Mersin to Houston shipping route.

The shipping route from Mersin, Türkiye to Houston, United States covers 6,753 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 10,960 km apart, so the ship sails 1.14 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.

Pure steaming time is 20.1 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 23.4 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 15.6. 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 Mersin and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

2,806 nm of the route, 42% of it, lies inside North American ECA and Mediterranean 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 Mersin to Houston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Houston (USHOU) 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 Mersin in this directory, Houston is the 41st shortest. Closer destinations include Santos (6,449 nm), Balboa (6,354 nm) and Laem Chabang (6,240 nm).