Sea freight
Sea freight from Dubai and Jebel Ali
Jebel Ali is the largest container port between Rotterdam and Singapore, with direct services to almost every trading region. We book FCL and LCL space on it every week and move the cargo from the supplier's door to your consignee's door.
- Jebel Ali · Port Rashid · Sharjah · Khalifa
- FCL, LCL, reefer, flat rack, breakbulk
- From 1 CBM
Container options
FCL — full container
20', 40', 40'HC and 45'HC. You pay for the box, not the volume, so the more you fill it the cheaper each cubic metre becomes.
LCL — groupage from 1 CBM
Your pallets share a container with other shippers. Priced per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is greater. Ideal for first and test shipments.
Reefer
Temperature-controlled 20' and 40' containers for food, pharma and chemicals, with pre-trip inspection and temperature logs.
Flat rack & open top
For cargo that will not fit through container doors: machinery, vehicles, pipes, structures and prefabricated units.
Breakbulk & RoRo
Loose, oversized and wheeled cargo loaded directly onto the vessel when no container will do.
Buyer's consolidation
We receive cargo from several UAE or Asian suppliers into our warehouse and ship it as one container under one bill of lading.
Indicative sea transit times from Jebel Ali
Port to port. Add roughly 5–10 days for LCL because of consolidation and deconsolidation at both ends, plus inland time on door shipments.
| Destination | FCL transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mombasa, Kenya | 12–18 days | Direct services, high frequency to East Africa |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | 14–20 days | Common gateway for Zambia, DRC, Burundi |
| Lagos / Apapa, Nigeria | 20–28 days | Usually via transhipment; port congestion varies |
| Durban, South Africa | 18–25 days | Direct and transhipment options |
| Hamburg / Rotterdam | 22–28 days | Via Suez; the main European gateway |
| Felixstowe / Southampton | 20–25 days | UK direct and transhipment services |
| Gioia Tauro / Genoa | 14–20 days | Shortest European lane from the Gulf |
| Novorossiysk, Russia | 18–26 days | Via transhipment; also served by road and multimodal |
| Poti, Georgia | 16–24 days | Gateway for the Caucasus and Central Asia |
| Bandar Abbas / Umm Qasr | 3–7 days | Short sea; also reachable by road |
| Nhava Sheva, India | 5–9 days | High frequency, very competitive rates |
| Shanghai / Ningbo | 18–26 days | Backhaul direction, often cheap |
Rates and transit times move with the market. Red Sea routing changes add time to Europe and the Mediterranean in some periods — we quote the routing actually available on the day.
FCL or LCL?
The usual breakpoint is around 13–15 CBM. Below that, groupage almost always wins because you only pay for the space you use. Above it, a 20-foot container is generally cheaper than the same volume as LCL, and it is also faster and safer: fewer handling points, no waiting for the consolidation to fill, no risk of a neighbouring shipper's cargo damaging yours.
There are exceptions. Heavy cargo hits the weight limit long before the volume limit, so 10 CBM of tiles or machinery may still need a full container. Cargo that a customs authority is likely to inspect is also easier to handle as FCL, because an LCL inspection means the whole consolidation is opened and every consignee waits.
Tell us weight and dimensions and we will run both numbers rather than guessing.
From booking to delivery
Rate and routing
We check live carrier rates for your lane and give you FCL and LCL options with sailing days and transit times.
Booking and collection
Space is booked, the empty container is released or your pallets are received at our consolidation warehouse.
Stuffing and export clearance
Loading under supervision with a photo record, container sealed, UAE export or re-export declaration filed, VGM submitted.
Bill of lading
You get the draft B/L to approve before the vessel sails. Telex release or original documents, whichever your deal needs.
Arrival, clearance, delivery
Our agent handles import clearance, duty, port charges and trucking to the final address.
Sea freight FAQ
How much fits in a container?
A 20' holds roughly 28–33 CBM and up to about 28 tonnes of payload. A 40' holds about 58–67 CBM, a 40' high cube about 68–76 CBM, with a similar weight limit. Usable volume is always lower than nominal volume because of pallet geometry.
What is LCL priced on?
Per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is greater — the shipping industry's weight/measure rule. One CBM of feathers and one tonne of bolts can cost the same.
Can you collect from suppliers in China and ship via Dubai?
Yes. That is a standard re-export pattern: consolidate in Jebel Ali free zone, repack or relabel if needed, then ship onward on fresh documents without paying UAE duty.
Do you provide door-to-door on sea freight?
Yes, on DAP or DDP terms. Port-to-port is also available if you have your own broker and trucker at destination.
What about demurrage and detention?
Every carrier gives a number of free days at destination. We tell you what they are before the vessel sails and warn you in advance when the clock is about to start, because these charges escalate quickly.
Can you ship a car by sea?
Yes, in a container or by RoRo. See our car shipping service for documents, timings and costs.
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Get an FCL and LCL comparison
Send the volume, weight and destination port. We price both options so you can see the breakpoint for your own cargo.