Introduction
Sea freight VS Air freight ! its important question for our customer ! as you know China is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world. It is one of the largest producers in the world due to its large population. China is one of the world’s top economic powers and trades billions of dollars annually with powerful countries. Due to the large population, there is cheap labor in this country. Precisely for this reason, the prices of Chinese goods are much cheaper than similar foreign models. The reasonable price of Chinese goods has made trading with China a lucrative job. But what must be considered is the shipping of goods. China trade is done by sea freight and air freight. In this article, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of air freight from China VS sea freight from China. Also, introduce the most important ports and airports in China.
The final price of the goods
As we have said, Chinese goods are cheaper than their foreign counterparts. But the role of shipping in determining the final price of a product should not be ignored. Shipping is an inseparable part of trade and can significantly determine the price of a product. The best methods of transportation are sea freight from China and air freight from China. But each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages. You must first know the advantages and disadvantages of each method so that you can choose one of them according to your needs. If you have any other questions about shipping from China and shipping cost from China, you can get help from the consultants of ddpch trading company.
Advantages of air freight
In this article, we’re going to talk about Sea freight VS Air freight ! Air freight is very fast. If you are short on time and will be fined if you are late, it is better to use this method. In other methods of transportation, the product suffers a lot of damage. Impact injuries can even cause breakage and damage to the product. But in air freight, the percentage of damage to the goods is minimized.
The fastest way to ship
When people ship goods by air, the biggest benefit is speed, which can be as fast as same-day delivery. This is the fastest way to ship something, and you can count on the arrival and departure times.
When you need to move your goods quickly, there’s no question that air freight is better than sea freight or road transport (after space travel, that is).
For shippers with time-sensitive cargo, like perishables, an air-only service or an ocean-to-air service (a Crowley program that combines ocean and air transport of perishable products from Central America to Asia and Europe via South Florida) might be the best options.
You can send your goods almost anywhere
Air service can reach even the most remote places. Airlines can send air cargo to almost any place on Earth because they have a large operating footprint. Also, air cargo consolidators can make connections between many places that go both ways. This makes it easier to move goods quickly and often.
There are a lot of airlines with a large number of destinations that reach almost every place on Earth. This means that you can send the package to almost anywhere.
Online Tracking
Most companies that ship goods by air let you track them on the web, so you can see where they are and when they will get there.
Many companies let you track your goods through a web application, so you can always know what’s going on with your cargo from the time it leaves until it arrives.
Disadvantages of air freight
The biggest disadvantage of air freight is its high price. Most of the time, the cost of air freight is so high that traders give up this method. In addition, air freight has many volume and weight limitations. Air freight is mainly used to send expensive shipments and samples of goods. It is better to use sea freight to send bulky and heavy goods.
Some disadvantages of air freight are:
Very expensive
Even though air freight is fast, it is also expensive. If you want your things to come in a few days, you will have to pay. Even if the distance is the same, it costs more to ship freight by air than by any other method. This is because companies that ship goods by land or sea use volume calculations, while companies that ship goods by air use weight calculations. The cost is determined by where you want your things shipped. Air freight within a country costs more than air freight between countries. You can always try to figure out how much shipping will cost on your own before the move.
Less space to carry things
Airplanes can only carry a limited amount of cargo, which is usually not enough to meet the needs of most international shippers. Planes aren’t good for transporting things that are big and bulky.
Risk
Air transportation is probably the most dangerous because even a small problem can cost a lot of money.
Advantages of sea freight
The most important advantage of sea freight is its very reasonable price. Because of the competition between large international shipping companies, the shipping rate is often fixed. In addition, these cargo ships have a very large capacity and each ship can carry a load of 200 to 500 thousand tons. Since all companies are obliged to comply with international laws in sea freight, the quality of sea freight is very high.
Cost effective
Compared to rail, road, and air freight rates, ocean freight rates are cheaper and more economically viable for bulkier cargo. Companies that offer ocean freight services offer different low-cost ways to ship different kinds of goods. This is very important for a lot of businesses because they need to save money on shipping so they can sell their products to customers at low prices. In the end, this will give you an advantage over your rivals.
Best for Large Items
A big benefit of sea freight shipping is that shipping companies can move oversized, heavy, or bulky cargo. These types of loads are called “break bulk” or “Not in Trailer” (NIT) loads. Large cars, tools, building materials, and other things could be among the cargo. Huge cargo, which is often too heavy or big to ship by air or even by truck, is not a problem for many maritime vessels.
Disadvantages of sea freight
The first point that must be considered before choosing sea freight is the very low speed of this method. In addition to low speed, you should know that weather conditions have a great impact on sea freight. Factors such as storms or water freezing can disrupt offshore routes.
