Antwerp to Kaohsiung shipping route.

Ships leaving Antwerp for Kaohsiung head north east and cover a sea distance of 10,031 nautical miles (18,578 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,705 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 29.9 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 34.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 23.2. 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 Antwerp and Kaohsiung to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 13,324 nautical miles, 3,292 more, and adds about 9.8 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

2,333 nm of the route, 23% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA and 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 Antwerp to Kaohsiung move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Kaohsiung (TWKHH) carriers give about 7 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 61 port to port routes from Antwerp in this directory, Kaohsiung is the 50th shortest. Closer destinations include Xiamen (10,020 nm), Yantian (9,816 nm) and Hong Kong (9,795 nm).