Container shipping Rotterdam to Tawau, Sabah
You want to ship a container from Rotterdam to Tawau (MYTWU)? Sea freight has many advantages: it is suitable to ship large volumes for low prices, it is economical and it is safe. Exporting a container overseas with container cargo or personal goods can be arranged by shipping companies such as Sea Lead Shipping. When you want to forward a container, you can choose from and a wide range of container types. There is made a difference between (FCL) Full Container Load and a shared container (LCL). Via containershippingservice.com you will find lots of practical information for the purpose of international transport Tawau (MY TWU). We get you useful information about how to choose a suitable container for your freight. Further on you can read a step-by-step import plan. Send us your details and get a quote with the best rates and fastest transit times.
- Ocean shipping is a very popular, trustworthy and cost-effective way to ship high volume products.
- Compared to air transport, you have lower costs and more time for document processing.
- Sea freight is perfect for worldwide movings and shipping gas-based fuels or bikes.
- The Port of Tawau, Sabah is one of the most important ports in Malaysia.
- The most commonly used containers are: twenty footers, forty footers and Dry Van, Hard-Top, Insulated, Ventilated, Tank, Open-Top containers.
Main themes
Shipping to Tawau (MYTWU) from Rotterdam (NLRTM)
Ocean freight shipping is one of the most economical forms of transporting goods internationally. Your products are packed in shipping containers. The intermediary (freight forwarder) will reserve a container for you. The freight goes by truck to the shipping vessel at the departure port Tawau (MY TWU), and will be shipped over the sea to the terminal at the POD (port of destination). You need to make a choose out of: port-to-door, port-to-port, door-to-door, door-to-port. In the schedule below you can read different kind of info about the port of destination.
| Port of departure | Port of Rotterdam (NLRTM) |
| Country of departure | Netherlands |
| Port of destination | Port of Tawau, Sabah |
| Country of destination | Malaysia |
| Port Code | MYTWU |
| Transport Time | +/- 44 days |
| Shipping costs | $ |
| Office address | Wisma Pelabuhan, P.O. box 335, Tawau, Sabah 91007, Malaysia |
| customer_relations@spsb.com.my | |
| Website | www.portsworld.com/Ports/tawau.htm |
| Phone number | 6089-773700 |
Freight Forwarder Rotterdam – port of Tawau, Sabah
- Details of your shipment
Enter the departing port and the arrival port. Also indicate whether you prefer a full container just for your freight (FCL) or Less Container Load (LCL). You also choose the size of the container (20 ft, 40 ft of 40 ft high cube).
- Cargo preparations
To start with, ensure the cargo is packed appropriately for carriage. To avoid damage, it is best to pack the freight on pallets. Also make sure you have good labels.
- Export documents
When you import cargo from Tawau (MYTWU), you should think about required export documents (to the national customs): packing declaration, packing list, commercial invoice, certificates of origin, export/import customs declaration. A Bill of Lading is a required document that is provided to the shipper to confirm that the goods match the description listed on the paperwork and noticing that the cargo is well packed for transport.
- Incoterms for transport
Incoterms are the terms used in international shipping to define the rights and obligations of both the buyer and seller. The Incoterm determines who assumes the risk of, for example, transport, insurance and duty related matters. Frequently used incoterms are Cost, Insurance Freight (CIF), Delivery Duty Paid (DDP), Free On Board (FOB).
- Ship Live Tracking
Use container track and trace to check where your freight is at this moment. You can get a sms or mail when the vessel is loaded at the POL (port of origin), arrived at Port of delivery (POD) and when the carrier arrived at the final location.
Sea freight from Tawau (MYTWU) to Rotterdam (NLRTM): find a suitable container
You want to export goods and ship a container from port of Tawau, Sabah – (MY TWU) to port of Rotterdam – (NL RTM)? It is necessary to pick the right container type. They come in different sizes (20 foot, 40 foot) and different container agreements (LCL shipping or FCL shipping). You can have your cargo transported by multiple shipping lines. The port offers an excellent connection to Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Keningau, Ranau, Beaufort, Kinarut, Papar, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Belud, Labuan, Kudat, Limbang, Miri, Bintulu, Kapit, Sibu, Sri Aman. In the following summary we help you choose the right type and provide info about the most popular boxes. Also click further for information about Letter of Credit.
Explanation of the 20 ft container
20 foot containers (which is a standard dry van) is the most preferred container size. They are easy to stack, which results in lower shipping costs. Widely used for transporting furniture and removals. Pro tip: A TEU stands for Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit.
- A very popular box for the transportation of cargo via ocean shipments.
- A 20-foot container know the following size description: 5,9 x 2,4 x 2,4 meter.
- It can contain 11 Euro-pallets on a single level.
- You can load it with maximum +/- 27.900 kg.
Details of a 40 foot container
A 40 foot container is widely used on (standard) ships. You can pack a lot of cargo in this. This makes it a popular choice for shipping large volumes of cargo. Moreover, there are also special extra tall ‘high cube’ variant. It is about one foot taller than a normal box. Very suitable for high products.
- Used for dry freight of all kinds.
- The dimensions are standard: 12,0 x 2,4 x 2,3 m.
- It allows the transport of up to 28 pallets.
- In terms of goods, there is a weight limit of +/- 28.300 kilogram.
