China
FranceShanghai to Le Havre shipping route.
10,390 nautical miles via Suez Canal, about 30.9 days of steaming at 14 knots. Avoiding the Red Sea adds 2,925 nm.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Shanghai and Le Havre
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
ShanghaiSuez Canal · Bab-el-Mandeb · Strait of Malacca · Strait of GibraltarLe HavreShipping time from Shanghai to Le Havre
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Suez Canal (shortest) | 10,390 nm | 36.1 d | 30.9 d | 24.1 d |
| via Sunda Strait | 10,960 nm | 38.1 d | 32.6 d | 25.4 d |
| via Panama Canal | 13,315 nm | 46.2 d | 39.6 d | 30.8 d |
| via Cape of Good Hope | 13,710 nm | 47.6 d | 40.8 d | 31.7 d |
Sea Route Distance Calculator
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Reverse: Le Havre to ShanghaiMany carriers still avoid the Red Sea. Routed via Panama Canal, Shanghai to Le Havre is 13,315 nm, about 8.7 more days at 14 knots.
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Live numbers for this lane from Navo apps, updated 2026-10-31.
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About the Shanghai to Le Havre shipping route
The shipping route from Shanghai, China to Le Havre, France covers 10,390 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,323 km apart, so the ship sails 2.06 times the straight line distance. 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.
Pure steaming time is 30.9 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 36.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 24.1. Liner schedules on the lane quote 28 to 72 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 100 sailings by 10 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).
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 13,315 nautical miles, 2,925 more, and adds about 8.7 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.
2,159 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.
Recent freight rates for CNSHA to FRLEH start at $1,800 for a 20GP and $2,635 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 Le Havre (FRLEH) carriers give about 7 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 Shanghai in this directory, Le Havre is the 52nd shortest. Closer destinations include Lagos (Apapa) (10,340 nm), Savannah (10,271 nm) and Charleston (10,262 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Shanghai to Le Havre?
The port to port distance from Shanghai to Le Havre is 10,390 nautical miles (19,243 km), via Suez Canal. The route passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca, Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Shanghai to Le Havre?
About 30.9 days at 14 knots and 24.1 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services on this lane quote 28 to 72 days.
What if the ship avoids the Red Sea?
Routed via Panama Canal, the voyage is 13,315 nm, 2,925 nm longer, about 39.6 days at 14 knots.
What are freight rates from Shanghai to Le Havre?
Recent spot rates for CNSHA to FRLEH start at $1,800 per 20GP and $2,635 per 40GP, before local charges. Rates change weekly.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
2,159 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA, Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Le Havre to Shanghai has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Shanghai to Qingdao410 nm
- Shanghai to
Busan469 nm - Shanghai to Incheon538 nm
- Shanghai to Dalian553 nm
- Shanghai to Xiamen589 nm
- Shanghai to
Kaohsiung635 nm 
Bremerhaven to Le Havre454 nm- Hamburg to Le Havre500 nm
Gothenburg to Le Havre679 nm
Gdansk to Le Havre1,075 nm
Algeciras to Le Havre1,207 nm- Valencia to Le Havre1,591 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.