카드 1 / 8
Container vs LCL — Sizing Your First Korean Food Order (Card News)
This insight is in card news format. Swipe through the 8 slides above.
Summary
FCL Container vs LCL — one line:
- FCL = 1 container = 1 shipper. 20ft ~28 m³ / 40ft ~58 m³
- LCL = multiple shippers consolidated, priced per CBM
Breakeven — 20 CBM threshold:
- ≤10 CBM → LCL
- 10~20 CBM → quote both, compare
- 20+ CBM → 20ft container
- 30+ CBM → 40ft container
How to price the Busan → destination leg
Ocean rates move daily. A table of numbers printed in an article is already wrong by the time you read it. The Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) publishes 40ft container rates for the major lanes every day — check your lane just before you book, then hold your forwarder's quote against it.
| What to check | Where |
|---|---|
| 40ft spot rate (East Asia → North America / North Europe) | FBX, your lane |
| What you will actually be billed | two forwarder quotes, minimum |
| LCL rate per CBM | forwarder quote — the index does not cover it |
The trap: the index prices ocean freight only. THC, documentation, drayage and customs clearance are billed on top, so your invoice lands above the index. Ask for the quote broken out line by line.
Incoterms 2020 — Responsibility line
| Term | Supplier covers | Buyer covers |
|---|---|---|
| EXW | Factory pickup only | Truck, Busan clearance, freight, destination clearance, inland |
| FOB | Factory → Busan vessel loading | Vessel freight + destination clearance + inland |
| CIF | Factory → destination port freight + insurance | Destination clearance + inland |
Tip: First-timers use CIF. Once familiar, switch to FOB and negotiate freight directly.
Sources
Bundled quote (supplier + freight)
TOTARO bundles supplier quote + freight (LCL vs container auto-compared) + Incoterms options into a single 5-minute match. TOTARO supplier matching →
Sources
Related Guides
Ask AI to find your Korean food brand
Describe what you need in plain language — get matched with verified brands in seconds.
Try AI Brand Search