Houston to Kaohsiung shipping route.

The shipping route from Houston, United States to Kaohsiung, Taiwan covers 10,633 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 13,059 km apart, so the ship sails 1.51 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 36.9 days at 12 knots, 31.7 days at 14 knots and 24.6 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 24 to 46 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 80 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, Maersk, ONE and ZIM).

The next option is via Suez Canal, 13,435 nautical miles, 2,802 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Suez Canal is congested or closed.

352 nm of the route, 3% of it, lies inside North American 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 USHOU to TWKHH start at $7,250 for a 20GP and $8,425 for a 40GP ($8,475 for a 40HC). These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Kaohsiung (TWKHH) carriers give about 7 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 Houston in this directory, Kaohsiung is the 56th shortest. Closer destinations include Xiamen (10,628 nm), Dalian (10,281 nm) and Ningbo (10,259 nm).