Rotterdam to Xiamen shipping route.

The shipping route from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Xiamen, China covers 10,039 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,367 km apart, so the ship sails 1.98 times the straight line distance. 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.

At sea, the voyage lasts 34.9 days at 12 knots, 29.9 days at 14 knots and 23.2 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 25 to 56 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 81 sailings by 7 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Cape of Good Hope sails 13,359 nm instead of 10,039 nm and spends roughly 9.9 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,341 nm of the route, 23% 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 CNXMN 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 Xiamen (CNXMN) 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, Xiamen is the 48th shortest. Closer destinations include Yantian (9,835 nm), Hong Kong (9,814 nm) and Manila (9,738 nm).