Ho Chi Minh City to London Gateway shipping route.

Ho Chi Minh City to London Gateway is a 8,940 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north west from Vietnam to the United Kingdom. That is 16,556 km of water against 10,162 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, 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 26.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 31.0 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 20.7. Liner schedules on the lane quote 19 to 30 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 2 sailings by 1 carrier (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 12,383 nautical miles, 3,444 more, and adds about 10.2 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.

2,286 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 VNSGN to GBLGP start at $1,755 for a 20GP and $3,065 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 London Gateway (GBLGP) 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 Ho Chi Minh City in this directory, London Gateway is the 49th shortest. Closer destinations include Felixstowe (8,938 nm), Lagos (Apapa) (8,885 nm) and Le Havre (8,812 nm).