Charleston to Southampton Container Shipping Rates (20ft, 40ft & 40HC)

Charleston to Southampton summary.

Freight rate data last updated: 21 September 2026 — 03:06 UK time

Key route data

  • Origin Port: Port of Charleston
  • Destination Port: Port of Southampton
  • Country Pair: United States to United Kingdom
  • Typical Transit Time: 13–61 days
  • Container Types: 20ft, 40ft, 40HC
  • Price Updates: Daily

Route summary

Charleston is a key US East Coast container port serving the manufacturing and logistics regions of the American South East. The Charleston to Southampton corridor links US exporters with the UK’s second-largest container port, which provides efficient distribution into southern England. Regular carrier services operate on this transatlantic route with reliable transit times.

TYPICAL SHIPPING COST SUMMARY

Shipping containers from Charleston to Southampton is an important trade corridor linking exporters in USA with UK importers. Typical transit times for this route generally range between 11–17 days depending on the shipping line, routing and port rotation. This corridor is commonly used by UK businesses importing manufactured goods, industrial equipment, consumer products and commercial cargo.

Live rates table

Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days Book
2026-09-21 20ft £656 20 £1,683 13 £3,589 23 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-21 40ft £579 50 £1,946 13 £3,739 23 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-21 40HC £579 50 £1,812 13 £3,739 23 Live Bespoke quote

Pricing history — last 14 days

Date: 2026-09-20
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-20 20ft £650 21 £2,225 14 £3,566 23
2026-09-20 40ft £574 51 £2,354 14 £3,715 23
2026-09-20 40HC £574 51 £2,354 14 £3,715 23
Date: 2026-09-19
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-19 20ft £650 22 £1,956 15 £3,566 23
2026-09-19 40ft £574 52 £2,063 15 £3,715 23
2026-09-19 40HC £574 52 £2,063 15 £3,715 23
Date: 2026-09-18
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-18 20ft £650 20 £2,225 13 £3,566 24
2026-09-18 40ft £574 53 £2,354 13 £3,715 24
2026-09-18 40HC £574 53 £2,354 13 £3,715 24
Date: 2026-09-17
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-17 20ft £650 20 £2,225 13 £3,566 25
2026-09-17 40ft £581 47 £2,354 13 £3,715 25
2026-09-17 40HC £581 47 £2,354 13 £3,715 25
Date: 2026-09-16
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-16 20ft £650 21 £2,225 14 £3,566 26
2026-09-16 40ft £581 48 £2,354 14 £3,715 26
2026-09-16 40HC £581 48 £2,354 14 £3,715 26
Date: 2026-09-15
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-15 20ft £650 22 £2,225 15 £3,566 27
2026-09-15 40ft £577 49 £1,676 15 £3,715 27
2026-09-15 40HC £577 49 £1,676 15 £3,715 27
Date: 2026-09-14
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-14 20ft £650 43 £2,024 22 £3,566 44
2026-09-14 40ft £574 50 £2,277 22 £3,715 44
2026-09-14 40HC £574 50 £2,277 22 £3,715 44
Date: 2026-09-13
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-13 20ft £650 43 £2,023 23 £3,565 44
2026-09-13 40ft £574 51 £1,157 23 £3,696 44
2026-09-13 40HC £574 51 £1,157 23 £3,696 44
Date: 2026-09-12
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-12 20ft £650 43 £2,023 24 £3,565 44
2026-09-12 40ft £574 52 £1,157 24 £3,696 44
2026-09-12 40HC £574 52 £1,157 24 £3,696 44
Date: 2026-09-11
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-11 20ft £650 44 £2,023 25 £3,565 45
2026-09-11 40ft £574 53 £1,157 25 £3,696 45
2026-09-11 40HC £574 53 £1,157 25 £3,696 45
Date: 2026-09-10
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-10 20ft £650 45 £2,023 26 £3,565 46
2026-09-10 40ft £574 54 £2,276 26 £3,696 46
2026-09-10 40HC £574 54 £2,276 26 £3,696 46
Date: 2026-09-09
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-09 20ft £650 46 £2,022 27 £6,534 47
2026-09-09 40ft £584 41 £2,275 27 £7,007 47
2026-09-09 40HC £584 41 £2,275 27 £7,007 47
Date: 2026-09-08
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-08 20ft £650 47 £2,022 28 £6,534 48
2026-09-08 40ft £581 42 £1,634 28 £7,007 48
2026-09-08 40HC £581 42 £1,634 28 £7,007 48
Showing historical snapshots per-date (latest date 2026-09-21 is in the Live rates table and excluded here).

Main shipping lines operating on this route

Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Evergreen Line, ONE (Ocean Network Express)

Typical sailing frequency

Weekly container services operate on this corridor with multiple departures available through global carrier alliances depending on routing and port rotation.

Container shipping from United States to the United Kingdom

United States is an important trading partner for United Kingdom importers. Containerised cargo regularly moves between major export ports and UK container gateways including Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway. Typical transit times between China and the UK generally fall between 13-61 days depending on the shipping route and carrier schedule.

UK destinations served by this route

Containers arriving in Southampton are commonly distributed throughout the United Kingdom via road and rail freight networks. Importers frequently deliver cargo to logistics hubs in London and the South East, the Midlands distribution corridor, Northern England logistics centres such as Manchester and Leeds, and Scottish distribution hubs.

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping take from Charleston to Southampton?

Typical transit times range between 13–61 days depending on carrier routing and sailing schedule.

What is the cost of shipping a container on this route?

Container prices vary depending on carrier capacity, seasonal demand, fuel costs and shipping schedules. The live price table on this page shows the most recent container rates.

Are prices updated regularly?

Yes. Freight rates on Global Trade Rates are updated daily using live carrier pricing data.

How reliable are the rates shown on this website?

Rates shown are actual, live and bookable, subject to carrier availability, routing and final booking confirmation.

FX SUPPORT CTA

Importing goods on this route and paying overseas suppliers in foreign currency? Request live indicative FX support based on your shipment value. Link: Chartwell International

All container routes

Browse the full list of published corridor pages.