Cape Town to Los Angeles shipping route.

The shipping route from Cape Town, South Africa to Los Angeles, United States covers 9,557 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 16,047 km apart, so the ship sails 1.10 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 33.2 days at 12 knots, 28.4 days at 14 knots and 22.1 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 Cape Town and Los Angeles to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 9,902 nautical miles, 344 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

53 nm of the route, 1% 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 Cape Town 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 65 port to port routes from Cape Town in this directory, Los Angeles is the 62nd shortest. Closer destinations include Tokyo (8,463 nm), Yokohama (8,452 nm) and Manzanillo (8,273 nm).