Vancouver to Hong Kong shipping route.

The shipping route from Vancouver, Canada to Hong Kong covers 5,843 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 10,255 km apart, so the ship sails 1.06 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 17.4 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 20.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 13.5. Liner schedules on the lane quote 17 to 37 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 34 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, Maersk and OOCL).

570 nm of the route, 10% 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 CAVAN to HKHKG start at $4,723 for a 20GP and $6,860 for a 40GP ($6,910 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 Hong Kong (HKHKG) 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 Vancouver in this directory, Hong Kong is the 20th shortest. Closer destinations include Savannah (5,826 nm), Charleston (5,817 nm) and Houston (5,762 nm).