Le Havre to Kaohsiung shipping route.

Le Havre to Kaohsiung is a 9,852 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north east from France to Taiwan. That is 18,246 km of water against 10,062 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.

At sea, the voyage lasts 34.2 days at 12 knots, 29.3 days at 14 knots and 22.8 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 Le Havre and Kaohsiung 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 Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 13,145 nautical miles, 3,292 more, and adds about 9.8 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.

2,159 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.

Container freight rates on Le Havre to Kaohsiung move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Kaohsiung (TWKHH) 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 61 port to port routes from Le Havre in this directory, Kaohsiung is the 50th shortest. Closer destinations include Xiamen (9,841 nm), Yantian (9,637 nm) and Hong Kong (9,616 nm).