For a 100-piece order, freight is often 10–25% of everything you spend — sometimes the difference between a product that makes money and one that doesn't. Here's how to choose between the three shipping methods, with real numbers.
The three options
| Air express (DHL/FedEx/UPS) | Matson express sea | Standard sea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door-to-door time | 5–10 days | 12–16 days | 30–40 days |
| Cost level | Highest | Medium | Lowest |
| Best for | Urgent, light orders | Most small orders | Heavy, patient orders |
| Typical small-order cost | $4–8/kg | $2.5–4.5/kg | $1–2.5/kg |
(Indicative 2026 rates for small B2B shipments; final pricing depends on weight, volume and destination.)
The rule of thumb
- Under ~30 kg and in a hurry? Air express. Simple, fast, fully tracked.
- The middle ground? Matson express sea. It's a premium sea service — container ships that skip congested ports — at roughly half the price of air, at double the speed of standard sea. For most 100–500 piece orders this is the sweet spot.
- Heavy and patient? Standard sea. If your product isn't time-sensitive and your margins matter more than your calendar, this is the cheapest way to move goods across the Pacific.
A worked example: 100 custom hoodies (~65 kg shipped weight)
| Method | Freight cost | Door-to-door |
|---|---|---|
| Air express | $390–520 | ~7 days |
| Matson express | $195–290 | ~14 days |
| Standard sea | $80–160 | ~35 days |
Landed per hoodie: air ≈ +$4.60/piece, Matson ≈ +$2.40, sea ≈ +$1.20. On a product that retails at $60–80, air still works. On a product that retails at $25, air freight can eat your entire margin — that's when the calendar needs to flex instead.
Three things that change the math
1. Dead weight vs volumetric weight — carriers charge by whichever is bigger. Hoodies are heavy (dead weight wins); neon signs are light but bulky (volume wins, and sea gets relatively cheaper).
2. Destination country — coastal vs inland, and your customs process, both add days on top.
3. Season — peak season (Oct–Dec) pushes both air and sea prices up. Ordering earlier in the year is itself a cost decision.
The planning insight most buyers miss
Freight is the one cost you can trade against time. Production runs on the factory's calendar; shipping runs on yours. An order placed six weeks earlier can travel by sea instead of air — and on small-margin products, that difference can be 5–10% of your entire landed cost.
We quote freight upfront on every order — method by method, so you can see the trade-off in dollars before you choose. See also the full cost breakdown of a typical order.
Next step: tell us your product, quantity and deadline — your quote will show air, Matson and sea side by side.
Related reading: What a 30% Deposit Covers · Pricing Guide