Barcelona to Los Angeles shipping route.

Ships leaving Barcelona for Los Angeles head north west and cover a sea distance of 7,888 nautical miles (14,608 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,687 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar and Panama 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 23.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 27.4 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 18.3. 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 Barcelona and Los Angeles to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 12,860 nautical miles, 4,972 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Gibraltar is congested or closed.

756 nm of the route, 10% of it, lies inside North American ECA, 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 Barcelona to Los Angeles move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Los Angeles (USLAX) carriers give about 4 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 64 port to port routes from Barcelona in this directory, Los Angeles is the 44th shortest. Closer destinations include Laem Chabang (7,460 nm), Ho Chi Minh City (7,292 nm) and Tanjung Priok (6,940 nm).