Seattle to Gothenburg shipping route.

Ships leaving Seattle for Gothenburg head north east and cover a sea distance of 9,335 nautical miles (17,289 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 7,574 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, 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 27.8 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 32.4 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 21.6. 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 Seattle and Gothenburg to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 14,936 nautical miles, 5,601 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

1,895 nm of the route, 20% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA and North 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 Seattle to Gothenburg move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Gothenburg (SEGOT) carriers give about 5 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 Seattle in this directory, Gothenburg is the 47th shortest. Closer destinations include Hamburg (9,295 nm), Bremerhaven (9,249 nm) and Barcelona (9,102 nm).