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Details about Full Container (FCL)
If your goods don’t fit in a small (shared) container, then it is usually better to book a full container. The abbreviation FCL stands for Full Container Load. You don’t need to share it with other merchandise. There are many pluses: optimal transit time, limited chance of damage and the rates are more favorable. There are also disadvantages: it is not suitable for small cargo and insurance is more expensive. Transporting cargo from another port? Also see Antwerp to Tawau (MYTWU) or Hamburg to Tawau (MYTWU).
- The concept of FCL is that you temporarily own a complete container.
- Used by all major manufacturers and shipping companies.
- For shipments that are larger than 10 CBM.
- Available at: e.g. COSCO, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Maersk.
LCL: Less than container
When you have too little goods to fill a full container, you can use be made of a shared container. Transport specialists call this Less Than Container Load (LCL). The goal of LCL is that multiple shippers’ goods are packed together. The advantages of this option include: perfect for shipping small loads, you spend less on inventory warehousing space and it is more flexible during peak-times. Worth mentioning: once you have more than half a container worth of goods, it is often cheaper to book a full container. The shipping costs are calculated on the basis of shipping dimensions, weight, and number of pieces.
- LCL Means that means that you make use of a partial container for the transportation.
- An excellent choice for cargo volumes between 2,5 m3 and 15 m3.
- Cost-effective for freight forwarders with smaller shipment volumes.
- Can be booked via practical all shipping lines.
- Available at: e.g. Wan Hai, Yang Ming, ZIM, HMM, Evergreen.
Special containers for special freight
The range of boxes is very varied for shipping your items. Each type of cargo requires a different approach. The Dry van is suitable for many common goods. There are also special possibilities for oil, petroleum, and freshwater, vegetables and fruit or fragile items. You can read all about it in the section below. You can also check more information about shipping to Portland (USPWM), port of Al Jubail (SAJUB), Haldia (INHAL) harbor and terminal Charleston (USCHS).
- Bulk Containers: used in for transporting bulk cargo like grain and coal.
- Flat Rack Containers: the walls allows for the loading of cargo from the top and/or sides.
- Hard-Top Containers: equipped with a removable steel roof.
- High-Cube Containers: are used to carry lightweight, high volume cargo (with extra height).
- Insulated Containers: ideal for Short-Term Storage or Short-Hop Journeys.
- Open-Top Containers: for the transportation of goods like glass and marble blocks.
- Palletwide Containers: ideal for transporting euro pallets.
- Refrigerated Containers: reefers are perfect for refrigerated transport of nutritional goods and medicaments.
- Tank Containers: are basically, cylindrical vessels held within a standard 20ft ISO frame.
- Ventilated Containers: specially for cargoes which have to be ventilated in transit.
Cargo types: what kind of stuff are you going to ship?
Transporting load by sea from Rotterdam (NLRTM) to Tawau, Sabah (MYTWU) have all kinds of advantages: it is very efficient, very safe and secure and it is much more environmentally friendly than air freight. Frequently chosen ocean cargo via sea import/export routes are: dry bulk, liquid bulk, roll on/roll off, neo bulk, containerized. Below we explain some goods/cargo.
- Car shipping: your vehicle (car/motorcycle) will be shipped safely and relatively cheaply.
- House Moving: excellent logistic support in case of relocation.
- Removals (Household Goods): have your household effects transported with great care.
- Liquid Bulk: e.g. chemicals, kerosene, petroleum, biofuels, diesel, hydrogen.
- Dry Bulk: grain, coal, iron ore but also coils, cement, sugar, lumber.
- Roll on Roll off (RORO): vessels that are used to carry wheeled cargo.
- Breakbulk: cargo that is transported in bags, boxes, crates, drums or barrels.
- Retail & other: items like toys, sports equipment, electronic goods, medical/pharmacy, clothes or shoes, furniture, fashion, drinks, food.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about international transport
Shipping a container from Rotterdam (NL) to Tawau, Sabah takes approximately 44 days. The ship has to cover a distance of about 10500 nautical miles (nmi). 1 NM is about 1.85 km. The total distance is 19446 kilometers. If you ship something by sea, you have to pay close attention to ETD and ETA. ETD means the date and time the vessel will leave the dock. ETA is the date that the shipment arrives in the destination country. There are many factors that determine the final shipping time: displacement of the vessel, sea weather condition and any technical malfunctions.
Shipping rates from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Tawau, Sabah (Malaysia) are relatively cheap. The total sum is determined by important aspects like cargo weight, season and other costs like stacking and siting. We invite you to contact us for a price proposal and transit times.
When you are exporting goods to Tawau, then the customs clearance will also pass. You need to present the following documents: Certificate of Origin, Import/export Licenses, Insurance Certificate, Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Letter of Credit. If you are not sure whether you will be charged extra or not, you can contact the customs of Malaysia or take a look at the website (www.portsworld.com/Ports/tawau.htm).
Incoterms tell us when ownership of the product changes hands. The two most important Incoterms in sea transport are FOB and CIF. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) means the exporting party bears responsibility for delivering the goods to the port of origin. Free on Board (FOB) means the seller takes care of the goods until they are loaded on a shipping vessel. Optionally one can also select one of the other Incoterms 2000 such as Free Carrier (FCA), Ex Works (EXW), Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), Carriage Paid To (CPT) & Cost and Freight (CFR), Carriage and Insurance Paid To (CIP), Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU).