Los Angeles to Rotterdam shipping route.

Los Angeles to Rotterdam is a 7,828 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading north east from the United States to the Netherlands. That is 14,498 km of water against 8,988 km as the crow flies. 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 23.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 27.2 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 18.1. 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 Rotterdam to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 13,348 nautical miles, 5,520 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

551 nm of the route, 7% 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 Rotterdam move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Rotterdam (NLRTM) 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, Rotterdam is the 41st shortest. Closer destinations include Laem Chabang (7,827 nm), Antwerp (7,809 nm) and Singapore (7,777 nm).