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Free Container Shipping Cost Calculator

Want to know your container shipping costs? Use our free calculator to get instant 20’ and 40’ container shipping cost estimates! Get a clear understanding of your shipping expenses and plan your logistics with confidence.

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.

The Digital Freight Shipping Platform With a Free Container Shipping Cost Calculator

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

International Container Shipping Rates

There are many factors that determine the cost of FCL (full container load) container shipping. These factors will impact your shipping container transport cost and ultimately how much it’ll cost to ship a container overseas.

Here are some of the most important ones:

Your Shipping Route

An international container being sent from Shanghai to Los Angeles, for example, is always going to be less costly to ship than one being sent on a less common route.

Size of Your Container

The standard container dimensions are 20 and 40 feet. But there are also other variations, including different sizes and refrigerated units.

Supply and Demand

The global freight industry is dictated by basic economics. During the busiest shipping seasons, container rates go up – sometimes substantially.

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):

Destination Country	20’ Container	40’ Container
United States (Los Angeles)	$6,152	$7,974
United States (New York)	$7,089	$9,199
United Kingdom (Felixstowe)	$4,712	$8,052
Germany (Bremerhaven)	$4,695	$8,001
Australia (Melbourne)	$1,756	$3,034

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

Week of June 20th, 2024 Container Shipping Rates and Prices

Ocean Rates – Freightos Baltic Index:

Asia-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Weekly) increased 1% to $5,969/FEU.
Asia-US East Coast prices (FBX03 Weekly) were level at $7,552/FEU.
Asia-N. Europe prices (FBX11 Weekly) increased 5% to $6,480/FEU.
Asia-Mediterranean prices (FBX13 Weekly) fell 1% to $6,920/FEU.

Ocean Freight Rates and Trends:

Ocean rates out of Asia remained stable last week but are rising this week due to mid-month Peak Season Surcharges, driven by strong demand and congestion in both the Western Mediterranean and the Far East. The increase in rates is also exacerbated by ongoing issues in the Red Sea.
Some regional carriers are entering transpacific trade for the first time since the pandemic, attracted by high spot rates, which may pressure regional and lower-volume lanes.
The current surge in demand is partly due to seasonal goods being shipped earlier to avoid delays or higher rates later in the year.
Importers are accelerating shipments to beat the rollout of tariffs in July and August, potentially easing peak season pressures sooner than usual, with congestion and spot rates peaking by August.
The National Retail Federation forecasts US ocean imports will peak at 2.17 million TEU in August, suggesting the highest congestion and rates may occur in July and August.

Air Cargo Trends:

Despite ocean freight disruptions, air cargo rates have generally remained stable across most lanes.
Rates for shipments from China to Northern Europe have rebounded to May levels, possibly due to a shift towards air freight and ongoing strength in B2C e-commerce.

As a marketplace for international container shipping, Freightos.com leverages 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 2% to $5.46/kg
China – N. Europe weekly prices increased 26% to $4.27/kg.
N. Europe – N. America weekly prices fell 2% to $1.63/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 a TEU will 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 Container Shipping 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?

Currently, prices start from $5,968 in the China/Central Asia to North America West Coast route, and $7,552 in the China/Central Asia to North America East Coast route.