London Gateway to Qingdao shipping route.

The shipping route from London Gateway, United Kingdom to Qingdao, China covers 10,783 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 8,660 km apart, so the ship sails 2.31 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.

Pure steaming time is 32.1 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 37.4 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 25.0. Liner schedules on the lane quote 27 to 70 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 31 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

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 13,450 nautical miles, 2,667 more, and adds about 7.9 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.

2,286 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 GBLGP to CNTAO start at $1,776 for a 20GP and $3,100 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 Qingdao (CNTAO) 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 London Gateway in this directory, Qingdao is the 53rd shortest. Closer destinations include Shanghai (10,518 nm), Ningbo (10,404 nm) and Kaohsiung (9,980 nm).