Los Angeles to Hamburg shipping route.

Ships leaving Los Angeles for Hamburg head north east and cover a sea distance of 8,082 nautical miles (14,967 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,109 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.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 24.1 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 28.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 18.7. 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 Hamburg to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 13,602 nautical miles, 5,520 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

809 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 Hamburg move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Hamburg (DEHAM) 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, Hamburg is the 46th shortest. Closer destinations include Port Klang (8,056 nm), Bremerhaven (8,035 nm) and Tanjung Priok (8,015 nm).