Oakland to Dalian shipping route.

Ships leaving Oakland for Dalian head north west and cover a sea distance of 5,490 nautical miles (10,168 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 9,271 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 16.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 19.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 12.7. Liner schedules on the lane quote 27 to 42 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 32 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, Maersk and MSC).

348 nm of the route, 6% of it, lies inside North American 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 USOAK to CNDLC start at $4,559 for a 20GP and $6,505 for a 40GP ($6,555 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 Dalian (CNDLC) carriers give about 6 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 Oakland in this directory, Dalian is the 19th shortest. Closer destinations include Ningbo (5,468 nm), Qingdao (5,427 nm) and Shanghai (5,415 nm).