{"id":99683,"date":"2026-10-22T17:11:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T17:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/sea-freight-from-uk"},"modified":"2026-10-22T20:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T20:01:56","slug":"sea-freight-from-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/sea-freight-from-uk","title":{"rendered":"Sea Freight from the UK: How to Ship Goods Overseas (A Beginner&#8217;s Guide 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<head><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n            \"headline\": \"Sea Freight from the UK: How to Ship Goods Overseas (A Beginner's Guide 2026)\",\n            \"description\": \"A beginner's guide to sea freight from the UK: FCL vs LCL, costs, transit times, Incoterms, EORI numbers and customs, and how to choose a freight forwarder.\",\n            \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/sea-freight-from-uk\",\n            \"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Cargo-Ship-Travel-Cargoholidays9-1024x682.jpg\",\n            \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"inLanguage\": \"en-GB\",\n            \"author\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\"\n            },\n            \"publisher\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\",\n                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n            \"mainEntity\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the cheapest way to ship goods overseas from the UK?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Sea freight is usually the cheapest for anything heavy or bulky. LCL suits small loads; FCL is better value above about 13&ndash;15 cubic metres.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"How long does sea freight take from the UK to the USA?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"About 10&ndash;14 days port to port to the east coast, plus time for customs and delivery.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Do I need an EORI number to ship goods abroad?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Businesses do. Private individuals sending personal effects usually do not, but check with your forwarder.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the difference between FCL and LCL?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"FCL means you book a whole container. LCL means you pay for your share of a container used by several shippers.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Can I travel on the same ship as my cargo?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Sometimes. Some container ships carry a few passengers. Ask us about cabins on your route.\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script>\n<\/head><div class=\"ch-post\"><p class=\"ch-updated\">Last updated: 22 October 2026<\/p><p><strong>Most of the goods we buy cross an ocean on a container ship, and you can use the same system to send your own goods overseas.<\/strong> Whether you are a small business exporting stock, a seller shipping pallets, or a family moving belongings, sea freight is almost always the cheapest way to move heavy or bulky goods internationally from the UK.<\/p><h2>How sea freight works<\/h2><ol><li><strong>Booking.<\/strong> You or a freight forwarder book space with a shipping line.<\/li><li><strong>Collection.<\/strong> Goods are collected and taken to the port, or to a consolidation warehouse for shared loads.<\/li><li><strong>Export customs.<\/strong> An export declaration is made through the UK customs system.<\/li><li><strong>Ocean voyage.<\/strong> The container is loaded onto a ship at Felixstowe, Southampton, London Gateway, Liverpool or another port.<\/li><li><strong>Import customs.<\/strong> The goods are cleared, and duty or taxes paid, at the destination port.<\/li><li><strong>Delivery.<\/strong> The goods are delivered to the final address.<\/li><\/ol><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Cargo-Ship-Travel-Cargoholidays9-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Container ship loaded with sea freight\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Container ship loaded with sea freight\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">About 80% of world trade by volume travels by sea.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>FCL vs LCL<\/h2><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>FCL (full container load)<\/th><th>LCL (less than container load)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>What it means<\/td><td>You rent a whole 20ft or 40ft container<\/td><td>You share a container with other shippers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Best for<\/td><td>More than about 13&ndash;15 cubic metres<\/td><td>Smaller shipments, from about 1 cubic metre<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cost basis<\/td><td>Flat rate per container<\/td><td>Per cubic metre or per tonne<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Speed<\/td><td>Faster: no consolidation<\/td><td>Slower: waits for consolidation and devanning<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Security<\/td><td>Sealed from origin to destination<\/td><td>More handling<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p>A 20ft container holds about 33 cubic metres, which is roughly 10 standard pallets. Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/shipping-container-sizes\/\">shipping container sizes guide<\/a> for the full dimensions.<\/p><h2>How long does sea freight take from the UK?<\/h2><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Destination<\/th><th>Typical port-to-port time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>USA east coast<\/td><td>10&ndash;14 days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada<\/td><td>8&ndash;12 days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>UAE (Jebel Ali)<\/td><td>3&ndash;4 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>India<\/td><td>3&ndash;5 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singapore<\/td><td>4&ndash;5 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>China<\/td><td>5&ndash;7 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Afrique du Sud<\/td><td>3&ndash;4 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia<\/td><td>5&ndash;7 weeks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand<\/td><td>6&ndash;8 weeks<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p>Add time for collection, customs and delivery. Routes through the Red Sea and Suez Canal can be diverted around Africa, adding 1&ndash;2 weeks. