FCL or LCL for ocean freight to China?

The ocean freight to China is the access gate to the largest consumer market in the World. The People's Republic of China has recently overtaken the USA as the largest economy. China not only is the largest exporter in the world, but also has become a major importer of food, fuel, mineral resources, medical equipment or chemicals, among many other products.

Before finalizing the procedures for your ocean freight to China, you will have to choose between a Full Container Load (FCL) or a Less than a Container Load (LCL) - Groupage.

FCL will allow you to use a container just for your cargo, without sharing it. This is especially suitable if the cargo volume lets you fill up a 20-foot container or 40-foot container, because each container can carry a total of 10 or 21 standard American pallets, respectively. The standard American pallet is 47.24 in. long x 39.37 in. wide.

In that way, you will take more advantage of the transportation cost, as FCL shipping begins to be more profitable when you fill up more than half of a container; besides, you will also benefit from a Full Container Load if you want to avoid any damage or contamination in case of sharing a container with other traders.

In other situations, the "groupage" - sharing a container - will let you save on shipping costs, in case the volume you need is not enough to fill up a container or you are not concerned about the risks associated to sharing the container. This way involves sharing the container with other goods belonging to other traders, but you pay only for the space used by your cargo, with great savings on your shipping costs.