The chances that the goods around you – and even your computer screen or smartphone from which you are reading this article – were transported by ocean freight are high. Approximately 80% of the world’s goods are transported overseas. In 2020, around 11 billion tons of goods were transported via sea freight. This makes it an important transportation mode for freight worldwide. Now you might wonder how ocean freight shipping times factor into your logistics. To help, here is our guide on sea freight transit times.
What is the transit time of sea freight?
The transit time of sea freight describes the time needed for a shipment to be delivered once it has been picked up from its point of departure. It shows the amount of time spent moving goods from one point to the other. The exact time is mostly measured in hours and days.
How long are the transit times of sea freight?
There are multiple factors to consider when measuring the transit time of sea freight.
Firstly, the time spent on water and the time shipments take from door-to-door are different due to transporting sea freight. When shipping sea freight worldwide, there are a lot of steps the goods have to go through before they reach the vessel and then once they leave it – for example, shipping documentation, Customs Clearance processes or loading and unloading goods.
Besides that, transit times for sea freight depend a lot on the origin and destination of the freight – because the geography of your goods matters and affect the transit times when shipping across oceans.
Overall, the time for sea freight shipping can range anywhere from 20-45 days or even more. For instance, when busy seasons and unpredictable events in shipping occur, this process can take longer than initially expected.
For specific local information on ocean freight transit times, please head over to our dedicated local container shipping information, where you can find concrete transit times for the most popular sea freight routes worldwide.
Sea freight transit times from China to Australia
Typically, it can take between 22 and 26 days when shipping cargo from China to Australia. However, depending on the time of year, these ocean freight shipping times can be increased by shipping delays. For example, during Chinese New Year, when holidays can impact port processing.
Sea freight transit times from the USA to Singapore
The average sea freight transit time for shipping goods from the USA to Singapore is 34 days. However, you should factor in container shipping times of anywhere between 27 to 46 days depending on the time of year, amount of cargo and specific processing requirements for your cargo.
Container ship transit times from China to Europe
When shipping goods from China to Europe, plan for transit times between 30 and 48 days. This is because the typical route for container shipping from China to Europe goes through the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Malacca Strait and Suez Canal. However, the recent vessel blockage in the Suez Canal (in March 2021) is still resulting in cargo delays and may increase this time.
Sea freight transit times from China to the UK
Ocean freight transit times from China to the UK typically take between 25 and 60 days. This time can vary depending on the point of origin and the exact destination port. It can also be extended when shipping door-to-door instead of port-to-port.
Container ship transit times from the UK to Australia
Ocean freight transit times from the UK to Australia vary depending on the arrival port in Australia. It typically takes between 50 and 60 days (or up to 8 or 9 weeks) for your goods to arrive in Australia.
How to ship sea freight worldwide?
Worldwide, there are multiple sea freight companies shipping sea freight. For example, Maersk, the world’s largest container-shipping company globally, is shipping sea freight worldwide. Twill is part of Maersk Group, and if you want to take your freight around the world, you can rely on us and our logistics services. We do offer not only sea freight but also inland transportation, Customs Clearance and other services. These services are all included as part of our comprehensive and agile logistics offering, allowing us to add various transport options to your supply chain whenever necessary.
You can sign up to our platform for free and discover schedules and prices within seconds. Get started now and explore your options to ship sea freight worldwide.