Los Angeles to Bremerhaven shipping route.

The shipping route from Los Angeles, United States to Bremerhaven, Germany covers 8,035 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,048 km apart, so the ship sails 1.64 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, 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 23.9 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 27.9 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 18.6. 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 Los Angeles and Bremerhaven to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 13,555 nautical miles, 5,520 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

774 nm of the route, 10% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA and North 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 Los Angeles to Bremerhaven move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Bremerhaven (DEBRV) carriers give about 3.83 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Los Angeles in this directory, Bremerhaven is the 44th shortest. Closer destinations include Tanjung Priok (8,015 nm), Barcelona (7,888 nm) and Rotterdam (7,828 nm).