Shipping times from China, port by port.

From Ningbo to Busan · Tokyo and Yokohama · Kaohsiung · Hong Kong

The shortest legs we sail. Japan and Korea are days, not weeks.

• Busan2–5 daysDirectA shuttle service.
• Tokyo and Yokohama3–7 daysDirect

high confidence Busan 2–5 and Tokyo/Yokohama 3–7, two independent schedule sets each. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau ride the same intra-Asia services and were not separately corroborated.

From Ningbo to Ho Chi Minh City · Singapore · Manila · Jakarta · Laem Chabang · Port Klang

Under two weeks to the mainland ports; Jakarta and the outports run to about a fortnight. Singapore is also our main relay for Africa and Latin America.

At Manila and Jakarta the delay that catches people out is on the quay rather than at sea — chassis and gate time, not sailing time.

• Ho Chi Minh City5–10 daysDirect
• Singapore6–11 daysDirectOur main transhipment hub for Africa and Latin America.
• Manila5–11 daysDirectCongestion here adds days on the quay, not at sea.
• Jakarta8–15 daysDirect or via Singapore

high confidence Ho Chi Minh City 5–10, Singapore 6–11, Manila 5–11 and Jakarta 8–15, two extracts each. Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei and Timor-Leste ride the same services and were not separately corroborated. Laos has no sea leg and no corroborated overland figure, so it is quoted rather than shaded.

From Ningbo to Chennai · Nhava Sheva · Colombo · Karachi · Chittagong

Two to three weeks. Chennai, on the east coast, is the quick side of India; Nhava Sheva — India's largest box port, on the west — is closer to three weeks. Chittagong is almost always fed from Singapore, Port Klang or Colombo rather than called directly.

• Colombo12–18 daysDirectThe hub for the Bay of Bengal and the East African feeders.
• Chennai14–20 daysDirectThe east coast is the quick side of India.
• Nhava Sheva (Mumbai)18–24 daysDirectIndia's largest box port, and three weeks rather than two.
• Karachi16–23 daysDirect or via Jebel Ali
• Chittagong16–24 daysVia Singapore, Port Klang or ColomboAlmost always feedered; rarely a direct call.

medium confidence Colombo 12–18, Chennai 14–20, Nhava Sheva 18–24 (an 18-day baseline and a 24-day booking quoted in September 2026), Karachi 16–23, Chittagong 16–24 — two extracts per lane.

From Ningbo to Jebel Ali · Salalah and Sohar · Dammam · Hamad Port · Shuwaikh and Shuaiba · Khalifa Bin Salman

About four weeks. The Gulf is reached through the Strait of Hormuz and NOT through the Red Sea, so the diversion does not touch it — this is the steady lane in the region. Salalah sits outside the Strait and is often a day or two quicker than Jebel Ali.

• Jebel Ali26–30 daysDirectReached via Hormuz, so untouched by the Red Sea diversion.
• Salalah and Sohar25–30 daysDirect — Salalah is itself a mainline hub
• Dammam27–32 daysDirect or relayed at Jebel AliSaudi Arabia's Gulf coast. Behaves like Jebel Ali plus a few days — and nothing like Jeddah.
• Hamad Port27–32 daysDirect or relayed at Jebel Ali
• Shuwaikh and Shuaiba28–34 daysRelayed at Jebel AliThe top of the Gulf, so the longest leg in it.

high confidence Four weeks is the export desk's own figure for the Gulf, from its shipments: the sailing, plus the wait for the vessel and any relay. Carrier schedules quote less port to port — Jebel Ali 19–25 days on CMA CGM's CIMEX7, part-container 20–22 — so plan on four weeks, not on the schedule. Dammam, Qatar and Kuwait are Jebel Ali plus a relay.

