A freight rate is not one number
When someone quotes you "USD 2,400 from Shanghai", that figure is the ocean leg alone. The amount that actually leaves your bank account includes origin charges, destination charges, customs and inland transport — and the gap between the two can be 40% or more.
The most common reason an import costs more than budgeted is not a bad rate. It is a quote that only showed one of the four blocks below.
The four blocks of a quote
- Origin charges: pickup, export customs, terminal handling (THC) and documentation at the load port
- Ocean freight: the sea leg itself, plus surcharges such as BAF (fuel), CAF (currency), peak season and congestion
- Destination charges: terminal handling in Chile, deconsolidation for LCL, port storage
- Customs and inland: customs clearance, duties and VAT, and the truck to your warehouse
What moves the rate
Ocean rates are not a price list; they move weekly with capacity on the trade lane. The factors that matter most, in rough order:
- The trade lane and the season — Chinese New Year and the pre-Christmas peak both tighten space and lift rates
- Whether the routing is direct or has transhipments
- Container type: a reefer or an out-of-gauge box is priced on a different basis entirely
- Volume and regularity: a shipper with a monthly cadence negotiates differently from a one-off
- Fuel, which reaches you as the BAF surcharge
How to compare two quotes properly
- Check both are quoting the same Incoterm — an FOB quote and an EXW quote are not comparable
- Confirm the number of transhipments, not just the transit time
- Ask how many free days you get at destination before demurrage starts
- Check the validity date: ocean rates often hold for 7 to 15 days, not a month
- Make sure destination charges are itemised rather than described as "local charges apply"
Getting a real quote
To quote accurately we need the origin and destination, the Incoterm, what the goods are, and the weight and dimensions — packed, not the product's own. If you have a supplier's packing list, that is enough.
You get a detailed quote in under 24 hours, in CLP and USD, with every block itemised and the validity date on it. No calls needed first.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two quotes for the same route differ so much?
Almost always because they are not quoting the same thing: a different Incoterm, a different number of transhipments, or one showing the ocean leg alone while the other includes origin and destination charges. Compare the four blocks, not the headline number.
How long is an ocean freight quote valid?
Typically 7 to 15 days. Ocean rates move weekly with capacity on the lane, so any quote without a validity date is not a real quote.
What do you need from me to quote?
Origin and destination, the Incoterm, what the goods are, and the packed weight and dimensions. A supplier's packing list usually covers all of it.
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