When goods are shipped under CIF terms, and particularly if they’re less than container load (LCL), the initial sea freight quote from Chinese forwarders may seem low. However, upon picking up the goods at the destination port, additional charges are often applied. This is because the initial quote might only cover a portion of the total shipping costs, with the remainder due at the port of arrival. These subsequent fees are part of the overall shipping cost that was not fully covered in the initial quote.