From Ningbo to Umm Qasr, usually relayed at Jebel Ali · Aqaba · Beirut · Latakia · Ashdod

Iraq is rarely a direct call: the relay at Jebel Ali is where the spread comes from, and it does not belong in the UAE's band. Aqaba is a Red Sea call and carries the diversion's volatility — routing in overland from Jebel Ali is a live alternative for Jordan and worth asking about. Lebanon comes in through Beirut, which has a direct service; Syria through Latakia, usually relayed; Israel and Palestine through Ashdod, reached round the Cape after the western Mediterranean calls — the longest leg here.

• Umm Qasr25–38 daysUsually relayed at Jebel Ali
• Aqaba28–42 daysRed Sea call, or via Jebel Ali and overlandRed Sea exposure, like Jeddah.
• Beirut30–45 daysDirect, or relayed in the MediterraneanThe quick end of the range holds while the direct service runs through Suez.
• Latakia30–50 daysUsually relayed at Port Said, Mersin or PiraeusThe relay is where the spread comes from.
• Ashdod39–60 daysDirect, currently via the Cape of Good HopeReached round the Cape after the western Mediterranean calls, so this is the longest leg in the region.

low confidence Umm Qasr 25–38 and Aqaba 28–42, two extracts each. Beirut 30–45: about 31 days on the fastest listed Ningbo sailing, a direct CMA CGM call, and 30–45 from Shanghai in a 2026 forwarder guide. Ashdod 39–60, from figures to Ashdod and to Haifa, the call after it: the fastest listed sailings are 42 days from Shanghai to Ashdod and 39 from Ningbo to Haifa (ZIM), and a 2026 forwarder guide puts the Cape routing to Haifa at 45–60. Latakia 30–50 rests on forwarder guides alone (30–50 and 28–56), not on a carrier schedule. Palestine is read off Ashdod.

From Ningbo to Jeddah · Port Sudan · Aden

The volatile lane. Whether your container comes through the Bab el-Mandeb or round the Cape is the difference between a fortnight and six weeks, and it is decided by the carrier. Saudi Arabia appears here and in the Gulf, because Jeddah and Dammam genuinely behave differently.

The sources fork rather than average: 14–20 days when the service runs the Bab el-Mandeb, against 40–50 days when it routes the Cape instead. Which one you get is the carrier’s decision, taken after you have booked.

• Jeddah26–42 daysVia Bab el-Mandeb, or Cape of Good Hope routingSaudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Ask for the routing before you plan the date.

low confidence Jeddah sources split between 14–20 on a direct Suez-side call and 40–50 on Cape routing; the published range is the union of the two and the fork is printed rather than averaged. Sudan and Yemen were not corroborated.

From Ningbo to Mersin · Ambarlı (Istanbul)

Three to five weeks on the Mediterranean services, direct or relayed at Port Said or Piraeus. Türkiye is listed under both the Middle East and Europe's Black Sea — it is one record, read either way.

• Mersin and Ambarlı (Istanbul)20–34 daysDirect or relayed at Port Said or PiraeusThe widest disagreement between sources on this page — the range carries it rather than hiding it.

medium confidence Sources disagree more here than on any other lane: 18–25 and 20–26 port to port against 25–40 elsewhere, the gap being port-to-port versus door-to-door and direct versus relayed. The range was widened and the confidence lowered rather than one source picked.

From Ningbo to Port Said and Alexandria · Tanger Med and Casablanca · Algiers and Oran · Radès

North Africa is not one lane, and its two ends are a fortnight apart. Port Said is a mainline Suez call and can beat mainland Europe by two weeks; Atlantic Morocco sits on the Cape routing and is barely touched by the diversion; Algeria is behind Gibraltar and pays the full European penalty plus a relay.

• Port Said and Alexandria22–34 daysDirect, or relayedPort Said is a mainline Suez call. Damietta clears faster than Alexandria.
• Tanger Med and Casablanca25–34 daysDirect — Tanger Med is a mainline hubOn the Cape routing, so barely touched by the diversion.
• Algiers and Oran35–46 daysUsually relayed at Tanger Med, Valencia or MaltaBehind Gibraltar: the European penalty plus a relay.
• Tunis and Radès32–44 daysRelayed at Malta or Italy

medium confidence Egypt 22–34, Morocco 25–34, Algeria 35–46, Tunisia 32–44 — two extracts per lane except Tunisia, which rests on one. Libya was not corroborated.

