Manzanillo to Le Havre shipping route.

Manzanillo to Le Havre is a 6,351 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading north east from Mexico to France. That is 11,762 km of water against 9,401 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 18.9 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 22.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 14.7. 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 Manzanillo and Le Havre to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 12,140 nautical miles, 5,789 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

321 nm of the route, 5% of it, lies inside 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 Manzanillo to Le Havre move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Le Havre (FRLEH) carriers give about 7 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 Manzanillo in this directory, Le Havre is the 18th shortest. Closer destinations include Santos (6,284 nm), Tokyo (6,137 nm) and Yokohama (6,126 nm).