Slow Speed
Ocean transport is a slower way to move goods, so it’s best for things that need to be shipped far in advance. Other ways to ship, like air freight, can get things to their destination in as little as two to three days, but ocean freight can take up to a month.
There can be delays
Ships go out every week, and different problems often come up. There’s always a chance that you’ll be late with a delivery. And because of that, your customers will definitely be unhappy. You will save a lot of money if you choose to ship by sea. Because of the chance of delays, your customers may choose to buy from someone else.
Mian China air ports
If you choose air freight, you should know and be familiar with China’s major airports. In this section, we introduce 20 very important airports in China.
IATA Code | Air port Name | City | Active Airlines | Active Destinations |
PEK | Beijing Capital International Airport | Beijing | 81 | 206 |
PVG | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | Shanghai | 65 | 152 |
CAN | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | Guangzhou | 56 | 150 |
XMN | Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | Xiamen | 39 | 72 |
HGH | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | Hangzhou | 39 | 72 |
CKG | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | Chongqing | 39 | 89 |
CTU | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | Chengdu | 39 | 108 |
KMG | Kunming Changshui International Airport | Kunming | 36 | 95 |
NKG | Nanjing Lukou Airport | Nanjing | 32 | 54 |
CSX | Changsha Huanghua International Airport | Changsha | 32 | 70 |
XIY | Xi’an Xianyang International Airport | Xi’an | 32 | 86 |
SZX | Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport | Shenzhen | 31 | 86 |
WUH | Wuhan Tianhe International Airport | Wuhan | 30 | 66 |
SHE | Taoxian Airport | Shenyang | 29 | 62 |
NGB | Ningbo Lishe International Airport | Ningbo | 27 | 38 |
HRB | Taiping Airport | Harbin | 27 | 58 |
TSN | Tianjin Binhai International Airport | Tianjin | 27 | 52 |
KWL | Guilin Liangjiang International Airport | Guilin City | 27 | 41 |
FOC | Fuzhou Changle International Airport | Fuzhou | 26 | 47 |
SHA | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | Shanghai | 26 | 67 |
URC | Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport | Ürümqi | 26 | 55 |
DLC | Zhoushuizi Airport | Dalian | 26 | 59 |
NNG | Nanning Wuxu Airport | Nanning | 24 | 44 |
SYX | Sanya Phoenix International Airport | Sanya | 24 | 41 |
KWE | Longdongbao Airport | Guiyang | 22 | 48 |
CGO | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport | Zhengzhou | 22 | 55 |
HAK | Haikou Meilan International Airport | Haikou | 22 | 38 |
TNA | Yaoqiang Airport | Jinan | 21 | 41 |
TYN | Taiyuan Wusu Airport | Taiyuan | 19 | 47 |
WNZ | Wenzhou Longwan International Airport | Wenzhou | 17 | 33 |
Main China seaports
If time is not important to you and your first priority is to reduce shipping costs, you must have chosen the sea freight. Are you familiar with Chinese seaports? In this section, we introduce the most important seaports of China.
Shanghai Port
It is the largest port in the world and has been number one since 2009. In 1842, the Port of Shanghai first opened. It is in the delta of the Yangtze River. The port is also in a great place geographically, has great economic facilities, and has a great set-up. Because it is in the middle of the longest stretch of eastern coast, it has a lot of opportunities. In 2014, 35 million TEU went through the Port of Shanghai, which was a new record (a unit of capacity often used for ports and ships). More than 2,000 ships come into the harbor every month. There are also three main work zones in the port of Shanghai. These are the Yangshan Deep Water Zone, the Huangpu River, and the Yangtze River.
Port of Shenzhen
It is the third most important port in the world and the second most important in China. It is in Guangdong province, in the southern part of the Pearl River. Shenzhen’s port is also one of the world’s busiest and fastest-growing. It has great possibilities for growth. Also, it says that there have been steady increases. People think of it as an extra way to do business between China and Hong Kong. It is one of China’s most important ports for trade around the world
About 130 global container lines have been opened by about 40 companies based in Shenzhen. Shenzhen also has the most international routes of any city in China. The name of the port is the same as the name of a few other big ports in Guangdong. Shekou, Yantian, and Chiwan are all names of terminals in its port. It is a large area with a coastline that is 260 km long.
Hong Kong’s port
It is a deep-sea port located in the South China Sea. It is a key factor in the economic development of Hong Kong. The port is a great place for all kinds of ships to dock and get service because it has deep water. It is one of the busiest ports in the world, both in terms of the amount of cargo and the number of people who go through it. Because of this, Hong Kong has become a symbol for shipping containers.