From Ningbo to Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can) · Tema · Lomé · Abidjan · Dakar

Four to six weeks at sea, and then the queue. The sea figure alone will put a Lagos buyer two to three weeks out, which is why the wait is printed beside it rather than buried. For anything transiting onward to Mali, Burkina Faso or Niger, Tema and Lomé are worth preferring for that reason alone. Transhipment is common on this coast and is where the rest of the spread comes from.

Anchorage wait, on top of the sea leg: Lagos Apapa has been running 14–21 days, Tema and Lomé 7–10. Plan from the sum, not from the sailing time.

• Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can)35–45 daysDirect or via Singapore or Tanger Med
• Tema29–39 daysDirect or via Tanger MedGenuinely the better West African gateway at the moment.
• Abidjan28–38 daysDirect or via Tanger Med
• Dakar34–42 daysVia Singapore, Tanger Med or Cape TownConsistently transhipped — one or two relays.

medium confidence Lagos 35–45, Tema 29–39, Abidjan 28–38 and Dakar 34–42, two extracts each. One extract put Abidjan at 20 days; it was discarded, because it cannot be right against a 29-day Tema and a 35-day Lagos on the same service family. Benin, Togo, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania were read across their neighbours.

From Ningbo to Douala · Pointe-Noire · Luanda · Libreville

Always relayed, in West Africa or at Tanger Med, and the relay is most of the spread. Douala is also the gateway for Chad and the Central African Republic, and that inland haul is the longest in Africa — see the landlocked table.

• Douala35–47 daysRelayed in West Africa or at Tanger Med

low confidence Douala 35–47 from one usable extract, bracketed by its West African neighbours. Gabon, both Congos, Equatorial Guinea and Angola were read across the same relayed services and were not separately corroborated.

From Ningbo to Mombasa · Dar es Salaam · Djibouti

Three to four weeks to Mombasa and to Dar es Salaam, both direct. Mombasa is the Northern Corridor gateway for Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan; Dar es Salaam is the Central Corridor gateway for Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda and the eastern DRC — and the inland leg is shown separately for each, because it is a week or two and it belongs in the plan. Djibouti approaches through the Gulf of Aden and carries some of the Red Sea's volatility; Mombasa and Dar es Salaam do not.

• Mombasa22–28 daysDirect
• Dar es Salaam23–31 daysDirect
• Djibouti20–32 daysDirectGulf of Aden approach, so it carries some of the Red Sea risk. The gateway for Ethiopia.

high confidence Mombasa 22–28 and Dar es Salaam 23–31, two independent sets each. Djibouti 20–32 from one usable extract. Somalia and Eritrea were read across the same Indian Ocean approaches and were not corroborated.

From Ningbo to Durban · Cape Town · Walvis Bay · Beira and Maputo · Port Louis

Three to four weeks to Durban. Southern Africa sits on the Cape of Good Hope routing, so the diversion helps this lane rather than hurting it. Durban and Cape Town are treated as level: sources disagree about which is quicker, so we make no comparative claim at all.

• Durban20–28 daysDirect
• Cape Town24–33 daysDirectLevel with Durban. Sources conflict about which is quicker, so we claim neither.
• Walvis Bay29–39 daysRelayed at Durban or Cape TownAlso a gateway for Botswana and the Zambian Copperbelt.
• Beira and Maputo26–36 daysDirect or relayed at DurbanThe short gateway for Zimbabwe and Malawi.
• Port Louis22–31 daysRelayed at Singapore or Colombo

high confidence Durban 20–28 and Cape Town 24–33, two independent sets each. Walvis Bay, Mozambique and Mauritius are relayed and rest on a single extract each; Madagascar was read across them.

