Hamburg to Seattle shipping route.

The shipping route from Hamburg, Germany to Seattle, United States covers 9,295 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 7,903 km apart, so the ship sails 2.18 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 32.3 days at 12 knots, 27.7 days at 14 knots and 21.5 days at 18 knots. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Hamburg and Seattle to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 14,757 nautical miles, 5,462 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

2,023 nm of the route, 22% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA and North 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.

Container freight rates on Hamburg to Seattle move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Seattle (USSEA) carriers give about 3.94 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, Seattle is the 45th shortest. Closer destinations include Ho Chi Minh City (9,263 nm), Tanjung Priok (8,911 nm) and Singapore (8,634 nm).