One of the most common myths about importing is that you need to fill an entire container for the shipment to make financial sense. Cargo consolidation exists precisely to break down that barrier.

What is cargo consolidation?

Instead of paying for a full container on your own, your order travels alongside those of other importers inside the same container. The freight cost gets split proportionally to the space each shipment takes up.

A simple example:

• A full container can cost significantly more than a small order actually needs.
• If your cargo only takes up a fraction of the space, you only pay that fraction of the freight — not the whole container.
• The rest of the space is filled by other orders, without affecting yours.

Advantages of this model

1. Small orders stop being economically unviable.
2. You can test a new product without committing capital to volume.
3. Transit time is practically the same as a full container.

What you should keep in mind

Consolidation doesn’t mean your cargo gets physically mixed with others’ — each order is identified and kept separate inside the container. What’s shared is the space and the transport cost, not the goods themselves.

If your volume grows over time, at some point it may make sense to move to your own container. But to get started, consolidating is almost always the more sensible option.