Felixstowe to Shanghai shipping route.

Felixstowe to Shanghai is a 10,517 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north east from the United Kingdom to China. That is 19,477 km of water against 9,073 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 31.3 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 36.5 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 24.3. Liner schedules on the lane quote 35 to 50 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 65 sailings by 6 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, MSC and ONE).

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 13,437 nautical miles, 2,920 more, and adds about 8.7 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, 22% 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 CNSHA start at $2,080 for a 20GP and $3,209 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 Shanghai (CNSHA) 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, Shanghai is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Ningbo (10,403 nm), Kaohsiung (9,979 nm) and Xiamen (9,967 nm).