Felixstowe to Dalian shipping route.

Ships leaving Felixstowe for Dalian head north east and cover a sea distance of 10,924 nautical miles (20,232 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 8,379 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Suez 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 32.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 37.9 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 25.3. Liner schedules on the lane quote 39 to 54 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 12 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, MSC and OOCL).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Panama Canal instead. That route is 13,512 nautical miles, 2,587 more, and adds about 7.7 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

2,285 nm of the route, 21% of it, lies inside North 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.

Recent freight rates for GBFXT to CNDLC start at $2,308 for a 20GP and $3,566 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Dalian (CNDLC) carriers give about 6 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 61 port to port routes from Felixstowe in this directory, Dalian is the 56th shortest. Closer destinations include Incheon (10,909 nm), Busan (10,840 nm) and Qingdao (10,781 nm).