Oakland to Shanghai shipping route.

Oakland to Shanghai is a 5,415 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north west from the United States to China. That is 10,029 km of water against 9,869 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Pure steaming time is 16.1 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 18.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 12.5. Liner schedules on the lane quote 19 to 29 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 23 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk).

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 CNSHA start at $4,583 for a 20GP and $6,548 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Shanghai (CNSHA) 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, Shanghai is the 16th shortest. Closer destinations include New York (5,383 nm), Incheon (5,381 nm) and Savannah (4,976 nm).