Sea Freight Services UK — FCL & LCL Container Shipping
Need affordable container shipping from China, Europe, or USA? Carrgo's sea freight UK service handles FCL, LCL, and bulk cargo with full customs clearance. Get your sea freight quote in 2 hours. Reliable, tracked, HMRC-compliant.
Carrgo Freight Solutions — UK freight forwarder handling sea freight, air cargo, road haulage, rail freight, and customs clearance for UK importers and exporters.
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Who we help: UK importers, exporters, procurement managers, logistics managers, manufacturers, ecommerce businesses, Amazon FBA sellers, wholesalers, retailers, and customs-clearance customers.
Services: Sea Freight | Air Freight | Road Freight | Customs Clearance | Port Tracker
What is sea freight and when should you use it?
Sea freight is the movement of cargo by container ship. It is the cheapest way
to move volume into the UK and handles roughly the vast majority of world trade by
weight. Use sea freight when your cargo is heavy, bulky or not urgent: typical
transit from China to a UK port is around 25-40 days port to port, versus days by
air. If you need it faster, compare with
air freight.
FCL or LCL — which container option is cheaper?
FCL (Full Container Load) means you book a whole container: a 20ft holds
roughly 28 cubic metres of usable space, a 40ft roughly 58. LCL (Less than
Container Load) means you pay only for the space your pallets occupy and share
the container with other shippers.
Choose LCL when
Your shipment is under about 15 cubic metres. Below that, paying for a whole
container usually costs more than sharing one.
Choose FCL when
You are above roughly 15 cubic metres, your goods are fragile or high value
(fewer handling points), or you want faster clearance — FCL is not held waiting
for other consignees' paperwork, which is the most common cause of LCL delay.
How much does sea freight to the UK cost?
Sea freight cost is driven by five things: volume or container size, the origin
port, the current freight rate on that lane, UK port and handling charges, and
duty plus VAT on arrival. Rates move constantly with fuel, capacity and demand,
which is why any fixed price you read online is out of date. Price your own
shipment with the freight cost calculator,
then request a quote for a firm figure.
Which UK port should your container arrive at?
The right port is not automatically the closest one. Congestion changes week to
week, and a port scoring well on berth availability can clear your container days
faster than a busier one nearby. Carrgo publishes live health scores for 17 UK and
Ireland ports — check the
live port congestion tracker
or the weekly
UK port congestion report
before you fix a routing, and compare two options side by side with the
port comparison tool.
What about customs clearance and import duty?
Every commercial shipment entering the UK needs a customs declaration, a
commodity code, and duty plus VAT paid before release. Getting the commodity code
wrong is the single most common cause of both delay and overpayment. Carrgo
handles the declaration as part of the shipment — see
customs clearance and the
UK customs clearance guide.
Which sea freight services does Carrgo provide?
FCL and LCL container shipping,
break bulk and project cargo,
port-to-port
and door-to-door delivery, customs
clearance, and warehousing on arrival. Main
lanes are China and the Far East, Europe, the USA, and the Indian subcontinent into
all major UK ports. Related options:
container shipping,
rail freight from China, and
Amazon FBA freight.
What is LCL freight and when is it the right choice?
LCL freight (Less than Container Load) means your goods share a container with
other shippers' cargo and you pay only for the space you use. It is the smart
choice below roughly 15 cubic metres, because booking a whole container would
leave you paying for empty space. Above that volume, FCL usually costs less per
unit and clears faster.
Ocean freight vs sea freight — what is the difference?
They are two names for the same thing: moving cargo by container ship across
the ocean. "Ocean freight" is more common in North American usage and "sea
freight" in UK and European usage, but the service, the containers and the
pricing model are identical. See sea
freight for what a full service includes.
What drives sea freight rates?
Sea freight rates are set by the lane, the volume and container size, fuel and
currency surcharges, port and terminal handling, and seasonal demand — plus duty
and VAT on arrival. Because carriers adjust rates constantly, any fixed price
published online is out of date. Price your own movement with the
freight cost calculator for a current
figure.
What is cargo shipping and what does it cover?
Cargo shipping is the commercial movement of goods by sea, air, road or rail.
In UK freight it most often refers to containerised sea freight — FCL and LCL —
into and out of UK ports, including the customs clearance, duty and inland
delivery that sit around the ocean leg. Carrgo's
cargo shipping service covers the full
journey.
How does international freight shipping by sea work?
International freight shipping by sea moves cargo between countries in
containers. The journey runs supplier collection, export clearance, ocean
transit, UK import customs and final delivery, coordinated by a single
forwarder. Carrgo handles China to UK and
other major lanes end to end, with one point of contact.