Los Angeles to Colombo shipping route.

The shipping route from Los Angeles, United States to Colombo, Sri Lanka covers 9,376 nautical miles port to port, via Strait of Malacca. On a globe the two ports sit 15,108 km apart, so the ship sails 1.15 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Malacca.

At sea, the voyage lasts 32.6 days at 12 knots, 27.9 days at 14 knots and 21.7 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 Los Angeles and Colombo to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Sunda Strait, 9,899 nautical miles, 523 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Sunda Strait is congested or closed.

683 nm of the route, 7% of it, lies inside North American 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 Colombo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Colombo (LKCMB) carriers give about 5 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, Colombo is the 55th shortest. Closer destinations include Mersin (9,328 nm), Port Said (9,268 nm) and Piraeus (8,792 nm).