Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Yantian | 93 | 22.6d | 21.2–25.7 d | 5.0d |
| Direct | 61 | 14.6d | 14.6–20.3 d | — |
| via Shanghai | 35 | 23.7d | 22.1–26.4 d | 5.24d |
All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.
The median transit time is 14.6 days. This is based on 42 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 14.6–20.3 days (P25–P75 of 189 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Laem Chabang to Busan is approximately 2,541 nautical miles (4,706 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Yantian (22.6d total, 93 records); Shanghai (23.7d total, 35 records).
Approximately 21.1 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Laem Chabang is 4.55 days. Vessel sail time from Laem Chabang to Busan is 14.6 days. The median gate-out dwell at Busan is 2.0 days.
Container shipping from Laem Chabang to Busan spans approximately 2,541 nautical miles, equivalent to 4,706 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 189 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 42 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Laem Chabang to Busan with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 14.6 days. Most shipments arrive within 14.6 to 20.3 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 21.1 days. Median gate-in dwell at Laem Chabang is 4.55 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Laem Chabang to Busan is 14.6 days. Median gate-out dwell at Busan is 2.0 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.
Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 61 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 42 were containers literally booked direct from Laem Chabang to Busan and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by Maersk and COSCO also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 14.6 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 14.6 to 20.3 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Laem Chabang and Busan. The Yantian-routed path takes a median of 22.6 days based on 93 records, with a P25–P75 range of 21.2 to 25.7 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.0 days. The Shanghai-routed path takes a median of 23.7 days based on 35 records, with a P25–P75 range of 22.1 to 26.4 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.24 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 14.6 to 20.3 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 5.7-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 4.55 days of gate-in dwell at Laem Chabang and 2.0 days of gate-out dwell at Busan on top of the chosen sail time.