Jebel Ali to Manzanillo shipping route.

The shipping route from Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates to Manzanillo, Mexico covers 10,954 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 14,629 km apart, so the ship sails 1.39 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Panama Canal, Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 38.0 days at 12 knots, 32.6 days at 14 knots and 25.4 days at 18 knots. 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 Jebel Ali and Manzanillo to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Strait of Malacca instead. That route is 12,486 nautical miles, 1,532 more, and adds about 4.6 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.

2,083 nm of the route, 19% of it, lies inside US Caribbean 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.

Container freight rates on Jebel Ali 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 Jebel Ali in this directory, Manzanillo is the 64th shortest. Closer destinations include Oakland (10,939 nm), Vancouver (10,689 nm) and Seattle (10,667 nm).