Market Insights

A lot of people looking to export or import goods to and from China, experience difficulties in identifying which of the two means of delivery would best satisfy their specific situation. Air freight is known to be economically friendly and slower whereas air freight is fast but also expensive. Before you pick which means to use here are a few things to consider about each;

Air Freight
All the different means of transport come with their set of advantages and disadvantages. These particular means is commonly used for shipments that are of high value and are in low volumes. But what are some other reasons for using it?

1. It is the fastest means of shipping. In case your commodity needs to be transported out of China fast; this may be the best option for you.

2. Accurate departure and arrival times. Flight departure and arrival times tend to be very reliable as airlines are strict with their schedules. Better still, even if your shipment misses its scheduled flight, there are flights leaving China almost every hour so it wouldn’t be of much inconvenience.

3. Flexibility. It’s becoming more and more common to find airlines with a large network of destinations that extend to almost anywhere in the world.

4. The insurance premium will be low at the time the goods will be in transit will be short.

5. Air freight has a reduced risk of theft and damage of your commodities

Disadvantages

1. It is expensive. Air freight tends to have a higher cost than most of its alternatives.

2. Airplanes consume a lot of fuel and as such leave large carbon traces.

Sea freight

Sea transport is the largest freight carrier in recorded history. It is probably best known for being economically friendly especially among people that need to transport large volumes of commodities over long distances. Some of the benefits of using this means of transport are;

1. It is economic. Fuel usage in sea freight is minimal which means that the overall cost is expected to be lower.

2. It is eco-friendly. Sea freight uses little amounts of fossil fuels which reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide which in turn has benefits to the atmosphere.

3. Sea freight is great for commodities that are considered to be heavy and bulky.

4. It is great for transporting commodities with long delivery times.

Disadvantages

1. It is relatively slow compared to other alternatives such as air freight.

2. It is subject to environmental conditions such as bad weather

3. It is difficult to monitor the exact location of the commodities while they are in transit.

Bottom line

As I initially said, both options are valid and have their set of advantages and disadvantages. Any of the two might be most suitable depending on your situation and financial status. Ultimately, it is upon you to identify which means works best for your specific situation.