Sea freight is the lowest cost per tonne out of Türkiye and the natural choice when volume matters more than speed: raw materials, components, consumer goods for stock replenishment, project cargo. It is also the only realistic option for destinations beyond road range — North America, the Far East, Africa, Australia.
We book from the Turkish ports, arrange inland pickup, loading, documentation and customs clearance on both sides. Whether container or Ro-Ro suits your shipment depends on your delivery window and how much handling you can accept.
FCL or LCL?
With FCL (Full Container Load) the container is yours alone. It is loaded at your premises, sealed, and opened at the receiver — individual packages are never handled, so damage risk is minimal and transit is shorter. From roughly 15 cubic metres FCL is usually cheaper than shared space as well.
With LCL (Less than Container Load) you share the container and pay by freight measurement. Considerably cheaper for small volumes, but consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at destination add several days at each end.
Turkish ports and what they serve
| Port | Catchment | Typical cargo |
|---|---|---|
| Ambarlı | Istanbul and Thrace | Broadest mix, highest sailing frequency |
| Gemlik | Bursa industrial belt | Automotive components, machinery |
| İzmir / Alsancak | Aegean region | Agricultural produce, consumer goods, marble |
| Mersin | Southern Türkiye | Chemicals, textiles, citrus |
| Aliağa | İzmir north, petrochemical zone | Steel, petrochemicals, project cargo |
| Haydarpaşa | Istanbul Anatolian side | General cargo, shorter inland haul for Asian side |
Sailing times vary widely by trade lane and whether the service is direct or involves transhipment. Northwest Europe is typically reached in around 8 to 14 days at sea; long-haul trades to North America or the Far East take substantially longer. Always add inland pickup, port handling, customs clearance and delivery — door-to-door is what determines your planning, not the port-to-port figure.
Equipment
Standard containers
20′ and 40′ for general and palletised cargo; 40′ High Cube adds internal height for voluminous light goods.
Reefer containers
Temperature-controlled cargo with continuous data recording — see cold chain logistics.
Open top and flat rack
For cargo exceeding door dimensions or requiring top or side loading: machinery, plant sections, long products.
Ro-Ro
The whole trailer travels on the vessel. Fewer handling points than containerised cargo and independence from land border throughput.
Two formalities that catch shippers out
VGM. Under the SOLAS regulations the Verified Gross Mass of the packed container must be declared to the carrier before loading. Without it the container is not loaded. We submit the declaration, but we need reliable weights — estimates are not permitted for this purpose.
Demurrage and detention. Once free time expires, charges accrue per container per day: demurrage while the container sits in the port, detention while it remains outside the port at your premises. These charges can erase the freight advantage of sea shipping entirely. We therefore prepare import clearance while the vessel is still sailing rather than starting on arrival.
Dangerous goods
Sea carriage of dangerous goods follows the IMDG Code. To book we need the UN number, class, packing group and net quantity per line. Some classes are refused by particular carriers or services, and others require advance notice, so raise dangerous goods at enquiry stage rather than at booking.
Documentation and customs
The Bill of Lading is the core transport document. For EU-bound industrial goods the A.TR certificate removes import duty under the customs union; agricultural and former ECSC goods use EUR.1. For the UK, the UK–Türkiye free trade agreement applies against proof of origin. Destinations outside these arrangements are subject to the importing country's normal tariff, so the landed cost calculation differs by market. Our customs clearance team handles the procedures and the customs guide sets out the documents.
Related services
- Road freight — faster for European destinations
- Warehousing — container stuffing and consolidation before loading
- Last mile delivery — delivery from the discharge port
- Shipping rates — how ocean freight is built up
Frequently asked questions
How long does sea freight from Türkiye take?
Port to port, northwest Europe is typically around 8 to 14 days depending on whether the service is direct or involves transhipment; long-haul trades take considerably longer. Door to door you should add inland pickup, port handling, import clearance and final delivery, which in practice means roughly 12 to 20 days for European destinations. LCL adds consolidation time at both ends.
At what volume is a full container worth it?
As a guide, from around 15 cubic metres. Below that LCL is usually cheaper because you pay only the actual freight measurement. For fragile or high-value cargo FCL can make sense at lower volumes too, since the container stays sealed and individual packages are never handled in transit.
What are demurrage and detention?
Both are charges for exceeding free time, calculated per container per day. Demurrage applies while the container remains in the port after free time expires; detention applies while it is held outside the port at your premises. They accumulate quickly and can wipe out the cost advantage of sea freight, which is why we prepare import clearance during the voyage rather than on arrival.
What is a VGM declaration?
The Verified Gross Mass is the confirmed total weight of the packed container, which SOLAS regulations require to be submitted to the carrier before loading. Without it the container will not be loaded aboard. We handle the submission, but we need accurate weight figures from you — estimated values are not acceptable for this declaration.
Can you ship to destinations outside Europe?
Yes. Sea freight is often the only viable mode for North America, the Far East, Africa and Australia, and Turkish ports have services on these trades. Note that customs treatment differs: the Türkiye–EU customs union and the UK–Türkiye agreement do not apply, so the importing country's normal tariff governs the landed cost. We factor that into the planning rather than quoting freight alone.