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Dead freight — definition
The charge for space booked but not used — you pay for the slot even if the cargo does not ship.
Why it matters when comparing China freight rates
Published lane medians are ocean freight only. Dead freight affects the total landed cost, so confirm how it is treated in each quote before comparing numbers.
See it in practice
Browse lane medians or run a live rate search to see how quotes on the same lane differ once charges like this are included or excluded.