Rotterdam to Yokohama shipping route.

Ships leaving Rotterdam for Yokohama head north east and cover a sea distance of 11,316 nautical miles (20,957 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,370 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. 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 39.3 days at 12 knots, 33.7 days at 14 knots and 26.2 days at 18 knots. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Rotterdam and Yokohama to plan the full ocean transit time.

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 12,664 nm instead of 11,316 nm and spends roughly 4.0 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.

Container freight rates on Rotterdam to Yokohama move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Yokohama (JPYOK) carriers give about 8 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, Yokohama is the 57th shortest. Closer destinations include Melbourne (11,179 nm), Dalian (10,996 nm) and Incheon (10,981 nm).