Los Angeles to Gdansk shipping route.

Ships leaving Los Angeles for Gdansk head north east and cover a sea distance of 8,518 nautical miles (15,774 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,385 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 25.4 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 29.6 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 19.7. 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 Gdansk to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 14,177 nautical miles, 5,659 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

1,078 nm of the route, 13% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA, North Sea ECA and Baltic 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 Gdansk move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Gdansk (PLGDN) carriers give about 7.5 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, Gdansk is the 51st shortest. Closer destinations include Marsaxlokk (8,344 nm), Lagos (Apapa) (8,246 nm) and Genoa (8,220 nm).