Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 434 | 39.3d | 37.2–40.9 d | — |
| via Hong Kong | 36 | 42.6d | 41.1–49.0 d | 5.2d |
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 39.3 days. This is based on 166 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 37.2–40.9 days (P25–P75 of 470 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Ningbo to Santos is approximately 11,068 nautical miles (20,498 km).
Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Hong Kong (42.6d total, 36 records).
Approximately 45.2 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Ningbo is 4.7 days. Vessel sail time from Ningbo to Santos is 39.3 days. The median gate-out dwell at Santos is 1.18 days.
Container shipping from Ningbo to Santos spans approximately 11,068 nautical miles, equivalent to 20,498 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 470 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 166 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Ningbo to Santos with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 39.3 days. Most shipments arrive within 37.2 to 40.9 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 45.2 days. Median gate-in dwell at Ningbo is 4.7 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 Ningbo to Santos is 39.3 days. Median gate-out dwell at Santos is 1.18 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 434 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 166 were containers literally booked direct from Ningbo to Santos and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by MSC 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 39.3 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 37.2 to 40.9 days.
One transshipment alternative is present in the dataset. The Hong Kong-routed path takes a median of 42.6 days based on 36 records, with a P25–P75 range of 41.1 to 49.0 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.2 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 37.2 to 40.9 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 3.7-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 4.7 days of gate-in dwell at Ningbo and 1.18 days of gate-out dwell at Santos on top of the chosen sail time.