Vancouver to Santos shipping route.

Vancouver to Santos is a 8,803 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading south east from Canada to Brazil. That is 16,304 km of water against 11,106 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 30.6 days at 12 knots, 26.2 days at 14 knots and 20.4 days at 18 knots. 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 Vancouver and Santos to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Magellan, 9,260 nautical miles, 457 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Strait of Magellan is congested or closed.

1,288 nm of the route, 15% 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.

Container freight rates on Vancouver to Santos move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Santos (BRSSZ) 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 Vancouver in this directory, Santos is the 37th shortest. Closer destinations include Colombo (8,792 nm), Buenos Aires (8,680 nm) and Algeciras (8,600 nm).