Durban to Antwerp shipping route.

Ships leaving Durban for Antwerp head north and cover a sea distance of 7,012 nautical miles (12,986 km), via Cape of Good Hope. The straight line between the ports is 9,385 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Cape of Good Hope.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 20.9 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 24.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 16.2. 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 Durban and Antwerp to plan the full ocean transit time.

399 nm of the route, 6% of it, lies inside North 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 Durban to Antwerp move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Antwerp (BEANR) carriers give about 5 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 Durban in this directory, Antwerp is the 39th shortest. Closer destinations include London Gateway (6,961 nm), Felixstowe (6,959 nm) and Ningbo (6,917 nm).