Sea Freight Service: Types, Cost, and Organization of Shipments
a freight is one of the most cost-effective and reliable ways to move large volumes of cargo to international markets. Login NMP is the official port agent of CSTAR LINE and STF SHIPPING LIMITED in Russia, offering full-cycle ocean freight forwarding and port agency services.
Our experts will help you choose the optimal route, secure competitive freight rates, and manage every stage of your shipment — from booking to final delivery.
We operate through Russia’s major maritime gateways:
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Novorossiysk
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St. Petersburg
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Far Eastern ports (including Vladivostok and Nakhodka)
Login NMP Company organizes turnkey sea freight shipments – from vessel chartering to customs clearance.
What is Sea Freight?
Sea freight is the transportation of goods by sea, typically using containerized or bulk shipping.
You contract space on a vessel — either a full container load (FCL) or a shared container (LCL) — and your cargo is shipped according to a fixed schedule.
Key advantages of sea freight include:
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Cost efficiency: significantly lower rates compared with air transport and competitive for heavy or oversized cargo.
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Capacity for large shipments: suitable for containers, bulk commodities, project cargo, and liquid cargo.
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Global reach: delivery to virtually any location with port infrastructure.
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Reliable transit times: predictable schedules on major shipping routes.
Login NMP Company offers a full cycle of services: vessel chartering, cargo insurance, and customs clearance.
Key Shipping Documents
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Bill of Lading (B/L): the primary document issued by the carrier, confirming the contract of carriage and serving as a document of title.
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Commercial Invoice & Packing List: used for customs clearance and cargo verification.
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Certificates: Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, or other regulatory documents as required.
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Cargo Insurance Policy: ensures financial protection against loss or damage during transit.
Types of Sea Freight
Depending on the cargo type—containerized, break-bulk, bulk, liquid, or out-of-gauge — ocean transport can be organized using different service types:
Liner Shipping
The most common and cost-efficient option for containerized cargo.
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Fixed sailing schedules and routes
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Suitable for 20’DC, 40’HC, reefers, and special equipment
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Transparent, predictable tariffs
Ideal for regular, standardized shipments with reliable transit times.
Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) Shipping is a type of sea transport where cargo is loaded onto and unloaded from a vessel via horizontal loading, i.e., under its own power or via a ramp. Suitable for self-propelled machinery and equipment, as well as break-bulk cargo loaded onto roll-trailers.
Tramp Shipping involves chartering a commercial vessel for a specific cargo (coal, grain, ore). Characterized by flexible routes and no fixed schedule, but the price depends on tonnage demand.
Chartering involves the transportation of goods on a chartered vessel, meaning a vessel is rented entirely or in part by the customer for a specific cargo. Unlike regular liner services, chartering offers an individual approach for each order and flexibility in choosing the route and vessel, as it is only viable with a full vessel load, i.e., it assumes large cargo batches.
How is Sea Freight Cost Calculated?
The price is influenced by:
- Cargo type (dimensions, weight, danger class)
- Route (popular routes are cheaper)
- Vessel type (container ship, bulker, ro-ro)
- Additional surcharges (BAF, CAF, war risk)
Sample calculation for a 40'HC container (Shanghai – Novorossiysk):
Base rate: $2950
Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF): $200
Port charge: $150
Total: $3300
Stages of Container Chartering and Shipment Preparation
Chartering sea containers involves a sequence of well-defined operational steps:
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Carrier Selection – choosing the optimal container line based on service schedule, transit time, and freight rates.
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Equipment Planning – determining the required container types (20’DC, 40’HC, reefers, special equipment) and quantities.
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Preliminary Costing & Booking – calculating freight charges and reserving container equipment with the selected line.
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Container Release – arranging the issue of empty containers and providing container seals.
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Pre-Carriage & Positioning – coordinating the delivery of empty containers to the warehouse, terminal, or production site for stuffing.
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Stuffing & Documentation – organizing container loading, securing cargo, and preparing shipping documents (B/L instructions, packing lists).
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Port Gate-In – delivering containers to the port strictly within the carrier’s cut-off dates to avoid demurrage and detention charges.
This process ensures that cargo is shipped in compliance with the line’s schedule and industry regulations, while minimizing additional costs and delays.
Main Sea Freight Terms under Incoterms
For containerized cargo, our clients most frequently use the following Incoterms: EXW, CIF, CFR, and FOB.
EXW (Ex Works)
The seller makes the goods available for pickup at their premises or warehouse.
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Seller’s responsibility: prepare goods for pickup.
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Buyer’s responsibility: arrange all transport, pay for export clearance, freight, insurance, and delivery to the final destination.
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Risk transfer: at the seller’s warehouse.
This term minimizes the seller’s obligations and risk.
CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight)
The seller arranges and pays for export clearance, loading, sea freight, and cargo insurance up to the port of destination.
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Buyer’s responsibility: import clearance, port handling at destination, and delivery beyond the port.
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Risk transfer: once the goods are loaded onboard the vessel.
CIF is often chosen for maritime shipments, as it includes freight and insurance in the seller’s price.
CFR (Cost & Freight)
Similar to CIF, but without insurance.
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Seller’s responsibility: export customs, delivery to port, loading, and sea freight.
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Buyer’s responsibility: insurance (if required), import customs, and delivery to final point.
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Risk transfer: once goods are on board the vessel at the port of loading.
FOB (Free On Board)
The seller clears goods for export, delivers them to the port, and loads them on the vessel.
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Buyer’s responsibility: sea freight, insurance, import customs, and onward delivery.
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Risk transfer: at the moment goods cross the ship’s rail (onboard).
FOB is one of the most widely used terms for containerized cargo.
FILO (Free In, Liner Out)
A shipping term indicating that:
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Shipper (seller) covers the cost of loading cargo onto the vessel at the port of origin.
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Carrier (shipping line) covers the cost of discharging the cargo at the destination port.
This division of responsibility is common for containerized shipments and ensures predictable port handling costs on arrival.
Why Choose Login NMP?
Because we are official agents for the lines CSTAR and STF SHIPPING. CSTAR ships cargo to the ports of Novorossiysk and St. Petersburg, STF SHIPPING – to the Far East. Together, we cover the sea freight needs of all key regions in the country. Furthermore, we work with all sea carriers having representation in the Russian Federation and with forwarders, allowing us to offer our clients optimal rates.
We guarantee priority for vessel space and a stable schedule. We also provide further transportation support: port forwarding, certification, customs clearance, restuffing, and delivery to the warehouse.
Need reliable sea freight? Entrust your shipment to professionals!
Call Us: +7 (8617) 30-14-53
Email: sales@login-nmp.ru
Get Your Sea Freight Quote in 24 Hours!
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