Rotterdam to Qingdao shipping route.

Ships leaving Rotterdam for Qingdao head north east and cover a sea distance of 10,853 nautical miles (20,100 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 8,430 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. 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.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 32.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 37.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 25.1. Liner schedules on the lane quote 37 to 58 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 72 sailings by 8 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Panama Canal instead. That route is 13,520 nautical miles, 2,667 more, and adds about 7.9 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.

2,341 nm of the route, 22% 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 CNTAO 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 Qingdao (CNTAO) 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, Qingdao is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Shanghai (10,589 nm), Ningbo (10,475 nm) and Kaohsiung (10,050 nm).