port strategies in place to handle demand, potential for disruptions to decrease once peak season subsides.
• Potential Shifts to Air Cargo: Disruptions in ocean logistics may drive some volumes to air cargo, stable rates observed in May but potential for increased demand.
• Impact on Sea-Air Cargo Dynamics: Ocean disruptions driving sea-air demand, rebounding air cargo rates in Middle East, but potential decrease in attractiveness due to port congestion and ocean rate spikes.

Air Cargo Trends:

• High rates from China to the US and Europe due to increased volumes and a shift to the spot market.
• Ongoing pessimism about a sustained air cargo rebound.

As a marketplace for international container shipping,Freightos.comleverages volumes of live pricing data from vetted logistics providers on our platform.

Use the cost calculator and keep up to date with container shipping pricing trends to get a better idea of what your total landed costs will be.

• China – N. America weekly prices decreased 3% to $5.69/kg
• China – N. Europe weekly prices stayed level at $4.02/kg.
• N. Europe – N. America weekly prices fell 1% to $1.73/kg.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship 20FT and 40FT Containers?

When comparing prices for container shipping and transport, the size of the container will affect the price.

While there are over a dozen different-sized containers, 20-foot (TEU) and 40-foot (FEU) containers are the most frequently used.

20-Foot Container Shipping Costs:

What fits in aTEUwill determine the cost of shipping. The cost also depends on the type of goods transported and how efficiently these can be packed and loaded into the container.

The dimensions of a TEU are as follows:

• Length: 19.4 ft (5.9 m)
• Width: 7.7 ft (2.35 m)
• Height: 7.9 ft (2.39 m)

Therefore, the total cubic capacity of a TEU is 1,172 cu ft (33.2 m3) and the payload capacity is 55,126.9 lbs (25,000 kg).

This means that a 20-ft container can generally accommodate 9-10 standard pallets.

40-Foot ContainerShipping Costs:

An FEU has double the capacity of a TEU but is not charged at double the price.

If you want to ship a 20-foot container instead of a 40-foot container, it’s worth noting that the latter usually costs just 20-25% more than the former.

These are the dimensions of a FEU:

• Length: 39.5 ft (12.03 m)
• Width: 7.7 ft (2.35 m)
• Height: 7.9 ft (2.39 m)

The total cubic capacity of an FEU is 2,389 cu ft (67.7 m3) and the payload capacity is 61,200 lbs (27,600 kg).

This means you can fit between 20-21 standard pallets in an FEU.

How Are Container Shipping Prices, Rates & Transport Costs Calculated?

Container shipping rates and prices are determined by the form of the cargo, the mode of transport, the weight of your goods, and the distance and popularity of the delivery destination from the point of origin.

Understanding the total cost of importing or exporting your goods is vital to determining the total landed cost of the goods and what your bottom line will be. Check out the Container Shipping Cost Calculator to help you estimate what it will cost to ship your goods.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship From China/Central Asia to the United States?

The cost of container shipping initially increased dramatically with the pandemic but fell sharply over the course of 2022.

Rates in early 2023 have dipped below $2,500, bringing them back to levels not seen since June 2020.