Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Ningbo | 82 | 71.3d | 66.3–74.3 d | 7.64d |
| Direct | 70 | 75.2d | 71.7–76.7 d | — |
| via Shanghai | 26 | 64.9d | 59.6–70.9 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 75.2 days. This is based on 50 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 71.7–76.7 days (P25–P75 of 178 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Qingdao to Antwerp is approximately 10,881 nautical miles (20,151 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Ningbo (71.3d total, 82 records); Shanghai (64.9d total, 26 records).
Approximately 81.9 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to Antwerp is 75.2 days. The median gate-out dwell at Antwerp is 4.31 days.
Container shipping from Qingdao to Antwerp spans approximately 10,881 nautical miles, equivalent to 20,151 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 178 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 50 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Qingdao to Antwerp with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 75.2 days. Most shipments arrive within 71.7 to 76.7 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 81.9 days. Median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 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 Qingdao to Antwerp is 75.2 days. Median gate-out dwell at Antwerp is 4.31 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 70 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 50 were containers literally booked direct from Qingdao to Antwerp and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by COSCO and Maersk also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 75.2 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 71.7 to 76.7 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Qingdao and Antwerp. The Ningbo-routed path takes a median of 71.3 days based on 82 records, with a P25–P75 range of 66.3 to 74.3 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 7.64 days. The Shanghai-routed path takes a median of 64.9 days based on 26 records, with a P25–P75 range of 59.6 to 70.9 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.24 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 71.7 to 76.7 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 5.0-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 2.34 days of gate-in dwell at Qingdao and 4.31 days of gate-out dwell at Antwerp on top of the chosen sail time.