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

Shanghai to Southampton summary.

Freight rate data last updated: 3 May 2026 — 10:28 UK time

Key route data

  • Origin Port: CNSGH
  • Destination Port: Port of Southampton
  • Country Pair: China to United Kingdom
  • Typical Transit Time: 38–54 days
  • Container Types: 20ft, 40ft, 40HC
  • Price Updates: 3 times per day

Route summary

Typical route description for Shanghai → Southampton.

TYPICAL SHIPPING COST SUMMARY

The typical cost of shipping a container from Shanghai to Southampton 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
2026-05-03 20ft £1,164 43 £1,354 39 £3,915 44 Live Bespoke quote
2026-05-03 40ft £1,881 43 £2,154 39 £5,088 44 Live Bespoke quote
2026-05-03 40HC £1,881 43 £2,154 39 £5,088 44 Live Bespoke quote

Pricing history — last 14 days

Date: 2026-05-02
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-05-02 20ft £1,164 44 £1,354 40 £3,915 45
2026-05-02 40ft £1,881 44 £2,154 40 £5,088 45
2026-05-02 40HC £1,881 44 £2,154 40 £5,088 45
Date: 2026-05-01
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-05-01 20ft £1,056 40 £1,354 38 £3,915 46
2026-05-01 40ft £1,616 40 £2,154 38 £5,088 46
2026-05-01 40HC £1,616 40 £2,154 38 £5,088 46
Date: 2026-04-30
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-30 20ft £1,056 40 £1,354 39 £3,792 47
2026-04-30 40ft £1,616 40 £2,154 39 £5,000 47
2026-04-30 40HC £1,616 40 £2,154 39 £5,000 47
Date: 2026-04-29
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-29 20ft £1,056 40 £1,243 40 £3,792 43
2026-04-29 40ft £1,616 40 £2,071 40 £5,000 43
2026-04-29 40HC £1,616 40 £2,071 40 £5,000 43
Date: 2026-04-28
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-28 20ft £1,056 41 £1,848 41 £3,792 43
2026-04-28 40ft £1,616 41 £2,894 41 £5,000 43
2026-04-28 40HC £1,616 41 £2,894 41 £5,000 43
Date: 2026-04-27
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-27 20ft £1,056 42 £1,354 39 £3,792 43
2026-04-27 40ft £1,616 42 £2,154 39 £5,000 43
2026-04-27 40HC £1,616 42 £2,154 39 £5,000 43
Date: 2026-04-26
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-26 20ft £1,058 43 £1,763 40 £3,795 44
2026-04-26 40ft £1,618 43 £2,157 40 £5,004 44
2026-04-26 40HC £1,618 43 £2,157 40 £5,004 44
Date: 2026-04-25
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-25 20ft £1,058 44 £1,763 41 £3,795 45
2026-04-25 40ft £1,618 44 £2,628 41 £5,004 45
2026-04-25 40HC £1,618 44 £2,628 41 £5,004 45
Date: 2026-04-24
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-24 20ft £1,058 40 £1,355 39 £3,795 46
2026-04-24 40ft £1,618 40 £2,157 39 £5,004 46
2026-04-24 40HC £1,618 40 £2,157 39 £5,004 46
Date: 2026-04-23
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-23 20ft — — — — — —
2026-04-23 40ft £1,618 40 £2,157 39 £5,004 47
2026-04-23 40HC £1,618 40 £2,157 39 £5,004 47
Date: 2026-04-22
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-22 20ft — — — — — —
2026-04-22 40ft — — — — — —
2026-04-22 40HC — — — — — —
Date: 2026-04-21
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-21 20ft — — — — — —
2026-04-21 40ft — — — — — —
2026-04-21 40HC — — — — — —
Date: 2026-04-20
Snapshot (3 container types)
Date Container Type Cheapest Transit days Fastest Transit days Highest Rate Transit days
2026-04-20 20ft — — — — — —
2026-04-20 40ft — — — — — —
2026-04-20 40HC — — — — — —
Showing historical snapshots per-date (latest date 2026-05-03 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 38-54 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 CNSGH to Southampton?

Typical transit times range between 38–54 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 three times per day 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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