Montreal to Kaohsiung shipping route.

Ships leaving Montreal for Kaohsiung head north and cover a sea distance of 11,948 nautical miles (22,128 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 12,308 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 41.5 days at 12 knots, 35.6 days at 14 knots and 27.7 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 24 to 42 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 5 sailings by 2 carriers (Maersk and OOCL).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Panama Canal instead. That route is 12,414 nautical miles, 466 more, and adds about 1.4 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

3,001 nm of the route, 25% 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.

Recent freight rates for CAMTR to TWKHH start at $7,350 for a 20GP and $9,100 for a 40GP ($9,150 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 Kaohsiung (TWKHH) 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 Montreal in this directory, Kaohsiung is the 60th shortest. Closer destinations include Xiamen (11,937 nm), Yantian (11,733 nm) and Hong Kong (11,712 nm).