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

Charleston to Southampton summary.

Freight rate data last updated: 5 November 2026 — 02:06 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: 13–68 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
2026-11-05 20ft £658 20 £1,833 13 £3,639 25 Live Bespoke quote
2026-11-05 40ft £596 33 £2,498 13 £4,254 14 Live Bespoke quote
2026-11-05 40HC £596 33 £2,112 13 £3,869 14 Live Bespoke quote

Pricing history — last 14 days

Date: 2026-11-04
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-11-04 20ft £658 21 £2,444 14 £3,639 26
2026-11-04 40ft £593 34 £2,724 14 £4,254 15
2026-11-04 40HC £593 34 £2,724 14 £4,254 15
Date: 2026-11-03
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-11-03 20ft £658 22 £2,444 15 £3,639 27
2026-11-03 40ft £589 35 £2,724 15 £4,254 16
2026-11-03 40HC £589 35 £2,724 15 £4,254 16
Date: 2026-11-02
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-11-02 20ft £658 20 £1,818 13 £3,028 23
2026-11-02 40ft £586 36 £2,098 13 £3,642 14
2026-11-02 40HC £586 36 £2,098 13 £3,642 14
Date: 2026-11-01
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-11-01 20ft £659 21 £2,448 14 £3,643 23
2026-11-01 40ft £587 37 £2,728 14 £4,258 15
2026-11-01 40HC £587 37 £2,728 14 £4,258 15
Date: 2026-10-31
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-31 20ft £659 22 £1,989 15 £3,643 23
2026-10-31 40ft £587 38 £1,998 15 £4,258 16
2026-10-31 40HC £587 38 £1,998 15 £4,258 16
Date: 2026-10-30
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-30 20ft £659 20 £2,448 13 £3,643 24
2026-10-30 40ft £587 39 £2,728 13 £4,258 16
2026-10-30 40HC £587 39 £2,728 13 £4,258 16
Date: 2026-10-29
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-29 20ft £659 20 £2,448 13 £3,643 25
2026-10-29 40ft £587 40 £2,728 13 £4,258 14
2026-10-29 40HC £587 40 £2,728 13 £4,258 14
Date: 2026-10-28
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-28 20ft £659 21 £2,448 14 £3,643 26
2026-10-28 40ft £594 48 £2,728 14 £4,258 15
2026-10-28 40HC £594 48 £2,728 14 £4,258 15
Date: 2026-10-27
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-27 20ft £659 22 £2,448 15 £3,643 27
2026-10-27 40ft £590 49 £2,728 15 £4,258 16
2026-10-27 40HC £590 49 £2,728 15 £4,258 16
Date: 2026-10-26
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-26 20ft £659 20 £2,448 13 £3,643 23
2026-10-26 40ft £587 50 £2,728 13 £4,258 14
2026-10-26 40HC £587 50 £2,728 13 £4,258 14
Date: 2026-10-25
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-25 20ft £661 21 £2,456 14 £3,651 23
2026-10-25 40ft £589 51 £2,737 14 £4,269 15
2026-10-25 40HC £589 51 £2,737 14 £4,269 15
Date: 2026-10-24
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-24 20ft £661 22 £1,996 15 £3,651 23
2026-10-24 40ft £589 52 £2,067 15 £4,269 16
2026-10-24 40HC £589 52 £2,067 15 £4,269 16
Date: 2026-10-23
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-10-23 20ft £661 20 £2,456 13 £3,651 24
2026-10-23 40ft £589 53 £2,737 13 £4,269 16
2026-10-23 40HC £589 53 £2,737 13 £4,269 16
Showing historical snapshots per-date (latest date 2026-11-05 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 13-68 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 13–68 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.