Seattle to Yantian shipping route.

The shipping route from Seattle, United States to Yantian, China covers 5,821 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 10,383 km apart, so the ship sails 1.04 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

At sea, the voyage lasts 20.2 days at 12 knots, 17.3 days at 14 knots and 13.5 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 19 to 27 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 66 sailings by 5 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, MSC and OOCL).

548 nm of the route, 9% of it, lies inside North American 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 USSEA to CNYTN start at $5,791 for a 20GP and $8,296 for a 40GP ($8,046 for a 40HC). These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Yantian (CNYTN) 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 64 port to port routes from Seattle in this directory, Yantian is the 21st shortest. Closer destinations include Hong Kong (5,821 nm), Savannah (5,805 nm) and Charleston (5,795 nm).