Being an importer, you are constantly making a vital decision on what kind of shipping works for your business at any point in time. Doing this often means you have to consider a lot of factors and put a number of things into perspective especially when you know the difference between air freight and sea freight.

Before talking about these factors, let’s explain the two types of shipping that are available to a lot of importers.

Majorly, when doing importation business, you can choose between Air freight and Ocean freight. For the sake of clarity, we will define each shipping method.

AIR FREIGHT VS. SEA FREIGHT

Airfreight is the transportation or shipping of goods by aircraft. This method is usually faster than all other shipping methods while Sea Freight is the transportation or shipping of goods by sea.

Depending on the type of goods, some goods can only be shipped by sea simply because of their weight and product type.

When considering the type of shipping you should go for, there are a lot of factors to consider. These factors are:

1. Freight Rate/Cost: The rate of shipping is determined by the volume and weight of the goods. Also, this is determined by the current exchange rate of USD.
2. Time of Transit: The time you need your goods to be delivered is ultimately determined by you. However, air freight is faster than the sea freight. If you need it faster, you may consider air freight, if you are not in a hurry, you may go for sea freight.
3. Volume & Weight of Goods: The weight of your goods also determines the type of shipping that you will go for. Aircraft impose specific weight of goods to be carried while you can ship large containers and voluminous goods through sea freight.
4. Product Type: The goods you want to ship also determines the type of shipping that you will go for. For instance, some products are prohibited to be transported by aircraft. Such products are powder, liquid, flammables, gases, biological wastes, ammunition, etc.

Now that we have discussed the factors that determine your shipping decisions, let’s dive into the benefits and disadvantages of each shipping method.

Benefits of Air Freight:

1. It is the fastest method of shipping goods from abroad or anywhere in the world
2. It has a wider reach
3. It is often secured 
4. It is easy to track your goods
5. It is reliable as to know when you will receive your goods
6. A separate package of goods

Disadvantages of Air Freight:

1. Can’t ship a large number of goods
2. More expensive than other methods
3. Limitations on type of goods that can be shipped by aircraft

Benefits of Sea Freight

1. It is cheaper than the other shipping method
2. It is safer as your goods will be packaged against theft, water, etc.
3. Can ship a large number of goods
4. It is cost-effective 
5. Can ship any type of goods or products except prohibited by law

Disadvantages of Sea Freight

1. It takes a long time for goods to arrive
2. Delay may occur as a result of sea issues
3. May affect business activities as you don’t know when the goods will arrive.

What’s Cheaper Than Sea Freight?

Due to importers’ complaints and fear of Sea reight, especially regarding the long duration of ocean shipping, Naiyuan Mart has created a solution to help all sea importers solve the problem of delayed shipping. This means you no longer have to wait for 3-4 months before your goods arrive. This solution makes it faster for your goods to get to you within 30-45 days.

With just $6.3 per kg, you can ship your goods via ocean and get them to you in no time. This is cheaper, faster, and better than the normal parameters of sea shipping.

If this interests you, you can talk to any of our agents on WhatsApp and get a quote. Click the number below to chat with a Naiyuan Mart agent. You can also learn about the latest shipping rates by staying connected to our social media platforms.

+86 156 0301 0790