“How much is shipping?” has no single answer — but it’s not a mystery either. Once you know what drives the price, you can estimate it before you buy.
What decides the cost
- How much you’re shipping. A full container (FCL) is cheapest per unit. A small order shares a container (LCL) and you pay for the space you use.
- The route and method. Sea is the default and cheapest. Rail suits Central Asia and is faster than sea. Air is quick but expensive — only for small, urgent or high-value goods.
- Where it’s going. Distance, destination port fees and your country’s charges all feed in.
The part beginners forget: landed cost
The shipping quote isn’t the end. Your real number is the landed cost — the goods, plus freight, plus insurance, plus import duty and tax at your end. A “cheap” product with expensive freight and duty may not be cheap at all. Always add it all up before you decide.
Don’t guess — estimate
Rather than guessing, use a shipping planner to compare sea, rail and air for your route, and add duty and tax to get your true landed cost.
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