By HBK Global Trading · Reviewed by our customs compliance team · Updated October 2026
Three quotes, three different units. One forwarder prices your order per kilogram, another gives you a rate per CBM, and a third quotes a 20-foot container. If you’ve wondered which one is actually cheapest, you’ve hit one of the most confusing corners of international shipping.
This guide is for Philippine importers, purchasing teams and business owners who are reviewing freight quotes for commercial cargo from China. CBM vs KG shipping from China is something they ask us about all the time, and the answer is simpler than the quotes make it look.
Air freight is commonly billed per chargeable kilogram. Shared-container sea freight (LCL) is commonly billed by volume, or on a weight-or-measure basis. Full-container freight (FCL) is commonly billed per container of a stated size and type. These are common arrangements in international freight, not fixed rules. The service you book and the written quotation set the actual basis, so you can’t just pick whichever unit shows the smallest number.
What Do KG, CBM and Per-Container Prices Actually Mean?
| Pricing basis | What it represents | What the importer needs to understand |
| Per kilogram | A rate applied to the shipment’s billable weight | Billable weight may differ from the physical scale weight |
| Per CBM | A rate tied to cargo volume in cubic meters | Weight rules, minimum billing and other conditions may still apply |
| Per container | A rate for a specified container size and type | It doesn’t automatically include every shipment expense |
Kilograms measure weight
Kilograms describe cargo weight. On a freight quote, that usually means gross weight: the product plus its cartons, wrapping and any pallet it sits on. A supplier’s net weight for the product alone will almost always be lower than what the forwarder records.
CBM measures space
CBM means cubic meters, and it describes volume: how much space a shipment occupies, measured across its length, width and height. A cubic meter is a three-dimensional measure of space, not a measure of mass. You don’t need to calculate CBM yourself or run a CBM calculator to read a quote, but you should know which figure the forwarder used and where it came from.
Why there’s no universal CBM-to-KG conversion
There’s no universal conversion from total shipment volume to actual kilograms. A cubic meter of ceramic tiles and a cubic meter of foam pillows have the same cargo volume, yet their total weight is worlds apart.
When a carrier converts shipment volume into a weight figure, that’s a billing convention. It tells you how the cargo will be charged, not what it weighs on a scale. In practice, dense cargo tends to be charged by weight and light, bulky cargo by volume.
Market Snapshot · October 2026
Air freight: IATA’s general rule compares actual weight with a volumetric weight based on a 1:6,000 ratio in cubic centimeters, which works out to about 167 kg per CBM. Whichever is higher is billed. Express and courier services may use a different ratio.
LCL ocean freight: under weight-or-measure, 1 CBM is commonly treated as equivalent to 1,000 kg for comparison, and the shipment is billed on whichever figure is higher.
Containers: a standard 20-foot container offers roughly 33 CBM of internal volume, a 40-foot roughly 66 CBM and a 40-foot high cube roughly 76 CBM. Payload limits apply, and the usable total volume is lower once carton sizes, pallets and gaps are counted.
What this means with HBK: these are common industry conventions, not HBK rates. Every HBK quotation states the basis that applies to your shipment, and our LCL from China is billed on CBM or weight, whichever is higher.
Sources: IATA, Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules; standard ISO dry container specifications.
Why Air Freight Is Commonly Quoted Per Chargeable Kilogram
An aircraft can run out of capacity in two ways: it hits its weight limit, or it runs out of room. A per-kilogram air freight quote has to account for both, so the kilograms on your invoice aren’t always the kilograms on your scale.
Actual, volumetric and chargeable weight
Three terms do the work on every air cargo quote:
• Actual gross weight: what the packed shipment physically weighs, cartons and packaging included. You’ll also see it called actual weight.
• Volumetric or dimensional weight: a weight equivalent derived from the shipment’s dimensions under the applicable service rules. Some forwarders shorten it to dim weight or call it volume weight.
• Chargeable weight: the weight you’re actually billed on. Under common air cargo rules it’s the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, subject to any minimums or other conditions in the quotation.
When bulky cargo costs more than it weighs
Picture 30 cartons of lampshades. Each one is light enough to lift one-handed, yet together they take up far more space in the hold than their low weight suggests.
That’s bulky cargo with low cargo density, so the chargeable weight reflects the space rather than the scale. Flip it around, and a few cartons of metal fittings will usually be billed on actual weight, because they’re heavy for their size.
A per-kilo rate doesn’t always mean air
Express couriers and some consolidated services also quote per kilogram. The service description, not the unit, tells you the transport mode, so read it before you compare.
When we quote air from China at HBK, we ask for packed carton sizes and gross weight rather than a product count, because that’s what the chargeable weight depends on. For a closer look, see how air freight chargeable weight works.
Why LCL Sea Freight Is Often Quoted Per CBM
Less-than-container-load shipping is the ocean freight option for cargo that doesn’t need a whole box. It’s the bridge between courier parcels and a full container, and it’s where many growing Philippine importers sit.
How shared container space is charged
With LCL, shipments from several importers share one container. Because container space is the shared resource, volume is a natural way to divide the freight charges, which is why LCL sea freight is so often quoted per CBM.
What weight-or-measure means
A per-CBM rate doesn’t mean weight stops mattering. A few qualifications apply to most LCL shipments:
• Many LCL services price on weight-or-measure, usually written W/M. The tariff compares cargo weight against total volume using its own stated rating basis, and bills on the result.