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/sea-freight-transit-times-from-uk\/\">sea freight transit times guide<\/a>.<\/p><h2>What does sea freight cost?<\/h2><p>Container rates vary a lot with demand, fuel prices and global events. As well as the ocean freight, budget for:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Origin charges:<\/strong> collection, export customs and terminal handling<\/li><li><strong>Surcharges:<\/strong> fuel (BAF), currency, peak season and security<\/li><li><strong>Destination charges:<\/strong> terminal handling, import customs, duties and taxes, and delivery<\/li><li><strong>Insurance:<\/strong> usually a small percentage of the cargo value<\/li><\/ul><p>Always ask whether a quote is &ldquo;port to port&rdquo; or &ldquo;door to door&rdquo;.<\/p><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_251096093-1024x575.jpeg\" alt=\"Ship-to-shore cranes unloading a container ship at a terminal\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Ship-to-shore cranes unloading a container ship at a terminal\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway handle most UK container traffic.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Incoterms in plain English<\/h2><p>Incoterms decide who pays for what and where the risk transfers:<\/p><ul><li><strong>EXW (Ex Works):<\/strong> the buyer handles almost everything from the seller&rsquo;s door<\/li><li><strong>FOB (Free On Board):<\/strong> the seller pays until the goods are loaded on the ship<\/li><li><strong>CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight):<\/strong> the seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port<\/li><li><strong>DAP (Delivered at Place):<\/strong> the seller delivers to the buyer&rsquo;s address, and the buyer pays import duties<\/li><li><strong>DDP (Delivered Duty Paid):<\/strong> the seller pays everything, including duties<\/li><\/ul><h2>Paperwork for exporting from the UK<\/h2><ul><li><strong>EORI number:<\/strong> required for UK businesses moving goods in or out of the UK<\/li><li><strong>Commercial invoice and packing list<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Commodity codes (HS codes)<\/strong> for each product<\/li><li><strong>Bill of lading:<\/strong> the shipping contract and title document<\/li><li><strong>Certificates of origin, licences or permits<\/strong> for some goods and destinations<\/li><\/ul><h2>Choosing a freight forwarder<\/h2><p>Look for membership of BIFA (the British International Freight Association), clear all-in quotes, tracking, and experience with your destination country. A good forwarder handles bookings, customs and insurance in one place.<\/p><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"ch-faq\"><h3>What is the cheapest way to ship goods overseas from the UK?<\/h3><p>Sea freight is usually the cheapest for anything heavy or bulky. LCL suits small loads; FCL is better value above about 13&ndash;15 cubic metres.<\/p><h3>How long does sea freight take from the UK to the USA?<\/h3><p>About 10&ndash;14 days port to port to the east coast, plus time for customs and delivery.<\/p><h3>Do I need an EORI number to ship goods abroad?<\/h3><p>Businesses do. Private individuals sending personal effects usually do not, but check with your forwarder.<\/p><h3>What is the difference between FCL and LCL?<\/h3><p>FCL means you book a whole container. LCL means you pay for your share of a container used by several shippers.<\/p><h3>Can I travel on the same ship as my cargo?<\/h3><p>Sometimes. Some container ships carry a few passengers. Ask us about cabins on your route.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ch-cta\"><strong>Travel the trade routes yourself<\/strong><p>See the ports and ships behind global trade from a passenger cabin.<\/p><a class=\"ch-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/sinformer-pour-une-croisiere-cargo\/\">Request a cargo ship voyage quote &rarr;<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<style>\n.ch-post{font-family:inherit;line-height:1.7;color:#1f2937;max-width:820px;margin:0 auto}\n.ch-post h2{font-size:1.6em;margin:1.8em 0 .6em;color:#0b2545;border-bottom:3px solid #f5a623;padding-bottom:.25em}\n.ch-post h3{font-size:1.15em;margin:1.4em 0 .3em;color:#0b2545}\n.ch-post p{margin:0 0 1em}\n.ch-post ul,.ch-post ol{margin:0 0 1.2em 1.3em}\n.ch-post li{margin:.35em 0}\n.ch-post .ch-updated{font-size:.9em;color:#6b7280;margin-bottom:1.2em}\n.ch-post .ch-table{overflow-x:auto;margin:1.2em 0 1.6em}\n.ch-post table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:.95em}\n.ch-post th{background:#0b2545;color:#fff;text-align:left;padding:.65em .8em}\n.ch-post td{padding:.6em .8em;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb;vertical-align:top}\n.ch-post tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#f6f8fb}\n.ch-post .ch-faq{background:#f6f8fb;border-radius:12px;padding:1em 1.4em;margin:1em 0 2em}\n.ch-post .ch-faq h3{margin-top:1em}\n.ch-post .ch-cta{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0b2545,#13315c);color:#fff;border-radius:14px;padding:1.6em 1.8em;margin:2.2em 0;text-align:center}\n.ch-post .ch-cta strong{display:block;font-size:1.35em;margin-bottom:.4em;color:#fff}\n.ch-post .ch-cta p{color:#dbe4f0;margin:.2em 0 1.1em}\n.ch-post .ch-btn{display:inline-block;background:#f5a623;color:#0b2545 !important;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:.8em 1.6em;border-radius:999px}\n.ch-post .ch-btn:hover{background:#ffbb45}\n.ch-post em{color:#4b5563}\n<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A beginner&#8217;s guide to sea freight from the UK: FCL vs LCL, costs, transit times, Incoterms, EORI numbers and customs, and how to choose a freight forwarder.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single3.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1019,357,118],"tags":[1541,1542,1540,1402,1527],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99683"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99713,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99683\/revisions\/99713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99683"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=99683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}