Algeciras to Qingdao shipping route.

The shipping route from Algeciras, Spain to Qingdao, China covers 9,469 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 10,230 km apart, so the ship sails 1.71 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 32.9 days at 12 knots, 28.2 days at 14 knots and 21.9 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 41 to 73 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 7 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and ONE).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 13,057 nm instead of 9,469 nm and spends roughly 10.7 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, 20% 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.

Recent freight rates for ESALG to CNTAO start at $3,079 for a 20GP and $4,849 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Qingdao (CNTAO) carriers give about 6 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, Qingdao is the 57th shortest. Closer destinations include Shanghai (9,205 nm), Ningbo (9,091 nm) and Kaohsiung (8,667 nm).