Yantian to Houston shipping route.

The shipping route from Yantian, China to Houston, United States covers 10,884 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 13,392 km apart, so the ship sails 1.51 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 32.4 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 37.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 25.2. Liner schedules on the lane quote 20 to 130 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 93 sailings by 11 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).

The next option is via Suez Canal, 13,220 nautical miles, 2,336 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Suez Canal is congested or closed.

352 nm of the route, 3% 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 CNYTN to USHOU start at $6,800 for a 20GP and $8,375 for a 40GP ($8,425 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 Houston (USHOU) carriers give about 4 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 63 port to port routes from Yantian in this directory, Houston is the 59th shortest. Closer destinations include Gdansk (10,663 nm), Buenos Aires (10,565 nm) and Santos (10,361 nm).