Hamburg to Haiphong shipping route.

Hamburg to Haiphong is a 9,947 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading east from Germany to Vietnam. That is 18,422 km of water against 8,584 km as the crow flies. 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 29.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 34.5 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 23.0. Liner schedules on the lane quote 30 to 61 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 74 sailings by 5 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, ONE and OOCL).

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 13,291 nautical miles, 3,344 more, and adds about 10.0 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, 26% 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 VNHPH start at $1,888 for a 20GP and $3,077 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 Haiphong (VNHPH) carriers give about 4 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, Haiphong is the 48th shortest. Closer destinations include Laem Chabang (9,431 nm), Vancouver (9,317 nm) and Seattle (9,295 nm).