The port has been at the top of the list of the biggest ports in the world many times. But it is said that other ports will soon be able to pass Hong Kong in the ranking because the number of containers being reloaded is going down. The north of the continent is where most ships go. At the moment, there are nine container terminals in the port of Hong Kong. Some of these are in Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, and Stonecutters Island.
Ningbo port
It moves more cargo than any other port in the world. The port is in the province of Zhejiang, which is south of the bay of Hangzhou. Ningbo went over 20 million TEU for the first time in 2014. It is the only port that saw such a big jump (12%) compared to the year before. In the past, it wasn’t even close to 20 million. The port accepts supplies of raw materials, cargos, and finished products from North America, South America, and Oceania.
Ningbo is also in an area of China called the “Golden Triangle” or “the lower part of the Yangtze River” that is growing the fastest in terms of investment and business. Because of this, it is also an important place for getting around by inland waterway. There are several ports in the port of Ningbo, such as Beilun (a seaport), Zhenhai (a port estuary), and the old port of Ningbo (inland river port). Even better, the port’s coast is 333 km long.
Guangzhou port
It is the main port for Guangzhou, which is in the province of Guangdong. Guangzhou Port Group Co. Ltd., which is owned by the government, runs the port. Even though the political situation is not good, the number of containers handled by the port continues to rise steadily. During the Qin dynasty, in the third century, it was called “part of the Silk Route of the Sea.” It was an important trade port.
At the moment, it also connects the province of Guangdong to other parts of the world. According to the data, more than 411 million tons of goods were moved through that area in 2010. The ships come from more than 300 ports in about 80 countries. The Guangzhou port is also a transportation hub for industries in nearby provinces like Guangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Jiangxi. The port is where containers are loaded, unloaded, stored, and moved. Coal, oil, grain, fertilizers, steel, cars, and ores are just some of the things that are moved through the seaport.
Qingdao Port
It is a port on the Yellow River close to Qingdao in the province of Shandong. The trade and fishing port also makes the city well-known and helps it grow. The fact that it is on Jiaozhou Bay also adds to this. In 2014, 16.6 million TEU went through the port. In 2011, the largest port in South Korea, Port of Busan, and three other ports signed a strategic agreement. Furthermore, the signed alliance aims to create the most significant logistics and transport center in North East Asia. The Qingdao port also wants to be a leader in the area. They mostly move coal, mineral oil, iron ore, and grain at the moment. They also have people on board. The port is linked to more than 450 ports in about 130 countries.
Sea freight VS Air freight (Conclusion)
Sea freight can be delayed for many of the same reasons as air freight: bad weather, strikes, traffic jams at the port, labor strikes, and problems with paperwork at customs clearance. Most flights go as planned, and if there is a delay, shipments can be rerouted or moved to a later flight, usually the same day. Most delays in sea freight are measured in days. Also, unlike flights, ships aren’t always on time. So, switching to sea freight isn’t always a good way to improve quality or come up with new ways to improve quality.
When you look at everything, most people think that air freight is more reliable than sea freight. Whether shipping by sea or air is best depends on how risky the product is. For drugs that need to be kept at a certain temperature, air freight is by far the safer option. For the growing number of new, specialized, and sensitive products like biologicals or biosimilars that are coming onto the market, sea freight makes it hard to improve or change the quality in any way. Depending on how much the other options cost, it could be an option for more mature, less sensitive products. A total cost analysis could show whether or not the risk of shipping the goods by sea is worth it.
Why use DDPCH service?
DDPCH is one of the most important international shipping companies in China. It has more than 10 years of experience and is ready to be your shipping agent in China and offer competitive freight services from China. The DDPCH team is always ready to answer all shipping quotation ( freight quote ) in one day.
The DDPCh international shipping company offers different shipping solutions, including:
- Air freight from China
- Sea freight from China
- Rail freight from China
- Trucking service from china
- Amazon FBA service
- Warehouseing service in China
- Door to Door ( DDP) freight
- Express and courrier service
- Packing service
- Product sourcing service
We are happy to offer this service to all of our customers around the world. We are happy to offer all of these shipping solutions from China to many countries like:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Iran, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Russia, Iraq, South Korea, Colombia, Hong Kong
So you can get in touch with one of our sales staff and find the best shipping price from China to your country.
what are the main advantages of air freight?
Air freight has many benefits, such as being the fastest way to ship, Arrival and departure times that you can count on, Send your goods just about anywhere, When you pay less for insurance, you save a lot of money. High level of security and less likely to be broken or stolen
what are the main advantages of Sea freight?
There are many benefits to sea freight, such as the ability to ship large amounts of goods at low cost and the fact that a freight forwarder can combine shipments to save money. Shipping containers can also be used for further transport by road or rail.
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