From Ningbo to Rotterdam · Antwerp · Hamburg · Felixstowe and London Gateway

Five to eight weeks at the moment, and the reason is the routing rather than the distance: with the Cape of Good Hope standing in for Suez these lanes carry ten to fifteen days they did not carry two years ago. The same sources put Rotterdam at 25–32 days if and when Suez normalises, which is why this figure is dated. The train is the other answer: Duisburg is 16–21 days from Yiwu.

• Rotterdam35–51 daysDirect, currently via the Cape of Good HopeThe benchmark European lane. 25–32 days if and when Suez normalises.
• Hamburg37–54 daysDirect, currently via the CapeTwo to four days behind Rotterdam on the North Sea leg.
• Antwerp35–51 daysDirect, currently via the Cape
• Felixstowe and London Gateway36–52 daysDirect, currently via the Cape

By rail instead: 16–21 days from Yiwu to Duisburg, via Alashankou or Khorgos. Roughly three weeks earlier than the ship, from our own city.

high confidence Rotterdam 35–51 as of July 2026 on Cape routing, corroborated twice and the benchmark for the whole continent; Hamburg 37–54, two to four days behind on the extra North Sea leg; Antwerp and the UK from a second set. France and Ireland were read across the same services.

From Ningbo to Piraeus · Genoa · Valencia and Barcelona · Koper · Malta

The Mediterranean arrives first — a week or more before the North Sea. Piraeus is our fastest European box port and the relay for the Black Sea and the Balkans; Genoa is materially the shorter leg for Switzerland and Austria than any northern port.

• Piraeus28–38 daysDirect — the mainline's first Mediterranean callOur quickest European port, and the relay for the Black Sea and the Balkans.
• Genoa28–37 daysDirectThe short way into Switzerland and Austria.
• Valencia and Barcelona30–39 daysDirect

By rail instead: 18–21 days from Yiwu to Madrid, via Alashankou — the Yiwu–Madrid service. 13,052 km from our own city, and roughly half the sea time to the same continent.

medium confidence Piraeus 28–38, Genoa 28–37 and Valencia/Barcelona 30–39, two extracts each. Portugal, Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia and the Mediterranean micro-states were read across the same services.

From Ningbo to Baltic feeders from Rotterdam and Hamburg · Gdańsk · Gothenburg · Aarhus

The slow way in, and the extra week is the feeder rather than the ocean: a North Sea call, then a Baltic ship. Rail reaches the Polish border at Małaszewicze in 11–14 days, which for a Baltic buyer is a month earlier.

By rail instead: 11–14 days from Yiwu to Małaszewicze on the Polish border, via Alashankou. The fastest scheduled corridor we can reach. Onward from the border is the buyer's own leg.

low confidence Not corroborated as its own lane. Read across from Gdańsk at 38–54 and from the North Sea hubs, plus the feeder leg — which is why the confidence is low and the range is wide rather than precise.

From Ningbo to Gdańsk · Constanța · Koper and Rijeka · Hamburg — or the Małaszewicze and Budapest railheads

By sea this is a North Sea, Adriatic or Black Sea call and then an inland leg. By rail it is a fortnight. For Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary rail is not marginally better, it is a month better, and Budapest is a scheduled terminus rather than a special arrangement. Bulgaria is always fed from Piraeus, Istanbul or Constanța, which is why it runs behind Romania.

• Gdańsk38–54 daysDirect call, or Baltic feeder from Rotterdam or HamburgSea is the slow way into Poland. Rail lands at Małaszewicze in 11–14 days.
• Constanța30–38 daysUsually relayed in the eastern MediterraneanThe Black Sea gateway for the whole region, Moldova included.
• Varna and Burgas33–45 daysRelayed at Piraeus, Istanbul or ConstanțaAlways feedered — Bulgaria is not a mainline call.

By rail instead: 11–18 days from Yiwu to Małaszewicze or Budapest, via Alashankou. 11–14 days on the full-timetable service; a Yiwu consignment on an ordinary train is more honestly 16–22 door to door.

medium confidence Gdańsk 38–54, Constanța 30–38 and Varna/Burgas 33–45, two extracts each. The Balkans were read across Piraeus plus a road leg. The rail figures are separately sourced — Małaszewicze 11–14, Budapest 11–14, Duisburg 16–21.

