Le Havre to Shanghai shipping route.

The shipping route from Le Havre, France to Shanghai, China covers 10,390 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,323 km apart, so the ship sails 2.06 times the straight line distance. 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 36.1 days at 12 knots, 30.9 days at 14 knots and 24.1 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 28 to 72 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 100 sailings by 10 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Panama Canal instead. That route is 13,315 nautical miles, 2,925 more, and adds about 8.7 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, 21% 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 CNSHA start at $1,800 for a 20GP and $2,635 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 Shanghai (CNSHA) 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 61 port to port routes from Le Havre in this directory, Shanghai is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Ningbo (10,277 nm), Kaohsiung (9,852 nm) and Xiamen (9,841 nm).