How Expensive Is It to Ship Goods by Sea?

The cost to ship goods by sea is relatively low. For example, the price of shipping televisions via an oceanliner makes up only about 2% of the consumer's retail price. Ocean freight contributes even less to the price of coffee beans, because shipping only makes up about 1% of the beans' retail price. The main disadvantage to shipping goods by sea is that the journey takes much longer than shipping via air freight, making it unsuitable for transporting perishable goods.

More about ocean freight:

• Shipping goods by sea takes longer, but some experts point out that there have been improvements in transit times, with transatlantic journeys taking as few as eight days in some cases.


• Ocean shipping has less impact on the environment than sending goods by air.


• Some companies specialize in ocean freight logistics and assist businesses in selecting efficient routes and reliable carriers, as well as managing legal and customs paperwork at port.