London Gateway to Shanghai shipping route.

Ships leaving London Gateway for Shanghai head north east and cover a sea distance of 10,518 nautical miles (19,480 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,151 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. 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 31.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 36.5 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 24.3. Liner schedules on the lane quote 32 to 53 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 30 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 13,438 nm instead of 10,518 nm and spends roughly 8.7 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,286 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 GBLGP to CNSHA start at $1,733 for a 20GP and $3,016 for a 40GP ($2,735 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 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 London Gateway in this directory, Shanghai is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Ningbo (10,404 nm), Kaohsiung (9,980 nm) and Xiamen (9,969 nm).