Xiamen to Felixstowe shipping route.

Ships leaving Xiamen for Felixstowe head north west and cover a sea distance of 9,967 nautical miles (18,459 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,539 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 29.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 34.6 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 23.1. Liner schedules on the lane quote 26 to 57 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 33 sailings by 6 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and MSC).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 13,287 nautical miles, 3,320 more, and adds about 9.9 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.

2,285 nm of the route, 23% 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 CNXMN to GBFXT start at $2,257 for a 20GP and $3,409 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 Felixstowe (GBFXT) 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 62 port to port routes from Xiamen in this directory, Felixstowe is the 48th shortest. Closer destinations include Le Havre (9,841 nm), Lagos (Apapa) (9,791 nm) and Callao (9,752 nm).