Genoa to Shanghai shipping route.

The shipping route from Genoa, Italy to Shanghai, China covers 8,719 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,174 km apart, so the ship sails 1.76 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Malacca, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 30.3 days at 12 knots, 26.0 days at 14 knots and 20.2 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 25 to 58 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 76 sailings by 9 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 13,690 nautical miles, 4,971 more, and adds about 14.8 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.

1,439 nm of the route, 17% of it, lies inside 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 ITGOA to CNSHA start at $2,820 for a 20GP and $3,735 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 65 port to port routes from Genoa in this directory, Shanghai is the 54th shortest. Closer destinations include Ningbo (8,605 nm), Oakland (8,605 nm) and Los Angeles (8,220 nm).