Balboa to Mundra shipping route.

Ships leaving Balboa for Mundra head north east and cover a sea distance of 9,350 nautical miles (17,316 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 15,155 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Panama Canal and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 32.5 days at 12 knots, 27.8 days at 14 knots and 21.6 days at 18 knots. 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 Balboa and Mundra 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 11,310 nautical miles, 1,960 more, and adds about 5.8 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.

2,083 nm of the route, 22% of it, lies inside US Caribbean 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 Balboa to Mundra move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Mundra (INMUN) carriers give about 3.95 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 Balboa in this directory, Mundra is the 56th shortest. Closer destinations include Yantian (9,331 nm), Hong Kong (9,331 nm) and Jebel Ali (9,264 nm).