Le Havre to Hong Kong shipping route.

Le Havre to Hong Kong is a 9,616 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north east from France to Hong Kong. That is 17,808 km of water against 9,731 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.

Pure steaming time is 28.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 33.4 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 22.3. Liner schedules on the lane quote 27 to 60 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 79 sailings by 7 carriers (CMA CGM, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Cape of Good Hope sails 12,950 nm instead of 9,616 nm and spends roughly 9.9 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,159 nm of the route, 22% of it, lies inside North 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.

Recent freight rates for FRLEH to HKHKG start at $1,825 for a 20GP and $3,340 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Hong Kong (HKHKG) carriers give about 5 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 61 port to port routes from Le Havre in this directory, Hong Kong is the 47th shortest. Closer destinations include Manila (9,540 nm), Haiphong (9,496 nm) and Laem Chabang (8,980 nm).