Rotterdam to Dalian shipping route.

Rotterdam to Dalian is a 10,996 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north east from the Netherlands to China. That is 20,365 km of water against 8,233 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 32.7 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 38.2 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 25.5. Liner schedules on the lane quote 37 to 61 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 48 sailings by 8 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 13,583 nm instead of 10,996 nm and spends roughly 7.7 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,341 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 NLRTM to CNDLC start at $1,805 for a 20GP and $3,010 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 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 60 port to port routes from Rotterdam in this directory, Dalian is the 55th shortest. Closer destinations include Incheon (10,981 nm), Busan (10,912 nm) and Qingdao (10,853 nm).