From Ningbo to Małaszewicze on the Polish border · Constanța

Both markets are reached overland at the end, and each states the leg it turns on rather than borrowing a coastal band. Ukraine: the train is at the Polish border in 11–14 days and the leg beyond it is routed and quoted with the order rather than guessed on a map. Moldova: Constanța, then a short road leg — about 32–43 days all in.

• Małaszewicze, then onward overland11–14 daysOverland via AlashankouThe figure is the rail leg to the Polish border. The leg into Ukraine is confirmed on the quotation.

low confidence The rail leg to Małaszewicze is 11–14 days, corroborated twice. Moldova is Constanța at 30–38 plus 2–5 days by road. The onward leg into Ukraine itself was not corroborated and is not published as a figure.

From Yiwu to the Middle Corridor — Kazakhstan, the Caspian, Azerbaijan — or Poti and Batumi

The Middle Corridor crosses the Caspian by ferry, which is what makes it slower and less predictable than the northern route — and it is the option that avoids Russia entirely. Container volumes through it grew by about fifteen per cent in 2025. Georgia is listed here and under Europe's Black Sea; it is one record.

• Baku, by the Middle Corridor18–25 daysRail via Kazakhstan and the Caspian crossing

low confidence Azerbaijan 18–25 by Middle Corridor rail from one usable extract. Armenia is Poti plus 3–6 days by road, and we have no corroborated Poti sea figure. Georgia was read across the same corridor.

From Yiwu to Alashankou or Zabaikalsk, then Moscow

Rail is the sensible way into western Russia: 12–18 days against 33–52 by sea to St Petersburg — not marginally better, three weeks better. The exception is the Far East, and it is a big one: Vladivostok and Vostochny are 7–12 days by SEA, one of the shortest lanes we sail, and from there it is another 7–12 by rail to Moscow.

• Moscow12–18 daysOverland via Zabaikalsk or Alashankou
• Vladivostok and Vostochny7–12 daysDirectThe Far East by sea — one of the shortest legs on this page.
• St Petersburg and Novorossiysk33–52 daysDirect or relayed in EuropeThe slow way into western Russia. Rail is about half of it.

high confidence Moscow 12–18 by rail from two extracts. Vladivostok 7–12 by sea, corroborated twice. St Petersburg and Novorossiysk 33–52 by sea from one set.

From Yiwu to Khorgos and Altynkol, or Alashankou and Dostyk

There is no sea leg to any of these markets, so rail is not a workaround, it is the route — and Almaty is closer to us in time than Rotterdam is. Khorgos is the big modern crossing; Dostyk is older and consistently less congested. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are still road-dominant: the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is being built and we do not publish it as finished.

• Almaty10–17 daysOverland via Khorgos/Altynkol or Alashankou/DostykFaster than we reach Rotterdam by sea.
• Tashkent11–16 daysOverland via Khorgos, then Kazakh transit6,146 km, quoted at 11 days on a block train.

medium confidence Almaty 10–17 and Tashkent 11–16 — one source gives the Khorgos–Tashkent run as 6,146 km in 11 days — two extracts each. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are road-dominant and rest on a single service each, one of them a pilot.

From Yiwu to Erenhot and Zamyn-Üüd — the only rail crossing

One crossing serves the entire country, so a closure at Erenhot stops everything. Plan with slack, and ask us before you commit to a date.

• Ulaanbaatar10–20 daysOverland via Erenhot / Zamyn-Üüd

low confidence One usable extract. A second gave 90–100 days, which reads as a whole multimodal chain from a seaport rather than the rail run, so the range was widened and the confidence lowered rather than the figure being split between them.

From Ningbo to Los Angeles and Long Beach · Vancouver · New York and New Jersey · Savannah

Two coasts, and the difference between them is a fortnight: the West Coast is two to three weeks, the East Coast four to five via Panama. These are 110 V markets, so the precision is commercial rather than pedantic.

