Qingdao to London Gateway shipping route.

Qingdao to London Gateway is a 10,783 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north west from China to the United Kingdom. That is 19,970 km of water against 8,660 km as the crow flies. 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 37.4 days at 12 knots, 32.1 days at 14 knots and 25.0 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 27 to 70 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 31 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 13,450 nm instead of 10,783 nm and spends roughly 7.9 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,286 nm of the route, 21% of it, lies inside North Sea 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 CNTAO to GBLGP start at $1,776 for a 20GP and $3,100 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 London Gateway (GBLGP) 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 64 port to port routes from Qingdao in this directory, London Gateway is the 55th shortest. Closer destinations include Felixstowe (10,781 nm), New York (10,690 nm) and Le Havre (10,655 nm).