Sourcing glossary
Transshipment
Also known as: Transhipment, T/S, Hub port transfer
Transferring cargo from one vessel or other means of transport to another at an intermediate port or hub on the way to its final destination.
Many routes from smaller Chinese ports, or to smaller destination ports, are not served directly, so containers are moved to another ship at a hub such as Shanghai, Singapore or Busan. Each transfer adds time and a risk of missed connections, so a transshipment route can take days or weeks longer than a direct sailing, even if the ocean rate is lower.
Ask the forwarder whether a quote is direct or via transshipment and which hub it uses, and track the second vessel as well as the first. Note that transshipment does not change the goods' country of origin. See sea vs air vs rail vs express for transit time trade-offs.
Related terms
Part of Shipping & Logistics.