You were quoted $1,800 for the container. The invoice that lands a few weeks later shows $2,340. Nothing was hidden exactly — every charge is itemised somewhere — but nobody walked you through what THC, BAF, or a documentation fee actually represent before you needed to pay them.
This is normal in freight forwarding. Ocean freight is rarely a single number — it's a base rate plus a set of additional charges that apply at origin, in transit, and at destination. Understanding each one means you can budget correctly from the first quote, not be surprised by the final invoice. For where these charges fit into the full shipping journey, see: Your Cargo Takes 45 Days from China — Here's Every One of Them.
What a Real Invoice Looks Like
Here's a sample invoice showing exactly how these charges break down in practice — the numbers below tie back to the $1,800 quote and $2,340 final invoice mentioned above.
A fully itemized China–Africa freight invoice, broken into origin and destination charges.
Origin Charges (China Side)
Ocean Freight (O/F)
The base rate the carrier charges to move your container from the Chinese port to your destination port. This is the headline number in most quotes — and the one most subject to market fluctuation.
THC Origin
Terminal Handling Charge — the fee for moving your container within the Chinese port terminal: gate-in, yard storage, and crane loading onto the vessel.
BAF / CAF
Bunker Adjustment Factor and Currency Adjustment Factor — surcharges carriers apply on top of base freight to account for fuel price and currency exchange fluctuations. These move with the market and are standard across the industry.
Documentation & Seal Fees
Fixed fees for B/L issuance and processing, plus the cost of the physical container seal applied at stuffing. Small individually, but they add up across a multi-container shipment.
Destination Charges (Africa Side)
This is the half of the invoice most first-time importers underestimate — because it's invisible until the cargo has already arrived.
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THC Destination — the mirror of origin THC: handling your container within the African port terminal after discharge.
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Delivery Order (D.O.) Fee — paid to the shipping agent or NVOCC to release the delivery order against your original Bill of Lading. Without this, the terminal won't release your container, regardless of customs status.
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Customs Clearance Fee — your broker's professional fee for lodging and managing the clearance process, separate from the duties and taxes paid to customs itself.
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Agency Fee — covers the destination agent's administrative handling of your shipment, including arrival notices and documentation processing.
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Inland Trucking — transport from the port terminal to your warehouse or delivery address, typically quoted separately based on distance.
⚠️ Watch Out: Demurrage and detention — covered in detail in our full shipping timeline guide — are not standard invoice line items. They only appear if your cargo exceeds free time at the terminal or with the shipping line. If your invoice includes either, it means something in your clearance or collection process ran longer than the allotted free days, not that you were overcharged.
What's Worth Questioning on Any Invoice
Most charges on a freight invoice are legitimate and standard across the industry. A small number of red flags are worth knowing:
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Vague line items — entries like "Miscellaneous," "Handling," or "Other Charges" without further description. A legitimate forwarder can explain every line on request — ask before paying, not after.
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Charges that duplicate your Incoterm — under FOB, for example, Chinese export customs clearance should already be your supplier's responsibility. If it appears again on your forwarder's invoice, ask why.
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Destination charges with no prior estimate — a reputable forwarder gives you an estimated breakdown of destination charges before the vessel even sails, not only once cargo has arrived and you have no leverage to negotiate.
👉 Pro Tip: Ask for an "all-in" quote at origin that bundles O/F, THC, BAF, CAF, and documentation fees into a single number — this makes comparing quotes between forwarders genuinely apples-to-apples. Then separately request an estimated destination charge breakdown before booking, so the final invoice holds no real surprises.
Quick Reference: Where Each Charge Applies
| Charge | Applies At | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Freight | Origin | Vessel transport, port to port |
| THC (Origin & Destination) | Both | Terminal handling at each port |
| BAF / CAF | Origin | Fuel and currency adjustment |
| D.O. Fee | Destination | Release of delivery order from agent |
| Customs Clearance Fee | Destination | Broker's professional fee |
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Related articles: Your Cargo Takes 45 Days from China — Here's Every One of Them · Incoterms Explained: What African Importers Actually Need to Know · The Bill of Lading: Why Every Field Matters · Document Checklist: Essential Paperwork for a Smooth Export from China to Africa
