Shanghai to London Gateway shipping route.

The shipping route from Shanghai, China to London Gateway, United Kingdom covers 10,518 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,151 km apart, so the ship sails 2.13 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 31.3 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 36.5 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 24.3. Liner schedules on the lane quote 32 to 53 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 30 sailings by 4 carriers (CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Panama Canal sails 13,438 nm instead of 10,518 nm and spends roughly 8.7 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,286 nm of the route, 22% 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 GBLGP start at $1,733 for a 20GP and $3,016 for a 40GP ($2,735 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 London Gateway (GBLGP) 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 Shanghai in this directory, London Gateway is the 54th shortest. Closer destinations include Felixstowe (10,517 nm), Le Havre (10,390 nm) and Lagos (Apapa) (10,340 nm).