What is the difference between sea freight and air freight?
Sea freight costs less for bulk cargo but takes weeks; air freight arrives in days at a higher cost per kilo—best for urgent or high-value shipments.
The main difference is cost versus speed: sea freight wins on cost for bulk and non-urgent cargo, while air freight wins when stock-outs or sample cycles cost more than freight.
Express sits between them for parcels and critical parts. Road matters for regional legs after ocean discharge or cross-border trucking into Uganda.
In AMGIMS and on this website, shipping modes align to operator rate cards: AIR, SEA, ROAD, and EXPRESS. Compare quotes using chargeable weight and, for sea, CBM. A light, bulky carton can be surprisingly expensive by air.
Build buffer for Chinese New Year and other factory holidays. Document corrections after sailing are slower and costlier than fixing paperwork before cargo leaves China.