Hamburg to Xiamen shipping route.

Ships leaving Hamburg for Xiamen head north east and cover a sea distance of 10,292 nautical miles (19,061 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 8,954 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.

At sea, the voyage lasts 35.7 days at 12 knots, 30.6 days at 14 knots and 23.8 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 28 to 55 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 58 sailings by 9 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).

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 13,612 nautical miles, 3,320 more, and adds about 9.9 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, 25% 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 CNXMN start at $1,800 for a 20GP and $3,000 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 Xiamen (CNXMN) 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, Xiamen is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Yantian (10,088 nm), Hong Kong (10,067 nm) and Manila (9,991 nm).