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

Shanghai to London Gateway summary.

Freight rate data last updated: 17 September 2026 — 03:10 UK time

Key route data

  • Origin Port: Port of Shanghai
  • Destination Port: London Gateway
  • Country Pair: China to United Kingdom
  • Typical Transit Time: 40–99 days
  • Container Types: 20ft, 40ft, 40HC
  • Price Updates: Daily

Route summary

Shanghai to London Gateway is a growing trade corridor connecting the world’s busiest container port to the UK’s newest major terminal, located on the Thames Estuary. London Gateway offers fast inland distribution to London and the South East, making it increasingly attractive for retailers and e-commerce importers. Multiple carriers offer regular weekly services on this route.

TYPICAL SHIPPING COST SUMMARY

The typical cost of shipping a container from Shanghai to London Gateway 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
2026-09-17 20ft £1,986 40 £1,986 40 £4,612 46 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-17 40ft £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 46 Live Bespoke quote
2026-09-17 40HC £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 46 Live Bespoke quote

Pricing history — last 14 days

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 £1,986 40 £4,612 47
2026-09-16 40ft £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 47
2026-09-16 40HC £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 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 £1,986 40 £4,612 43
2026-09-15 40ft £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 43
2026-09-15 40HC £3,019 40 £3,019 40 £5,983 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 £2,412 41 £4,828 91
2026-09-14 40ft £3,019 41 £3,529 41 £6,586 43
2026-09-14 40HC £3,019 41 £3,529 41 £6,586 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 £2,411 42 £4,803 43
2026-09-13 40ft £3,018 42 £3,528 42 £6,585 43
2026-09-13 40HC £3,018 42 £3,528 42 £6,585 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 £2,411 43 £4,803 44
2026-09-12 40ft £3,018 43 £3,528 43 £6,585 44
2026-09-12 40HC £3,018 43 £3,528 43 £6,585 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 £2,411 44 £4,827 94
2026-09-11 40ft £3,018 44 £3,528 44 £6,585 45
2026-09-11 40HC £3,018 44 £3,528 44 £6,585 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 £1,986 40 £4,827 95
2026-09-10 40ft £3,018 40 £3,018 40 £6,585 46
2026-09-10 40HC £3,018 40 £3,018 40 £6,585 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 £2,255 40 £2,255 40 £4,812 47
2026-09-09 40ft £3,350 60 £3,433 40 £6,585 47
2026-09-09 40HC £3,350 60 £3,433 40 £6,585 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 £2,255 40 £2,255 40 £4,812 43
2026-09-08 40ft £3,433 40 £3,433 40 £6,585 43
2026-09-08 40HC £3,433 40 £3,433 40 £6,585 43
Date: 2026-09-07
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-07 20ft £2,255 41 £2,681 41 £4,812 43
2026-09-07 40ft £3,433 41 £3,943 41 £6,585 43
2026-09-07 40HC £3,433 41 £3,943 41 £6,585 43
Date: 2026-09-06
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-06 20ft £2,253 42 £2,678 42 £4,916 43
2026-09-06 40ft £3,429 42 £3,939 42 £6,580 43
2026-09-06 40HC £3,429 42 £3,939 42 £6,580 43
Date: 2026-09-05
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-05 20ft £2,253 43 £2,678 43 £4,916 44
2026-09-05 40ft £3,429 43 £3,939 43 £6,580 44
2026-09-05 40HC £3,429 43 £3,939 43 £6,580 44
Date: 2026-09-04
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-09-04 20ft £2,253 44 £2,678 44 £4,916 45
2026-09-04 40ft £3,248 54 £3,939 44 £6,580 45
2026-09-04 40HC £3,248 54 £3,939 44 £6,580 45
Showing historical snapshots per-date (latest date 2026-09-17 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 40-99 days depending on the shipping route and carrier schedule.

UK destinations served by this route

Containers arriving in Stanford-le-Hope 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 Stanford-le-Hope?

Typical transit times range between 40–99 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

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