Liu has been in international freight for fifteen years. Last year, he helped a Yiwu-based cross-border e-commerce company optimize their logistics and saved them over $40,000 annually. Here's what he shared over dinner.

Best Route, Not Cheapest

The most common mistake: looking only at unit price. Carrier A quotes $3,200 Shanghai to LA; Carrier B quotes $3,450. But Carrier B's schedule is consistently on time, and pick-up at destination is a day faster. For Amazon FBA sellers, one day's delay means stockouts, ranking drops, and wasted ad spend — far exceeding the $250 difference.

LCL Hidden Costs

Less-than-container-load looks cheap at $30-$40 per cubic meter. But when you add port handling, devanning, and destination charges, the real cost often exceeds FCL. Liu's rule: if monthly volume exceeds 8 cubic meters, book a 20-foot container — even half empty.

2026 Route Prices at a Glance

Europe rates down ~30% from peak. US West Coast stable at $3,000-$3,500. Southeast Asia stays low with abundant capacity. South America is the exception — rates up ~10% year-on-year on growing volumes.

FAQ

FOB or CIF?

Large volumes (5+ containers/month): negotiate CIF. Smaller volumes: stick with FOB and let the buyer handle shipping. Less hassle, fewer surprises.

How to ship cross-border small parcels?

Under 500g: postal or dedicated line. Over 500g: air freight line. The real bottleneck is destination country customs clearance — some lines are painfully slow.