Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 101 | 40.0d | 36.0–41.1 d | — |
| via Ningbo | 81 | 46.7d | 44.7–51.2 d | 7.64d |
| via Singapore | 34 | 48.0d | 42.5–53.0 d | 6.0d |
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 40.0 days. This is based on 94 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 36.0–41.1 days (P25–P75 of 216 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Qingdao to Karachi is approximately 5,533 nautical miles (10,247 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Ningbo (46.7d total, 81 records); Singapore (48.0d total, 34 records).
Approximately 48.0 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to Karachi is 40.0 days. The median gate-out dwell at Karachi is 5.68 days.
Container shipping from Qingdao to Karachi spans approximately 5,533 nautical miles, equivalent to 10,247 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 216 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 94 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Qingdao to Karachi with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 40.0 days. Most shipments arrive within 36.0 to 41.1 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 48.0 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 Karachi is 40.0 days. Median gate-out dwell at Karachi is 5.68 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 101 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 94 were containers literally booked direct from Qingdao to Karachi and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by 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 40.0 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 36.0 to 41.1 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Qingdao and Karachi. The Ningbo-routed path takes a median of 46.7 days based on 81 records, with a P25–P75 range of 44.7 to 51.2 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 7.64 days. The Singapore-routed path takes a median of 48.0 days based on 34 records, with a P25–P75 range of 42.5 to 53.0 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 6.0 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 36.0 to 41.1 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 5.1-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 2.34 days of gate-in dwell at Qingdao and 5.68 days of gate-out dwell at Karachi on top of the chosen sail time.