International ocean shipping to South Korea mainly involves full container loads (FCL) and less than container loads (LCL). Costs include ocean freight, port charges, and other items.
In this article, Weefreight will explain these details in detail, hoping they will be helpful.
Shipping Methods
Full Container Load (FCL): A shipping method where the shipper fills a full container with their goods and ships them in units of containers. This method is suitable for large shipments that can fill one or more full containers. Its advantages include relatively safe transportation, unaffected by other shipments, and relatively short shipping times.
Less than Container Load (LCL): A shipment from multiple shippers to the same destination is consolidated into a single full container load. LCL shipping is often chosen when a shipper’s cargo volume is too small to fill a full container load. This method reduces shipping costs, as multiple shippers share the cost of a single container.
Shipping Costs
Ocean Freight: This method varies depending on the container type and shipping route. Taking Tianjin Port as an example, in August 2025, the ocean freight to Busan New Port in South Korea was US$368 for a 20-foot container and US$606 for a 40-foot container. The ocean freight to Ulsan was US$428 for a 20-foot container and US$646 for a 40-foot container.
Port charges include booking fees, terminal handling charges (THC), fuel surcharge (FAF), and currency adjustment charges (CAF). For example, Dalian Jifa Huanbohai Container Co., Ltd.’s port charges for exports to South Korea include a booking fee of US$1,000 for a 20-foot container, a THC of 960 yuan, a FAF of US$70, and a CAF of US$30; a booking fee of US$500 for a 40-foot container, a THC of 180,000 South Korean won, a FAF of US$140, and a CAF of US$60.
Other charges may include demurrage, billing change fees, and vessel change fees. For example, Dalian Jifa Huan Bohai Container Co., Ltd. charges demurrage for 20-foot containers: free for 1-7 days, $12 per container per day for 8-15 days, $45 per container per day for 16-30 days, and $90 per container per day for 31 days or more. For 40-foot containers: free for 1-7 days, $24 per container per day for 8-15 days, $90 per container per day for 16-30 days, and $180 per container per day for 31 days or more.
(Note: All fees listed above are for reference only. Please refer to your actual invoice for details. Thank you!)
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