Los Angeles to Haiphong shipping route.

Ships leaving Los Angeles for Haiphong head north west and cover a sea distance of 6,959 nautical miles (12,888 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 12,293 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 20.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 24.2 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 16.1. Liner schedules on the lane quote 14 to 49 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 77 sailings by 6 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC).

683 nm of the route, 10% 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.

Recent freight rates for USLAX to VNHPH start at $5,976 for a 20GP and $7,457 for a 40GP ($8,262 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 Haiphong (VNHPH) carriers give about 4 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, Haiphong is the 28th shortest. Closer destinations include Sydney (6,635 nm), Manila (6,607 nm) and Yantian (6,427 nm).