Houston to Manzanillo shipping route.

Ships leaving Houston for Manzanillo head south west and cover a sea distance of 3,242 nautical miles (6,004 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 1,499 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Panama 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 9.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 11.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 7.5. 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 Houston and Manzanillo to plan the full ocean transit time.

352 nm of the route, 11% 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.

Container freight rates on Houston to Manzanillo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Manzanillo (MXZLO) 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, Manzanillo is the 7th shortest. Closer destinations include Callao (2,939 nm), New York (1,921 nm) and Cartagena (1,765 nm).