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QShip Worldwide

Sea freight, export and import

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight is the movement of cargo by container ship between ports. QShip Worldwide books space from Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Chennai to North America, Europe and the Middle East, either as a full container (FCL) or as a part-load (LCL), and handles customs and delivery at both ends.

Get a Quote+91-1141061711

Which ocean freight option do you need?

Should you ship FCL or LCL?

FCL means the whole container is yours. LCL means your cargo shares a container with other shippers and is consolidated at a container freight station (CFS) before sailing. The right choice depends on volume, fragility and how much time you can give to the consolidation process.

FCL compared with LCL
FCL (full container)LCL (shared container)
Best forAbove roughly 15 CBM, time sensitive delivery, or fragile and high-value goodsBelow roughly 15 CBM, regular small replenishments
Priced byPer container (20 ft or 40 ft)Per CBM or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater
HandlingSealed at origin, opened at destinationLoaded and unloaded at a CFS at both ends
Extra timeNone beyond the sailingThree to five days at origin and destination for consolidation
RiskLowest, nobody else touches the cargoHigher, other shipper's cargo shares the container

Which Indian ports does QShip Worldwide ship from?

Most export cargo from Delhi NCR moves by rail to Mundra or Nhava Sheva (JNPT) through the inland container depots (ICD) at Tughlakabad and Dadri. Cargo from the south sails from Chennai or Krishnapatnam, and cargo from the east from Kolkata or Haldia. We pick the gateway by sailing frequency and rail cut-off, not by habit.

  • Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Maharashtra: Widest choice of direct services to Europe and the US East Coast
  • Mundra, Gujarat: Fastest rail link from Delhi ICDs and strong Gulf and Mediterranean coverage
  • Chennai, Tamil Nadu: South Indian gateway with good Far East and trans-shipment options
  • Kolkata and Haldia, West Bengal: Eastern gateway, feeder services via Colombo and Singapore

How long does ocean freight from India take?

Port-to-port sailing time is only part of the answer. Add rail transit from the ICD, the port cut-off, customs at both ends and final delivery. The ranges below are for the sailing itself, on services we book regularly.

Typical port-to-port sailing times from Nhava Sheva and Mundra
DestinationDirect or trans-shipmentSailing time
Jebel Ali, UAEDirect6 to 9 days
Rotterdam or HamburgDirect22 to 28 days
Felixstowe or London GatewayDirect or via Colombo24 to 30 days
New York or SavannahDirect or via Mediterranean hub28 to 36 days
Los Angeles or Long BeachDirect or via Singapore or Colombo30 to 40 days

Add five to ten days at each end for inland movement and customs. A Delhi factory to a US warehouse is realistically six to eight weeks door to door by sea.

What documents does a sea shipment from India need?

  • Commercial invoice and packing list, with HS codes for every line
  • Shipping bill, filed by us on ICEGATE against your IEC and AD code
  • Bill of lading, issued by the line or NVOCC once the vessel sails
  • Certificate of origin where the buyer or destination customs asks for one
  • Verified gross mass (VGM) declaration for every container under SOLAS
  • Fumigation or phytosanitary certificate for wooden packing and agricultural goods

For DDP shipments to the USA we also file the ISF (10+2) at least 24 hours before loading. Missing that window is a fine of up to USD 5,000 per shipment, so we treat it as a hard cut-off.

Which Incoterms does QShip Worldwide quote?

Most marketplace sellers need DDP, delivered duty paid. We also quote FOB for buyers who control their own freight, CIF for letter of credit sales, and DAP where the consignee clears customs themselves. The quote states the term, so you know exactly which costs are inside it.

How does a ocean freight booking work with QShip Worldwide?

  1. 1

    Share the cargo details

    Origin pin code, destination, CBM or container count, weight, commodity and the Incoterm you need.

  2. 2

    Get a quote and a shipment planning

    We reply with the the shipment planning and the all-in cost for the term quoted, the same working day.

  3. 3

    Book and prepare documents

    We confirm the space, place the booking, and get the empty container to the CFS, and collect invoice, packing list and any certificates.

  4. 4

    Stuff, seal and file

    Cargo is loaded at the origin or the CFS, VGM is declared, the shipping bill is filed and customs cleared.

  5. 5

    Sail and track

    You receive the draft bill of lading and a tracking number. Status updates run from booking to delivery (the last milestone).

  6. 6

    Clear and deliver

    Destination customs, duty/tariff payment on DDP shipments, and delivery to the warehouse or e-commerce fulfilment centre.

Questions customers ask (FAQs)

Transit times, charges and document requirements on this page were last reviewed on 5 September 2026.

Services that usually go with ocean freight