CBM & Volumetric Weight Calculator
Enter your cartons to get CBM, volumetric and chargeable weight, sai (才) and how each of our lanes would bill the shipment.
Enter the length, width and height of each carton in centimetres, how many there are and what one weighs. You get the total volume in CBM, the volumetric and chargeable weight for air freight, the volume in sai (才) used in Japan, and for each of our lanes whether it bills by weight or by volume, its minimum and its size limits. It shows billing rules only, not rates. When you're done, send the result to our quote form in one click.
Carton sizes
Measure the outside of each carton at its widest points and round up to the next cm. Weight is optional if you only need CBM.
Results
- Cartons
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- Total volume
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- Gross weight
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- Sai (才)
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- Volumetric weight (÷6000)
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- Volumetric weight (÷5000, for reference)
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- Air chargeable weight
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- Density
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How our lanes would bill it
Worked out with the billing rules of our current rate sheet. Rates are not included.
Sagawa parcel (air)
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Air freight (general / battery)
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Air freight, oversized
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Air freight, oversized with batteries
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Sea LCL to Tokyo / Osaka (per CBM)
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Sea DDP, duties included (per kg)
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Sea freight, oversized cargo
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Request a quote with these dimensions
Opens our quote form with your cartons filled in. Add the product and whether it contains batteries, then send it. We usually reply by email within 1 business day.
Formulas and terms
How to calculate CBM
CBM = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 1,000,000 × cartons
CBM (cubic metre, m³) is how sea freight and consolidated cargo are measured. Measure each carton's outside at its widest points; for pallets, measure the whole pallet including its base. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 0.096 CBM, so 10 of them are 0.96 CBM.
Volumetric weight
Volumetric weight (kg) = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000
Aircraft run out of space before they run out of payload, so light, bulky cargo is billed by its volume converted to weight. Our air freight to Japan, Europe and the UK divides by 6000 (1 CBM ≈ 167 kg), as do our trucking, rail and per-kg sea lanes to Europe. Express couriers and some channels divide by 5000 (1 CBM = 200 kg), as does our oversized battery air channel to Japan.
Chargeable weight
Chargeable weight = the larger of gross and volumetric weight
Air freight is billed on chargeable weight. At ÷6000, cargo lighter than 167 kg per CBM is billed on its volumetric weight; anything denser is billed on its gross weight. Air freight to Europe and the UK also splits the difference, as the next card shows.
Split volumetric weight (分泡)
Chargeable weight = gross + (volumetric − gross) × 50%
Our air freight to Europe and the UK splits volumetric weight 50/50: when it is above gross weight, only half the difference is billed. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton of 12 kg has 16 kg volumetric weight and is billed at 14 kg. Trucking, rail, sea and oversized lanes don't split and bill the larger of the two.
Sea and land freight: per CBM, with a weight ratio
Billed CBM = the larger of measured CBM and kg ÷ the lane's kg per CBM
Consolidated sea and land freight is billed per CBM, but each lane sets how many kg count as 1 CBM. On our lanes: Southeast Asia and Africa by sea, and Europe sea + truck with VAT deferment, 500 kg; Indonesia by sea 400 kg; UK sea + truck 363 kg; Thailand by land 350 kg, Vietnam by land 230 kg. Heavier cargo is billed on its weight converted to CBM.
Sai (才), Japan's volume unit
Sai = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 27,826 (1 CBM ≈ 35.94 sai)
One sai is one cubic shaku: 30.303 × 30.303 × 30.303 cm, about 0.0278 m³. Japanese trucking companies and warehouses often charge by sai. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is about 3.45 sai.
Worked examples
Real numbers, step by step. The same cargo is billed differently on different lanes.
Air freight to Japan: 10 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm, 12 kg each
- Volume: 60 × 40 × 40 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.096 CBM per carton; × 10 = 0.96 CBM (about 34.5 sai)
- Volumetric weight: 60 × 40 × 40 ÷ 6000 = 16 kg per carton; × 10 = 160 kg
- Gross weight: 12 kg × 10 = 120 kg, a density of 125 kg per CBM
Chargeable weight is 160 kg: the cargo is lighter than 167 kg per CBM, so its volumetric weight applies.
A small shipment to Japan: 3 cartons of 45 × 35 × 30 cm, 8 kg each
- Volume: 45 × 35 × 30 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.04725 CBM per carton; × 3 ≈ 0.142 CBM
- Japan sea LCL bills at least 1 CBM, about 7 times the real volume here
- As Sagawa parcels: L + W + H of 110 cm and a 45 cm longest side are within the standard size; 8 kg gross beats 7.9 kg volumetric, so the 3 parcels are billed on 24 kg
For a few cartons the sea freight minimum costs more than it saves; parcels or air freight fit better.
