Yantian to Rotterdam shipping route.

The shipping route from Yantian, China to Rotterdam, Netherlands covers 9,835 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 9,313 km apart, so the ship sails 1.96 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, 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 34.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 22.8. Liner schedules on the lane quote 23 to 50 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 152 sailings by 10 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM and Hapag-Lloyd).

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 13,170 nautical miles, 3,335 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.

2,341 nm of the route, 24% 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 CNYTN to NLRTM start at $1,800 for a 20GP and $2,735 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 Rotterdam (NLRTM) 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 63 port to port routes from Yantian in this directory, Rotterdam is the 51st shortest. Closer destinations include Antwerp (9,816 nm), London Gateway (9,765 nm) and Felixstowe (9,763 nm).