Container pricing is not a fixed list. The same 40ft container can cost meaningfully different amounts depending on when it sails, how it is packed, what is inside it and who clears it. This guide explains the factors that move the number, so that when you get a quote you can tell what you are actually paying for — and where you have room to reduce it.
Why there is no price list here
Ocean freight rates move with capacity, season and route, and duties depend on what you are importing. A number published today would be misleading by the time you read it. What does not change is which factors drive the figure — so those are what this guide covers, and your quote carries the current numbers.
Container Size
The headline choice is 20ft or 40ft. A 40ft container does not cost twice a 20ft — the gap is usually far smaller than the capacity difference, which is why a part-filled 40ft is sometimes better value than a tightly packed 20ft. If your volume sits near the boundary, ask for both.
Weight and How It Is Packed
Containers have weight limits as well as volume limits, and dense cargo can hit the weight ceiling long before the space runs out. Packing quality matters for the same reason: cargo stacked efficiently uses the container you have paid for, while awkwardly packed goods waste space you are being charged for either way.
Route and Season
Origin port, destination port and the time of year all feed into ocean freight rates. Demand on the US–Jamaica lane is not flat across the year, and the period before Christmas is consistently the busiest — book earlier for a seasonal shipment, both for cost and for space.
Services Beyond the Sailing
- Collection at origin, or delivery to the destination address rather than the port.
- Customs clearance and brokerage.
- Packing, crating or palletising.
- Storage at either end if timings do not line up.
Duties Are Separate — and Often Larger
Shipping and duties are two different bills. The Jamaica Customs Agency assesses duties against what you are importing, not against what you paid to ship it, and for many container loads the duties exceed the freight. Budget for them as a separate line rather than assuming the shipping quote is the total cost.
The most common budgeting mistake
Treating the freight quote as the landed cost. Ask about duty on your specific goods before you commit — our customs brokerage guide explains how the assessment works.