• Los Angeles and Long Beach12–19 daysDirectThe West Coast.
• Vancouver14–21 daysDirect
• New York and New Jersey26–35 daysDirect via Panama, or all-water via Suez or the CapeThe East Coast — roughly double the West.
• Savannah28–36 daysDirect via Panama

high confidence Los Angeles 12–19 from three extracts, Vancouver 14–21 from two, New York 26–35 from two, Savannah 28–36 from two.

From Ningbo to Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas · Balboa and Colón · Puerto Quetzal

Three and a half to five weeks on the Pacific coast, and the Caribbean coasts run longer. Panama is also the mainline relay for the whole region, which is why a box for Cartagena or Guayaquil often passes through it. These are 110 V markets.

Anchorage wait, on top of the sea leg: Manzanillo has been adding 5–10 days.

• Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas24–33 daysDirect
• Balboa and Colón26–35 daysDirect — a mainline relay hub for the region

medium confidence Manzanillo 24–33 and Balboa/Colón 26–35, two extracts for Mexico and one for Panama. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize were read across the same Pacific services.

From Ningbo to San Juan, on the US East Coast services · Caucedo · Kingston · Point Lisas

Puerto Rico is a US territory on 110 V and sails on US East Coast services at four to five weeks, not on a Latin American lane. The independent islands are relayed, usually at Panama or Cartagena, and the relay decides the figure.

• San Juan28–36 daysOn the US East Coast servicesA US territory on 110 V, not a Latin American lane.

low confidence Puerto Rico 28–36 on the US East Coast services it is actually served by. The independent islands were read across Cartagena at 30–40 and the Panama relays, and were not separately corroborated.

From Ningbo to Callao · Valparaíso and San Antonio · Guayaquil · Cartagena

The Pacific coast is the quick side of the continent — three to six weeks, against four to seven on the Atlantic. Cartagena sits on Colombia's Caribbean coast and runs five to ten days behind the country's Pacific ports.

• Callao20–35 daysDirect, or relayed — Callao is itself a regional relay
• Valparaíso and San Antonio28–42 daysDirect or relayed at Callao
• Cartagena30–40 daysVia Panama — a Balboa or Manzanillo relayThe Caribbean coast, five to ten days behind Colombia's Pacific ports.
• Guayaquil30–40 daysRelayed at Panama or Callao

medium confidence Callao 20–35, Valparaíso 28–42, Cartagena 30–40 from two extracts each; Guayaquil 30–40 rests on one. Valparaíso congestion was reported as adding 3–7 days in January 2026.

From Ningbo to Santos · Buenos Aires · Montevideo

Santos is four to six weeks, and it is the quickest call on this coast. Buenos Aires and Montevideo are the far end of the run and the only South American lanes that come near fifty days.

• Santos30–40 daysDirect, or via Singapore or South Africa
• Buenos Aires35–47 daysRelayed at Santos or Singapore
• Montevideo35–47 daysRelayed at SantosAlso the gateway for Paraguay.

medium confidence Santos 30–40 from two extracts, Buenos Aires 35–47 from two, Montevideo 35–47 from one. Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname were read across the same Atlantic services.

From Ningbo to Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Fremantle · Auckland

Two to three weeks on a direct service. Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland are all mainline calls rather than relays, which is why the range is as tight as it is.

• Sydney and Melbourne15–22 daysDirect
• Auckland16–23 daysDirect

high confidence Sydney and Melbourne 15–18, Auckland 16–18, two extracts each; widened to 15–23 to carry Brisbane and Fremantle, which were read across.

From Ningbo to Port Moresby · Lautoka and Suva · Nouméa — all relayed

Everything here is relayed, through Australia, New Zealand or Singapore, and the relay decides the figure far more than the distance does.

low confidence Not researched as its own lane. Read across the Australasian services plus a relay, which is why the range is deliberately wide. Tell us the port and we will get the schedule rather than guess it.