Dalian to Los Angeles shipping route.

Ships leaving Dalian for Los Angeles head north east and cover a sea distance of 5,824 nautical miles (10,787 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 9,852 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 17.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 20.2 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 13.5. Liner schedules on the lane quote 15 to 38 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 47 sailings by 7 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and ONE).

683 nm of the route, 12% 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.

Recent freight rates for CNDLC to USLAX start at $4,559 for a 20GP and $6,505 for a 40GP ($6,690 for a 40HC). These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. 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 63 port to port routes from Dalian in this directory, Los Angeles is the 27th shortest. Closer destinations include Auckland (5,627 nm), Karachi (5,615 nm) and Melbourne (5,599 nm).