Shanghai to Felixstowe Container Shipping Rates (20ft, 40ft & 40HC)

Shipping containers from Shanghai to Felixstowe is a busy corridor.

Freight rate data last updated: 21 September 2026 — 03:00 UK time

Key route data

  • Origin Port: Port of Shanghai
  • Destination Port: Port of Felixstowe
  • Country Pair: China to United Kingdom
  • Typical Transit Time: 40–56 days
  • Container Types: 20ft, 40ft, 40HC
  • Price Updates: Daily

Route summary

Shanghai is China’s largest container port and one of the busiest in the world, serving the Yangtze River Delta manufacturing region. The Shanghai to Felixstowe corridor is one of the highest-volume trade lanes globally, with multiple carrier departures every week via major alliances. It is the default route for UK importers sourcing general cargo, electronics and consumer goods from eastern China.

TYPICAL SHIPPING COST SUMMARY

The typical cost of shipping a container from Shanghai to Felixstowe varies depending on market demand, carrier capacity, seasonality and fuel costs. Live container prices are updated three times per day using real carrier rate data. The table below displays the latest available pricing including cheapest, fastest and lowest-emission services.

Live rates table

Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days Book
2026-09-21 20ft £1,978 41 £2,702 41 £4,769 43 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-21 40ft £2,967 41 £3,835 41 £6,317 43 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-21 40HC £2,967 41 £3,835 41 £6,317 43 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 £1,960 42 £2,645 42 £4,740 43
2026-09-20 40ft £2,939 42 £3,872 42 £6,274 43
2026-09-20 40HC £2,939 42 £3,872 42 £6,274 43
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 £1,960 43 £2,645 43 £4,740 44
2026-09-19 40ft £2,939 43 £3,872 43 £6,274 44
2026-09-19 40HC £2,939 43 £3,872 43 £6,274 44
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 £1,960 44 £2,645 44 £4,740 45
2026-09-18 40ft £2,939 44 £3,872 44 £6,274 45
2026-09-18 40HC £2,939 44 £3,872 44 £6,274 45
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 £1,986 40 £2,043 40 £4,797 46
2026-09-17 40ft £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 46
2026-09-17 40HC £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 46
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 £1,986 40 £2,043 40 £4,797 47
2026-09-16 40ft £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 47
2026-09-16 40HC £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 47
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 £1,986 40 £2,043 40 £4,797 43
2026-09-15 40ft £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 43
2026-09-15 40HC £3,019 40 £3,105 40 £6,169 43
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 £1,986 41 £2,728 41 £4,989 43
2026-09-14 40ft £3,019 41 £4,037 41 £6,772 43
2026-09-14 40HC £3,019 41 £4,037 41 £6,772 43
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 £1,986 42 £2,727 42 £4,988 43
2026-09-13 40ft £3,018 42 £4,037 42 £6,771 43
2026-09-13 40HC £3,018 42 £4,037 42 £6,771 43
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 £1,986 43 £2,727 43 £4,988 44
2026-09-12 40ft £3,018 43 £4,037 43 £6,771 44
2026-09-12 40HC £3,018 43 £4,037 43 £6,771 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 £1,986 44 £2,727 44 £4,988 45
2026-09-11 40ft £3,018 44 £4,037 44 £6,771 45
2026-09-11 40HC £3,018 44 £4,037 44 £6,771 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 £1,986 40 £2,239 40 £4,988 46
2026-09-10 40ft £3,018 40 £3,400 40 £6,771 46
2026-09-10 40HC £3,018 40 £3,400 40 £6,771 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 £2,243 40 £2,243 40 £4,997 47
2026-09-09 40ft £3,350 47 £3,406 40 £6,771 47
2026-09-09 40HC £3,350 47 £3,406 40 £6,771 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 £2,243 40 £2,243 40 £4,997 43
2026-09-08 40ft £3,406 40 £3,406 40 £6,771 43
2026-09-08 40HC £3,406 40 £3,406 40 £6,771 43
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 China to the United Kingdom

China 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 40-56 days depending on the shipping route and carrier schedule.

UK destinations served by this route

Containers arriving in Felixstowe 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 Shanghai to Felixstowe?

Typical transit times range between 40–56 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

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