Busan to Houston shipping route.

Busan to Houston is a 9,737 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading north east from South Korea to the United States. That is 18,034 km of water against 11,440 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 29.0 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 33.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 22.5. 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 Busan and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Suez Canal, 14,296 nautical miles, 4,559 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Suez Canal is congested or closed.

352 nm of the route, 4% of it, lies inside North American 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 Busan to Houston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Houston (USHOU) 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 65 port to port routes from Busan in this directory, Houston is the 49th shortest. Closer destinations include Algeciras (9,528 nm), Valencia (9,271 nm) and Barcelona (9,194 nm).