Xiamen to Le Havre shipping route.

Xiamen to Le Havre is a 9,841 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north west from China to France. That is 18,225 km of water against 9,771 km as the crow flies. 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.

Pure steaming time is 29.3 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 34.2 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 22.8. Liner schedules on the lane quote 30 to 71 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 62 sailings by 7 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Cape of Good Hope sails 13,161 nm instead of 9,841 nm and spends roughly 9.9 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,159 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 CNXMN to FRLEH start at $1,800 for a 20GP and $3,000 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 62 port to port routes from Xiamen in this directory, Le Havre is the 47th shortest. Closer destinations include Lagos (Apapa) (9,791 nm), Callao (9,752 nm) and Cartagena (9,404 nm).