Heavy cargo to Vietnam by land: 20 cartons of 40 × 30 × 30 cm, 25 kg each
- Volume: 40 × 30 × 30 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.036 CBM per carton; × 20 = 0.72 CBM
- Gross weight: 25 kg × 20 = 500 kg, about 694 kg per CBM
- Vietnam land counts 230 kg as 1 CBM and bills the larger: 500 ÷ 230 ≈ 2.17 CBM
Billed as 2.17 CBM, three times the measured volume: for heavy goods, weight sets the bill.
Air freight to Germany: 10 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm, 12 kg each
- Volumetric weight: 60 × 40 × 40 ÷ 6000 = 16 kg per carton; × 10 = 160 kg; gross weight 12 kg × 10 = 120 kg
- Europe air freight splits the difference 50/50: 120 + (160 − 120) × 50% = 140 kg, or 14 kg a carton, above the 12 kg carton minimum
- Europe trucking, rail and sea don't split, so they bill the 160 kg volumetric weight
Air freight bills 140 kg, 20 kg less than trucking, rail or sea, which don't split.
How our lanes bill cargo
Billing rules and limits from our current rate sheets (Europe and UK effective 26 October 2026, other destinations 22 August 2026). Girth is the longest side + 2 × width + 2 × height. Ask us for rates.
| Lane | Billed by | Rule | Minimum | Per-piece limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | ||||
| Sagawa parcel (air)Larger parcels (L + W + H 160–260 cm) can still go with an oversize surcharge. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 0.5 kg per parcel |
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| Air freight (general / battery)Under 21 kg, Sagawa parcels usually fit better; pallets and wooden crates are quoted separately. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Air freight, oversizedDelivered to business addresses that can unload. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Air freight, oversized with batteriesDelivered to business addresses that can unload. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Sea LCL to Tokyo / Osaka (per CBM)For e-commerce cartons; import taxes are billed separately. | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM |
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| Sea DDP, duties included (per kg)Duties and import consumption tax included, delivered anywhere in Japan. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 101 kg |
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| Sea freight, oversized cargoAnywhere in Japan; unloading at destination is not included. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 101 kg | — |
| Southeast Asia | ||||
| Malaysia sea (Peninsular)East Malaysia: minimum 1 CBM. | Volume (CBM) |
| 0.3 CBM |
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| Philippines sea (Manila)Cebu and Davao: minimum 1 CBM. | Volume (CBM) |
| 0.5 CBM |
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| Indonesia sea (Jakarta) | Volume (CBM) |
| 0.5 CBM |
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| Thailand land (Bangkok) | Volume (CBM) |
| 0.5 CBM |
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| Vietnam | ||||
| Vietnam landNorthern and southern Vietnam are priced separately. | Volume (CBM) |
| 0.5 CBM |
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| Africa | ||||
| Nigeria sea (Lagos) | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM |
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| South Africa sea (Johannesburg) | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM |
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| Côte d'Ivoire sea (Abidjan)Priced by density: up to 500, 500–800 and over 800 kg per CBM. | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM | — |
| Europe | ||||
| Europe air freight / express (UPS delivery)Billed the same at every price level and on the express line; cartons only; crates and pallets go on the oversized lane. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Europe oversized air (FedEx delivery)Wooden crates and frames, flight cases and flat pallets only. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 30 kg |
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| Europe truckingVAT deferment from 50 kg; trucks can also deliver straight to Amazon warehouses in Germany. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Europe rail freightVAT deferment from 50 kg; trucking straight to Amazon in Germany has no parcel size limits. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Europe sea / sea + truck (per kg)VAT deferment from 50 kg; sea + truck delivers straight to busy Amazon warehouses in Germany. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| Europe sea + truck, VAT deferment (per CBM)Trucked straight to busy Amazon warehouses in Germany. | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM |
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| Europe oversized sea / rail + truckWooden crates and frames, flight cases and flat pallets only; ask us for heights of 220–245 cm. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 50 kg |
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| United Kingdom | ||||
| UK air freight (DPD delivery) | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| UK oversized airDelivery is charged per pallet on top; wooden crates and frames, flight cases and flat pallets only. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 30 kg |
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| UK sea freight (per kg)The size limits are DPD's; trucking straight to Amazon has none. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 21 kg |
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| UK sea + truck, VAT deferment (per CBM)Also with import VAT paid by you; trucked straight to Amazon warehouses in the UK. | Volume (CBM) |
| 1 CBM | — |
| UK oversized sea freightLast-mile delivery is charged per piece on top; pieces over 50 kg must be palletised or crated. | Chargeable weight (kg) |
| 30 kg |
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Frequently Asked Questions
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