Algeciras to Karachi shipping route.

Ships leaving Algeciras for Karachi head east and cover a sea distance of 4,821 nautical miles (8,928 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 6,891 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 14.4 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 16.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 11.2. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Algeciras and Karachi to plan the full ocean transit time.

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Cape of Good Hope sails 9,914 nm instead of 4,821 nm and spends roughly 15.2 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

1,925 nm of the route, 40% of it, lies inside Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Algeciras to Karachi move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Karachi (PKKHI) carriers give about 5 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Algeciras in this directory, Karachi is the 29th shortest. Closer destinations include Houston (4,790 nm), Santos (4,486 nm) and Balboa (4,391 nm).