Laem Chabang to Charleston shipping route.

Laem Chabang to Charleston is a 11,425 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north from Thailand to the United States. That is 21,159 km of water against 14,915 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 34.0 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 39.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 26.4. Liner schedules on the lane quote 39 to 63 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 43 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, Maersk and ZIM).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 12,339 nm instead of 11,425 nm and spends roughly 2.7 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,441 nm of the route, 21% of it, lies inside North American 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 THLCH to USCHS start at $7,340 for a 20GP and $8,900 for a 40GP ($8,950 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 Charleston (USCHS) carriers give about 4 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 Laem Chabang in this directory, Charleston is the 63rd shortest. Closer destinations include Callao (11,408 nm), Montreal (11,075 nm) and Cartagena (11,059 nm).