Landed Cost Calculator — what a container really costs per m²

FOB is where quotes start, not where costs end. This tool adds freight, duty and local costs on top of our real packing-sheet loading data — and shows how destination weight limits quietly rewrite the freight line. Your numbers in, indicative landed cost out; the exact quote is one WhatsApp message away.

Landed cost per m² — pre-filled references, all editable

Sandbox mode — public indicative band. Freight & duty pre-fill where we hold a solid reference (dated, indicative) — overwrite anything, or ask us for this week's exact numbers.

Product & specification (total thickness)Full 20ft load: 2,930 m² at 25.5 t gross — our packing-sheet data. “5+1” = 5 mm core + 1 mm IXPE pad; the pad adds comfort and acoustics but almost no weight.Destination port & road-weight ruleWeight ceiling ≈ 20.0 t cargo — indicative, confirm with your trucker

FOB price, USD/m² (sandbox slider: public band 5–10)

$7.0

Ocean freight, USD / 20ftour Oct 2026 reference — moves weeklyDuty rate, %≈30% all-in incl. trade measures, FOB basis — broker confirmsDuty basisClearance + local, USD

⚠ Weight-limited load: at 20.0 t this container carries 2,298 m² instead of 2,930 — freight per m² rises accordingly. This is the number most buyers miss.

No freight reference loaded for this route yet — we quote it weekly by port. Ask below and we'll send this week's number with the FOB quote.

Landed cost, USD / m²

$7.26

≈ $16,686 per weight-adjusted 20ft of 2,298 m²

Get this week's exact quote →

■ Cargo $7.00/m²■ Freight $0.00/m²■ Duty $0.00/m²■ Local $0.26/m²

Indicative sandbox: references are dated and move weekly; formal orders are quoted in writing — spec, port and week determine the real numbers.

The weight-limit reality check

SPC is dense cargo: a full 20ft hits the weight ceiling before it hits the volume ceiling. That is why the same freight bill can mean very different dollars per square meter depending on where the container lands.

MarketTypical road ruleWhat it means for a 20ft

European Union≈ 40 t gross (truck + cargo)≈ 26 t cargo — our standard 25.5 t loads fit

United States (common)state-dependent, ≈ 20 t practicalfull SPC loads usually need quantity cuts

United States (strict states)≈ 17.5 t practicalexpect ~2,000-2,200 m² instead of 2,930 m²

Australia / Gulf / othersvaries by state and road classconfirm with your trucker before ordering

Worked example. Freight of $7,600 spread over a full EU-legal load of 2,930 m² costs $2.59/m². The same bill over a weight-limited 2,200 m² load costs $3.45/m² — a +33% freight line from a rule nobody mentions in the FOB quote. Run both scenarios in the calculator above.

What we provide vs. what you provide

Our stable facts

• m² and gross weight per 20ft for each spec — straight from our packing sheets
• The public FOB band from our price guide (sandbox default)
• Weight-limit education and loading math from our container guide

Pre-filled where solid, editable everywhere

• Ocean freight: dated indicative references on routes we ship — otherwise this week's rate on WhatsApp, quoted within 12 hours
• Duty: pre-filled only where a solid figure exists (0% under the China–Australia and China–ASEAN FTAs with certificate; typical GCC 5%) — see our import duties guide
• Every field editable — overwrite with your forwarder's or broker's number anytime

Loading data details in the container loading guide. All documents in one click in the Importer Starter Kit.

FAQ

Are the freight and duty numbers in the calculator exact?

They are dated, indicative references — the only kind that exist before you book. Freight moves weekly by port (we update our references and quote the exact number on request within 12 hours); duty pre-fills only where a solid figure exists, such as 0% under the China–Australia or China–ASEAN FTAs with certificate, and always says so. Every field is editable: overwrite it with your broker's or forwarder's number the moment you have one.

Why does my loadable quantity drop in some markets?

Road weight rules. A full 20ft of SPC weighs about 25.5 tonnes; in the EU that fits under the 40-tonne truck-and-cargo limit, but stricter US state limits can cap a container at 17.5-20 tonnes. When weight cuts your load from 2,930 to about 2,000 m², the same freight bill spreads over fewer square meters and the landed cost per m² jumps — the calculator shows this automatically.

What FOB price should I enter?

Without a quote, use the sandbox slider: the public indicative band from our price guide (SPC roughly USD 5-10/m², laminate USD 4-10/m² by spec). If you already hold a quote — ours or another supplier's — enter that exact number. Exact pricing depends on thickness, wear layer, decor and quantity, quoted within 12 hours.