Mundra to Houston shipping route.

Ships leaving Mundra for Houston head north and cover a sea distance of 9,749 nautical miles (18,055 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 13,958 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 29.0 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 33.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 22.6. 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 Mundra and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 12,336 nautical miles, 2,587 more, and adds about 7.7 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.

2,746 nm of the route, 28% 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 Mundra 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 64 port to port routes from Mundra in this directory, Houston is the 58th shortest. Closer destinations include Balboa (9,350 nm), Cartagena (9,109 nm) and Savannah (8,666 nm).