Freight rates, East Asia to Europe
Market indications for October 2026 compiled from the Drewry World Container Index and freight-forwarder rate reports for China. Taiwan and Japan lanes run 10 to 30 % above these figures. Spot rates move weekly; a binding price follows your packing list.
| Mode | Typical lane | Indicative rate, USD | Transit | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air freightGeneral cargo, airport to airport | Shenzhen or Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Warsaw, Vienna | 4.10 to 4.90 per kgat 1,000 kg and above; 5 to 7 per kg under 300 kg | 5 to 7 days | Controllers, compute modules, cameras, GNSS |
| Sea, LCLShared container, per cubic metre | Shenzhen or Shanghai to Hamburg, Gdańsk, Rotterdam | 45 to 150 per cbmbase freight; 125 to 200 per cbm all-in with CFS and port charges | 30 to 42 days | 1 to 15 cbm, not time critical |
| Sea, FCL 20'Full container, port to port | Shanghai or Shenzhen to Hamburg, Bremen | 2,100 to 2,650 per 20'about 28 cbm usable | 25 to 35 days | 15 cbm and above, dense cargo |
| Sea, FCL 40'Full container, port to port | Shanghai to Rotterdam, Hamburg, Genoa | 3,300 to 4,200 per 40'Drewry WCI Shanghai to Rotterdam: 3,632 on 22 October 2026 | 25 to 35 days | Mixed consolidations, 58 to 67 cbm usable |
Added on top of the freight rate
- Origin charges: pickup, export declaration, terminal handling: 250 to 750 USD per container
- Destination charges: terminal, delivery order, cleaning: 450 to 1,000 USD per container
- EU emissions surcharge (ETS), Asia to North Europe: about 170 USD per 40'
- Cargo insurance, all risks: 0.3 to 0.5 % of invoice value
- Import duty and VAT: per HS code and destination country (see the calculator)
- Road delivery from the EU hub to your site: quoted per address
How to read the table
Air freight is charged on chargeable weight: the greater of actual weight and volume weight at 167 kg per cubic metre. A pallet of light controllers can cost more to fly than its scale weight suggests.
Full containers become cheaper than LCL at roughly 15 to 18 cbm. Below that, LCL wins; above it, a 20' box wins even half empty.
Asia to Europe rates fell about 18 % between September and October 2026 as peak-season surcharges lapsed; carriers announced increases from 19 October.
Put your own shipment through the numbers
The calculator applies these rates to your weight, volume and destination, and adds duty and VAT.