The essentials at a glance. Figures marked as indicative depend on the carrier, season and cargo, and are confirmed in your quote.
| Billing basis | Per revenue ton (W/M): 1 CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater; minimum charge usually applies |
|---|---|
| Typical fit | From about 1 CBM up to roughly 12–18 CBM; above that we compare with FCL |
| Origin | Consolidation warehouses (CFS) serving the main Chinese ports |
| Destination | Deconsolidation in Jebel Ali / Dubai; onward to the UAE, Iraq, GCC and East Africa |
| Indicative transit, China → Dubai | About 25–40 days CFS to CFS in 2026; depends on consolidator schedules and routing |
| Destination charges | CFS handling, delivery order and storage vary by operator; quoted as separate lines |
| Price changes |
| Only with your approval, with a reason for every new line |
| Facts as of | 1 November 2026 |
|---|
As of 1 Nov 2026
These are the same stages you will see in your case file in the customer portal.
We check volumes, suppliers, route and timing, and screen the parties and goods.
You approve an itemised quote that shows origin, freight and destination charges.
Upload the invoice and a packing list with dimensions and weights for every package.
We post the warehouse receipt and flag any difference from your packing list.
The shared container sails; we post the vessel, ETA and any changes.
The container is unpacked at the destination CFS and your cargo is made available.
Customs clearance or re-export is completed, the cargo is delivered and the file is closed.
Your quote itemises every charge, so you can see exactly what is covered before you approve it.
Your cargo is delivered to a consolidation warehouse (CFS) at origin, loaded into a shared container with other shipments, and unloaded again at a destination warehouse before clearance.
LCL ocean freight is charged per revenue ton (W/M): 1 cubic metre or 1,000 kg, whichever gives the higher figure.
| Your cargo | Volume | Weight | Billed as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light cartons | 3.0 CBM | 800 kg | 3.0 revenue tons (volume) |
| Heavy machine parts | 2.0 CBM | 2,500 kg | 2.5 revenue tons (weight) |
Most consolidators also apply a minimum charge, often 1 CBM. Origin and destination warehouse charges are separate, and destination CFS handling, delivery order and storage fees vary widely by port and operator, so we list each one as its own line instead of hiding it in an “all-in” rate.
LCL usually wins for small volumes, and a 20ft container often becomes competitive somewhere around 12–18 CBM, depending on the lane and destination charges.
Compare like-for-like quotes that include both ends, not just the ocean rate. If you buy from several Chinese suppliers, consolidating them into one FCL in China can beat several separate LCL shipments; see our FCL vs LCL guide.
Dubai lets you combine goods from China and from UAE suppliers, hold them without paying UAE duty and ship them onward as one load.
Warehouse services are provided through licensed partner facilities and confirmed for each case; see warehousing and transit and re-export.
Shared containers face the same routing changes as full containers: many Dubai-bound boxes are discharged at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah and trucked to Jebel Ali in bond under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026.
For LCL this can mean an extra handling step before deconsolidation and less predictable CFS availability dates. We post the expected availability date in your case file and update it when the consolidator confirms the container's arrival. Check the lane status board for the dated position.
Most LCL problems come from unclear measurements, weak packaging or destination charges nobody mentioned, and each can be prevented before departure.
Send the pickup city or supplier address, destination, commodity, number of packages with dimensions and weights, Incoterm and cargo-ready date. If several suppliers are involved, list them and we will propose how to combine them, with the cost of each option.
A typical checklist. Your coordinator confirms the exact list for your cargo and destination, and you upload everything in the portal.
Every shipment is screened against applicable sanctions lists and checked for restricted or prohibited goods before booking. Some routes and commodities need extra documents or cannot be accepted.
Compliance & sanctions policyRestricted & prohibited goodsLane status
Answers to the questions customers ask most about LCL consolidation.
Per revenue ton: each cubic metre or each 1,000 kg counts as one unit, whichever gives the higher number. A minimum charge, often 1 CBM, usually applies, and warehouse charges at both ends are added as separate lines.
Compare complete quotes once you approach about 12–18 CBM, because a 20ft container often becomes cheaper in that range. The exact point depends on the lane and on destination charges, so we price both options for you.
Consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at destination usually add several days at each end, and the consolidator's sailing schedule matters. We show an indicative range on your quote and post the expected availability date in your case file.
Yes. Each supplier delivers to the same origin warehouse, or we collect from them, and we ship everything under one booking. Ask each supplier to mark the packages with your reference and send their invoice and packing list early.
Typically CFS handling, delivery order fees, storage after the free days, customs fees and duties, and local delivery. These vary by operator, so we list each one separately with its basis, and nothing new is added without your approval.
Yes. Cargo can be held in a free zone warehouse in Jebel Ali and re-exported to Iraq, the GCC or East Africa without paying UAE duty, provided it stays under customs control. We coordinate the re-export declaration and onward booking.
ChinatoUnited Arab Emirates
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Dubai, with 2026 routing via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and bonded trucking to Jebel Ali.
ChinatoIraq
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Umm Qasr, or through Jebel Ali or Türkiye, with Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA, Decision 957/2025, e-verification) built into every case.
United Arab EmiratestoIraq
Feeder, RoRo and overland options from Jebel Ali and Dubai to Umm Qasr, Baghdad and Erbil, including JAFZA storage and re-export, with Iraq's 2026 document checks prepared before departure.
United Arab EmiratestoKenya
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to Mombasa, with Kenyan documents such as the IDF and KEBS certificate checked before loading, and onward transit on the Northern Corridor where we can cover it.
United Arab EmiratestoTanzania
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to Dar es Salaam, with the TIN, TBS certificate and TANCIS documents aligned before loading, and onward transit to inland markets where we can cover it.
LCL is usually cheaper for small shipments because you pay per cubic metre; FCL becomes cheaper once your cargo fills a large part of a container. For many importers the break-even sits somewhere around 12–18 CBM for a 20ft, but it moves with rates and destination LCL fees. Compare landed cost, not freight alone, and weigh transit time, handling and risk.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
Next step
Send your route and cargo details. A named coordinator replies with an itemised quote and the next steps.
LCL (less than container load) consolidation puts your cargo in a shared container with other shippers' goods, so you pay only for the space you use. Freight is charged per revenue ton, meaning 1 CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. Nil Ocean Shipping coordinates collection from your suppliers, the consolidation warehouse, the sea leg and deconsolidation in Dubai, then clearance, re-export or delivery, with every receipt and charge recorded in your case file.
A standard 20ft container is about 5.9 m long inside and holds about 33 CBM; a 40ft holds about 67 CBM; a 40ft high cube is 30 cm taller and holds about 76 CBM. In practice cartons and pallets load to roughly 25–28, 55–58 and 65–68 CBM. Maximum gross weight is commonly 30,480 kg, but the container's own plate and road limits on your route can be lower.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
Dubai works as a buying, consolidation and re-export hub for East Africa: goods from China or the UAE market can be held in Jebel Ali Free Zone without paying UAE duty, combined into FCL or LCL loads and shipped to Mombasa (Kenya and the Northern Corridor), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania and inland) or Djibouti (Ethiopia). Plan for destination conformity certificates, African customs systems and, in 2026, east-coast UAE routing.
8 min read1 Nov 2026
Most cargo from China to Dubai travels by sea, in a full (FCL) or shared (LCL) container, from ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen or Qingdao. Since March 2026, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed to mainline ships, many services discharge at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and finish by bonded truck to Jebel Ali. Plan for several weeks door to door and budget for surcharges, UAE duty (generally 5%) and 5% VAT.
8 min read1 Nov 2026
