One of the most common questions shippers ask is: how long will my ocean freight shipment take? The answer depends on the trade lane, carrier, service type, and external factors. This guide gives you realistic transit time ranges for the world major shipping corridors.
Understanding Ocean Freight Transit Times
Published transit times are port-to-port sailing times. They do not include time for export customs clearance and loading at origin (typically 3-7 days before the vessel departs), port congestion delays, customs clearance at destination (typically 2-5 days), or inland delivery from the destination port. The realistic door-to-door total is often 2-3 weeks longer than the published sailing time.
Major Trade Lanes: Realistic Transit Time Ranges
Asia to Europe
- China (Shanghai) to UK (Felixstowe): 28-35 days
- China (Ningbo) to Germany (Hamburg): 25-32 days
- China to Mediterranean (via Suez Canal): 27-35 days
Asia to North America
- China to USA West Coast (Los Angeles): 12-18 days
- China to USA East Coast (New York, via Panama Canal): 25-35 days
- China to Canada (Vancouver): 12-15 days
Asia to Middle East and South Asia
- China to UAE (Jebel Ali): 18-25 days
- China to India (Mumbai): 15-22 days
Europe to North America
- UK to USA East Coast: 8-14 days
- Germany to USA East Coast: 10-14 days
Factors That Affect Actual Transit Times
- Direct vs transshipment routing — Transshipment via a hub port adds 3-7 days but may be the only option on some trade lanes.
- Port congestion — A vessel may arrive on schedule but be unable to berth for days due to congestion.
- Vessel rollings — If your container is rolled to a later vessel due to capacity issues, this adds the service frequency to your transit time (weekly service = up to 7 extra days).
- Canal disruptions — Suez Canal disruptions can add 10-15 days to Asia-Europe transits as vessels reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.
How to Build Transit Time Buffer Into Your Supply Chain
- Add 20-30% buffer to published transit times for supply chain planning
- Track shipments proactively using your forwarder platform
- For time-sensitive stock, consider splitting your order between sea and air for risk mitigation
- Build safety stock levels that account for realistic worst-case transit scenarios
