Ocean Shipping China to UK

[Its4john]

Has anyone seen ocean freight prices rising lately. I’m waiting for a quote for a 20ft container and my agent has said prices are “going crazy”.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I am aware that some companies are applying a war surcharge to sea freight

 

[AmazonGeek]

Oil prices have gone up because of the Iran war so shipping companies are adding a fuel surcharge on top.

Most freight coming from China has been going around the Cape for ages so not much of a change there anyway.

If you have to go through the Gulf/Hormuz then the War Risk Surcharge will probably apply - the last figures I saw were up to $3,500 for a full container - so nowhere near what happened in covid (where containers went up as high as £30k for a 40ft!)

 

[apricot]

Somebody needs to stop Trump!

 

[Simon LIU]

Has anyone seen ocean freight prices rising lately. I’m waiting for a quote for a 20ft container and my agent has said prices are “going crazy”.

Recently, prices for 20-foot containers on UK routes have indeed surged, mainly due to the Red Sea's influence, port congestion, and tight availability before the peak season. Many agents are changing their quotes daily.

A word of advice: when booking, always confirm the availability and details of any surcharges. Don't just look at the base price; many hidden fees only surface later.

We offer stable pricing on UK routes. If you'd like to compare quotes or learn how to avoid surcharges, feel free to message me anytime!

 

[1emma19]

The prices are painfully overwhelming.

 

[AmazonGeek]

Nothing like it was in covid. A bit of an increase but Iran hasn't had much impact. Ships have been going around the cape for ages anyway.

 

[CHUKTC]

Yes prices are going up again but as others have said nothing like the hikes in prices we saw during covid. Sea freight is rising partly due to fuel costs and partly due to lack of supply (short sailings etc). One of the main increases in costs is not the actual sea freight cost (although this is rising) but the cost of haulage each end especially UK driven of course by higher fuel prices. Feul costs are now up to 60% of a hauliers costs and we are seeing FSCs of around 10% and some as high as 14-15% and I suspect they will be even higher by the time yur goods arrive if loading now - build this into your costs.

 

[CHUKTC]

How can I help

You could start by dismantling the shipping lines cartel! That would help a lot.

 

[Lawson@CBF]

We have had clients stop shipments as it absorbs so much profit. They are hoping to push buttons over the next 4 weeks. Q4 is going to be interesting this year. New client demographics approaching us from Europe with stock to pull across the North Sea.

 

[NelaKo]

The freight cost itself is only part of the problem now — once you add storage, handling, haulage and delays, the margins can disappear pretty quickly. A few businesses I know are holding off and trying to time their shipments better rather than bringing stock in at today’s rates. Q4 could definitely be unpredictable if these costs stay high.