LCL sea freight to Russia via Rotterdam — our own warehouse, weekly sailings
We collect your goods anywhere in the EU, consolidate them at our own Rotterdam warehouse, open the EX1 for you and ship weekly to Russia. Your Russian customer pays only for the space the cargo takes up.
LCL to Russia: your buyer pays only for the space used
LCL (Less than Container Load) means your goods share a 20′ or 40′ container with other exporters’ cargo. Your Russian customer pays only for the actual volume and weight of your consignment, and we ship the container from the port of Rotterdam to Russia every week.
Consolidation happens at our own warehouse in Rotterdam. We receive cargo from suppliers all over Europe against the packing list, check marks and packaging, repack if needed and stuff the container ourselves — so we know exactly what your goods travel with and we control the lashing inside the box. Storage until departure is included; a separate storage invoice is issued only if the goods are collected from us without being shipped.
LCL is the natural choice for regular orders of 0.5 to 15 cubic metres, when a full container is too much. Compared with FCL, the saving can reach 40–60%. For you as the supplier, the process is simple: goods ready at your dock, we do the rest.
How LCL from your warehouse to Russia works
- 1Collection from your warehouse
We pick up from your premises in any EU country — no need to book a truck yourself. - 2Our Rotterdam warehouse
Receiving, check of marks and packaging, loading into the container together with other consignments. We open the EX1 export declaration here. - 3Sea leg
From Rotterdam to a Russian port on a feeder service. - 4Russian customs clearance
Our customs broker handles the import declaration for your customer. - ✓Delivery
To your customer’s warehouse in Russia. You receive the MRN and proof of exit from the EU.
What the LCL rate covers
- ✓Ocean freight Rotterdam → port of destination
- ✓Port charges in Rotterdam and in Russia
- ✓Transit across the EU where needed
- ✓Russian import customs clearance (import declaration) for your buyer
- ✓Delivery to the terminal in Moscow or another Russian city
- ✓Status updates at every stage — for you and your customer
Typical LCL cargo from European suppliers
LCL transit times and sailing schedule
| Route | Transit time | Departures |
|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam → Moscow | 20–28 days | Weekly |
| Rotterdam → St Petersburg | 22–30 days | Weekly |
| Rotterdam → Novosibirsk | 28–38 days | 1–2 per month |
| Rotterdam → Yekaterinburg | 25–35 days | Weekly |
* Transit times are counted from departure from Rotterdam to the bonded warehouse in the destination city.
Weekly consolidation cycle in Rotterdam
| Stage | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Goods received at our warehouse | Monday – Wednesday | Weighing, measuring, photos, check of IPPC-marked packaging; collection from your site anywhere in Europe 1–5 days earlier |
| Container closed | Friday | The groupage container is built and an EX1 is opened for each consignment (€150 when the goods ship with us) |
| Vessel departs | Weekend | Feeder service Rotterdam → St Petersburg |
| Sea passage | 4–7 days | Tracking by container number |
| Release and delivery | 3–5 days | Import declaration filed before arrival, release at the Baltic customs, delivery to your customer |
* Goods ready at your warehouse on Monday make that week’s sailing.
Which countries we collect from for Rotterdam
Netherlands and Belgium — next-day collection; Germany, France, Luxembourg — 1–3 days to our warehouse; Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland — 3–6 days; Scandinavia — by ferry to Rotterdam in 3–5 days. If you only sell within the EU (EXW/FCA), our partner company in the EU can act as consignee on this leg, and we handle the export formalities.
Unlike road groupage via Poland, the sea corridor does not depend on queues at the land border, and the rate is based on volume — so furniture, sanitaryware, packaging, building materials and any light, bulky goods travel noticeably cheaper by sea.
Sea via Rotterdam or road via Poland?
| Criterion | Rotterdam (LCL) | Warsaw / Vilnius (road) |
|---|---|---|
| Transit to Moscow | 20–35 days | 4–7 days from Warsaw |
| How the rate is calculated | by cubic metre (from €200 per place, from €500 per euro-pallet) | by weight or volume (1 m³ = 250 kg) |
| Best for | bulky and light goods, lots from 3 m³, full containers | dense and urgent cargo, lots from 50 kg |
| Border dependency | none | yes — queues at EU–Belarus crossings |
| Dangerous goods | most IMDG classes | limited, via a specialised carrier |
LCL to Russia: questions from suppliers
Do I have to deliver the goods to Rotterdam myself?
No. We collect from your warehouse anywhere in Europe. Just give us the pick-up address and the ready date — we take it from there.
Who opens the EX1 export declaration?
We do, at our Rotterdam warehouse on the day the container closes: €150 per declaration when the goods ship with us. You receive the MRN and, once the vessel leaves the EU, proof of exit for your VAT zero-rating.
What is the minimum LCL volume?
Technically 0.1 CBM, but LCL becomes cost-effective from about 0.5 CBM. We work only with commercial shipments from 50 kg; the minimum service fee is €200.
How does LCL compare with air freight?
LCL is 5–15 times cheaper than air but takes 20–35 days instead of 5–10. It suits medium-urgency and bulky goods.
What documents do you need from me?
A commercial invoice and a packing list, plus the sales contract with your Russian customer. Our broker prepares the Russian import declaration for each consignment separately.