Direct Additional is one of the common surcharges in international shipping. It refers to the extra fee charged by the shipping company for providing direct sailing service when cargo needs to be transported directly from the port of departure to the port of destination without transshipment. It usually appears in container transport, especially when the basic freight does not include direct sailing service, or when the shipping company adds it to cover the higher operating costs brought by direct sailing, such as route arrangements, port charges, fuel consumption, etc. It is mostly used in scenarios where the letter of credit requires direct sailing, the customer specifies direct sailing, or the nature of the goods makes transshipment unsuitable, such as perishable goods and dangerous goods. Notes: It is necessary to confirm with the freight forwarder or shipping company before booking whether it has already been included in the freight to avoid additional costs; pay attention to the difference from the Transhipment Additional, which arises from transshipment, while the Direct Additional arises from no transshipment; at the same time, pay attention to whether the surcharge can be negotiated for reduction or exemption. It is listed alongside the basic freight, Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF), Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF), etc., but its nature is different.
📝 Examples
1. The letter of credit for this shipment requires direct sailing to Hamburg, so the shipping company specifically noted in its quotation that the direct sailing surcharge is USD 150 per 20-foot container. Please confirm whether you accept this. (Note: When the letter of credit requires direct sailing, the shipping company will list this fee separately, and it is necessary to negotiate with the customer on who bears the cost.)
2. Because the customer urgently needed the goods and the destination port was congested, we chose the direct sailing service. The freight forwarder reminded us that the direct sailing surcharge has already been included in the ocean freight, so there is no need to pay it again. (Note: Sometimes the surcharge has already been bundled into the ocean freight, so the fee details must be carefully checked to avoid duplicate payment.)
💡 Foreign Trade Tips
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