Imagine you open a quote from your freight forwarder. Ocean freight: $1,850 per 20GP. Then you see: **BAF $380, THC at origin $145, ISPS $22**. Add customs clearance in Kuwait — another $350–$450 depending on cargo value. Most shippers look at the ocean rate and think: “That’s the price.” But any forwarder who has booked a container into Shuwaikh Port this quarter will tell you: that number is *just* the starting point, never the bottom line.