Houston to Xiamen shipping route.

The shipping route from Houston, United States to Xiamen, China covers 10,628 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 13,016 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.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 31.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 36.9 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 24.6. Liner schedules on the lane quote 20 to 56 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 111 sailings by 10 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).

The next option is via Suez Canal, 13,424 nautical miles, 2,795 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Gibraltar 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 CNXMN start at $7,228 for a 20GP and $8,410 for a 40GP ($8,460 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 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 65 port to port routes from Houston in this directory, Xiamen is the 55th shortest. Closer destinations include Dalian (10,281 nm), Ningbo (10,259 nm) and Colombo (10,218 nm).