5 Reasons Your Business Should Ship Products by Sea

Are you an international business with customers abroad? If so, this guide is for you. Over the past several years, more companies have started to make changes to their supply chains. Interestingly, a lot of these businesses have decided to start shipping products by the sea. 

According to the World Economic Forum, an estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea – which is a huge amount. Because of this, the average size of a container ship has doubled over the past 20 years. 

Clearly, there are significant benefits that come with using the sea as part of your supply chain. So, let’s take a look at them in more detail to get a better perspective.

1. There Are Hundreds of Seafreight Services to Choose From 

Today, businesses are spoilt for choice when it comes to seafreight services. Within weeks of making contact with an expert sea freight company, your products can begin being shipped via cargo ships in containers that are the right size for your products. Essentially, you don’t have to worry about any of the complicated processes. Instead, you hand everything over to the professionals. 

2. You’ll Save Money 

Sea transportation helps to cut business supply chain costs: it’s a fact. This is because you can ship more products simultaneously, meaning fewer journeys are needed. Also, ships are significantly cheaper in terms of transportation than vans and planes, which is something else to bear in mind. 

If you’re a business that wants to cut costs even further, then you can ship products on off-peak days. This way, you won’t encounter peak season surcharges, which are temporary price hikes that carriers apply to their base rates during high periods of demand. 

Also, it’s worth drawing attention to the fact that duty and VAT can also be less expensive when using sea freight transportation in comparison to air freight. 

3. Larger Products Are Better Protected

Cargo ships typically use containers that are extremely strong and purposefully built to handle large products and heavy loads. This automatically means that businesses can have peace of mind that their products are in safe hands and are unlikely to become damaged during the journey. If you were to transport large, sensitive products (such as TVs) by trucks and air, you’re running a greater risk of damage. 

4. It’s Good for the Environment

Shipping by sea is one of the most eco-friendly strategies a business can use today. In fact, a Defra study concluded that 2 tonnes of freight carried for 5,000 kilometres by a small container ship creates a total of 150 kilograms of CO2 compared to 6,605 kilograms when that cargo is transported by plane over the same distance. 

So, if you want your business to help the environment and enjoy a boosted brand image, shipping by sea is the way to go. 

5. Gain Access to International Markets

Lastly, shipping by sea enables companies to gain access to even more international markets. For example, it becomes easier for UK businesses to reach other European countries as well as American and Asian customers. In a globalised world, this is something you can’t put a price on. 

Final Thoughts

8 in 10 small business owners want to go green but don’t know how. Fortunately, after reading this article, you now understand that a sea freight strategy is one of the best ways to do this! You’ll be able to help the environment, reach international customers, and save money along the way.