• The billing unit this produces is sometimes called a revenue ton. It’s a tariff unit, not necessarily one physical tonne of cargo.
• Minimum billing can apply, so a very small shipment may be charged a minimum quantity rather than its exact measured volume.
• A clear quotation says whether its “CBM” means physical cubic meters, a chargeable W/M quantity or another agreed basis.
How HBK charges LCL from China
HBK’s own LCL service from China works on this principle: freight is calculated based on whichever is higher, the shipment’s volume in CBM or its weight. For light, bulky goods, the volume usually decides. For dense cargo such as tiles, hardware or machine parts, weight can take over.
So “you pay for the space you use” is close, but it isn’t the whole story. We cover the mechanics in weight-or-measure pricing for LCL.
Why FCL Freight Is Quoted Per Container
With a full container load, you book the whole shipping container for your shipment. The main ocean freight line is a rate for that box, not a tally of each cubic meter you put inside it.
What the container rate is for
• The quote must name the equipment. A 20-foot container, a 40-foot container and a 40-foot high cube are different specifications, and a reefer is different again.
• FCL doesn’t have to be physically full. Importers sometimes book a full container for security, handling or timing reasons.
• Unused space doesn’t automatically lower the rate. A half-loaded container generally carries the same agreed container freight as a full one, so extra space is space you’ve already paid for.
• You’re paying for transport, not buying the box. The container goes back to its owner after delivery. Purchasing one is a separate transaction.
What the container rate doesn’t settle
• Limits still apply. A container’s maximum capacity is set by payload as well as space, and door dimensions, road weight restrictions and carrier rules can cap what goes in.
• The container rate isn’t the delivered cost. Origin charges, destination handling, customs clearance and delivery may sit on separate lines.
For FCL out of China, HBK books against your Proforma Invoice and Packing List, so the container type and cargo are confirmed before anything is quoted as final. For larger shipments, here’s when FCL becomes more practical than LCL.
Why You Cannot Compare the Headline Unit Prices Directly
Different denominators, different totals
A price per kilogram and a price per CBM have different denominators. Setting one next to the other is like comparing a price per liter with a price per box: both are real prices, but neither tells you the total until you know the quantity.
The deciding factor is the full freight cost for your shipment under the same scope. A lower unit rate on a bigger billable quantity can easily end up costing more.
What a fair comparison needs
Before you decide, line up these key factors across every quote:
| Comparison point | Why it matters |
| Same shipment details | Different cargo quantities, packed dimensions or weights produce different billing quantities |
| Confirmed chargeable quantity | The quoted unit rate needs its corresponding billable quantity |
| Defined service and endpoints | Supplier pickup, warehouse receipt, port delivery and final delivery are different scopes |
| Matching inclusions | Customs clearance, handling and delivery may be included, separate or outside the offer |
| Currency and quote validity | Quotations need a comparable currency and an applicable validity period |
One quote, several charge units
One quotation can carry several charge units at once. The freight line might be per CBM, documentation a flat fee, and last mile delivery priced per trip.
Many carriers and shipping companies advertise attractive shipping rates per unit, but a comparison is only fair when every offer covers the same shipment details and shipping method. The shipping cost that matters is the one for your cargo, to your door.
That’s also why HBK doesn’t publish a rate card. A per-unit number that leaves out duties, port charges and delivery isn’t one you can budget on. To check what a quote covers, start with what an all-in freight rate includes, and our customs fees guide explains how duties and VAT are computed.
What HBK Needs to Explain Your Freight Pricing Basis
We’ve moved cargo from China to the Philippines since 2011, and the quotes that cause the least trouble later start with good shipment details.
The shipment details we ask for
• Product description and any special handling requirements
• Package count, final packed carton sizes and gross weight
• Supplier or pickup location in China
• Destination in the Philippines and the delivery endpoint you need
• Cargo-ready date and your business requirements for delivery
• Any existing quotation you’d like us to explain
Packed dimensions vs product dimensions
Product dimensions on a supplier listing describe the item, not the carton it ships in. Freight is billed on the packed shipment, so carton sizes and gross weight are what count. (Here’s why supplier and forwarder measurements can differ.)
From initial estimate to firm quote
These details tell us which service fits, what the billable quantity should be and what the quotation needs to cover. If some figures are still provisional, we’ll mark the result as an initial estimate, so you know it’s a general estimate that may still move.
If your supplier is delivering to our China warehouse in Guangzhou or Yiwu (or Shenzhen, where a shipment needs a customs declaration), tell us which, since the receiving point shapes the scope.
Unlike many freight forwarders, we handle consolidation, customs clearance through our in-house customs compliance team and nationwide delivery under one arrangement, so your quote reflects the whole route of shipping from China to the Philippines.
Send HBK your cargo details, supplier location and Philippine delivery address. Request a freight quotation that explains the pricing unit, billable quantity and included services for your shipment.
Links & Resources
• Shipping from China to the Philippines: air and sea options on the China route
• LCL shipping Philippines: how shared-container sea freight works with HBK
• FCL shipping Philippines: full container load support and what to send
• Customs fees Philippines: how duties and VAT are computed
• Request a freight quotation: send your cargo details to the HBK team
