Sea freight, which is also known as ocean freight, is the transport of goods shipped in sea containers around the world. This form of freight forwarding is suitable for large shipments that are not time-sensitive. Sea freight courier services are often chosen for the following reasons:

1. Inexpensive: Low fuel rates and the possibility to ship large quantities at once, make sea freight shipments a cheap option for large shipments that have to travel long distances.
2. Suitable for hazardous goods: Unlike air freight, sea freight is ideal for shipping dangerous goods.
3. Flexible: There are many possible variations when it comes to size and shape when using sea freight, and therefore, there are various sea freight rates.
4. Environmentally friendly: Compared to air freight and transport by road, sea freight has a much smaller carbon footprint.

There are several types of sea freight, for example, deep-sea freight services, which will be identified in the article below.

Sea and ocean freight can be divided into several different categories, with different sea freight rates, which are described below.

Deep-sea shipping:

Deep-sea freight services means intercontinental shipping by crossing oceans, covering long distances and the use of big vessels. Deep-sea shipping is most often used for commodities, for example, iron ore, oil, cement, and fertilizers.

Short sea shipping (also known as coastal shipping):

Opposite to deep-sea freight services, this kind of shipping of commodities on relatively short distances. These vessels, which are much smaller compared to deep-sea vessels and sometimes also can travel inland, do not cross the ocean but travel along seashores and other waters. Short sea shipping is also often used for commodities, although the volumes are smaller and involve different sea freight rates.

Inland shipping:

This means shipping by vessels using inland waterways, which include rivers, canals, and lakes. The volumes are small compared to both short and deep-sea shipping, and the vessels are designed for inland waterways. Examples of products being shipped by inland waterways are petroleum products, mining products, and chemical products.