Hamburg to Dalian shipping route.

Ships leaving Hamburg for Dalian head north east and cover a sea distance of 11,249 nautical miles (20,834 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 7,835 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 33.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 39.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 26.0. Liner schedules on the lane quote 37 to 83 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 43 sailings by 7 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Maersk and MSC).

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 13,837 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.

2,599 nm of the route, 23% 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 DEHAM to CNDLC start at $1,820 for a 20GP and $3,040 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 64 port to port routes from Hamburg in this directory, Dalian is the 59th shortest. Closer destinations include Incheon (11,234 nm), Busan (11,165 nm) and Qingdao (11,106 nm).