What is the transit time between Hamburg Port and Melbourne Port?

An exporter and importer must know the transit time between the port of loading and port of discharge for a particular transaction for various reasons.

By knowing the transit time between loading and discharge ports, you can prevent any possible demurrage and detention charges


Hamburg Port, which is the busiest container port of Germany, is the 15th biggest container port of the world as of 2013 statistics. 

Port of Melbourne is one of the key container ports in Australia. 

The Port of Melbourne is the main seaport that is serving to Victoria region and south-eastern Australia. Melbourne Port also one of the largest international maritime hub for containerised cargo. 

As a result the transit time between Hamburg Port and Melbourne Port is an important piece of information for exporters and importers using this container freight route.

Let me try to show you the transit time between Hamburg Port and Melbourne Port via different container liners as belows.

What is the transit time between Hamburg Port and Melbourne Port via MSC?


MSC follows HamburgSydney and Melbourne Port route with its own or chartered container vessels. The transit time is around 49 days via transshipment at Gioia Tauro Port, Italy.

MSC Trieste sailing schedule can be found below:
  • 2014 November 17th,  Hamburg Port
  • 2015 January 1st, Sydney Port
  • 2015 January 4th, Melbourne Port
You can search MSC's Hamburg Port to Melbourne Port current vessel schedules from this link

What is the transit time between Hamburg Port and Melbourne Port via Hapag-Lloyd?


Hapag-Lloyd transports containers from Hamburg Seaport, Germany to Melbourne Seaport, Australia with follows destinations: Hamburg Port, Rotterdam Port,  Le Havre Port, Fremantle Port and Melbourne Port route with its own container vessels. 

The transit time is around 38 days and there is no transshipment information can be gathered from Hapag-Lloyd's website. I think they complete the European side of the journey with smaller feeder vessels and remaining journey with bigger ocean vessels. 

Hapag-Lloyd's vessel sailing schedule example can be found below:
  • 2014 November 10th,  Hamburg Port
  • 2014 November 11th, Rotterdam Port
  • 2014 November 13th, Le Havre Port
  • 2014 December 12th, Fremantle Port
  • 2014 December 17th, Melbourne Port
You can search Hapag-Lloyd's Hamburg Port to Melbourne Port current vessel schedules from this link

What is the transit time between Bremerhaven Port, Germany and Sydney Port, Australia?

A container vessel requires certain period of time in order to complete her journey which was starting at the port of loading and ends at the port of discharge. This time period could be defined as a transit time.

Transit time is a very critical piece of information that needs to be checked by exporters and importers prior to the shipment. By making sure of the transit time between port of loading and port of discharge, you can prevent any demurrage and detention charges. 

Bremerhaven Port, which is the second busiest container port of Germany, is the 25th biggest container port of the world as of 2013 statistics. 

Port of Sydney is one of the key container ports in Australia. 

Sydney port is the 1st port of discharge for most container vessels, that come from Northern Europe to Australia. As a result the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and Sydney Port is an important piece of information for exporters and importers using this container freight route.

Let me try to show you the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and Sydney Port via different container liners as belows.

What is the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and Sydney Port via MSC?


MSC follows Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Sydney Port route with its own container vessels. The transit time is around 47 days via transshipment at Antwerp.

MSC Trieste sailing schedule can be found below:
  • 2014 November 16th,  Bremerhaven (MSC Carole as feeder vessel)
  • 2014 November 22th, Antwerp 
  • 2014 November 24th, Rotterdam 
  • 2015 January 2nd, Sydney Port
You can search MSC's Bremerhaven Port to Sydney Port current vessel schedules from this link

What is the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and Sydney Port via HANJIN SHIPPING?



Hanjin transports containers from Bremerhaven seaport to Hamburg Seaport by truck and then follows, Hamburg Port, Singapore Port and Sydney Port route with its own container vessels. The transit time is around 54 days with transshipment at Singapore Port.

HANJIN's vessel sailing schedule example can be found below:
  • 2014 November 21th,  Bremerhaven 
  • 2014 November 25th, Hamburg via truck
  • 2014 December 24th, Singapore transshipment
  • 2015 January 14th, Sydney 
You can search HANJIN SHIPPING's Bremerhaven Port to Sydney Port current vessel schedules from this link

What is the transit time, t/t time, between Bremerhaven Port and New York Port?

Transit time, which is abbreviated as t/t, is a maritime term describing the time that passes between port of loading and port of discharge. 

It is especially important for exporters and importers not only for calculating the arrival of the vessel to the importing port but also helps to eliminate any demurrage and detention charges. 

Bremerhaven Port, which is the second busiest container port of Germany, is the 25th biggest container port of the world as of 2013 statistics. 

Port of New York-New Jersey (Newark) is also one of the biggest east coast ports of the USA.

New York port is the 1st port of discharge for most container vessels, that come from Northern Europe. As a result the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and New York Port is a crucial piece of information for exporters and importers using this container freight route.

Let me try to show you the transit time between Hamburg Port and New York Port via different container liners as belows.

What is the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and New York Port via MSC?


MSC follows Bremerhaven, Felixstowe , Antwerp, Le Havre and New York Port route with its own container vessels. The transit time is around 14 days without transshipment.

MSC Carolina sailing schedule can be found below:
  • 2014 November 24th, New York 
  • 2014 November 16th, Le Havre 
  • 2014 November 14th, Antwerp 
  • 2014 November 12th, Felixstowe 
  • 2014 November 10th,  Bremerhaven 

What is the transit time between Bremerhaven Port and New York Port via OOCL?

OOCL follows Bremerhaven, Rotterdam , Halifax and New York Port route with its own container vessels. The transit time is around 10 days without transshipment from Bremerhaven Port, Germany to New York Port, USA.

OOCL's vessel sailing schedule example can be found below:
  • 2014 November 20th, New York 
  • 2014 November 18th, Halifax 
  • 2014 November 12th, Rotterdam 
  • 2014 November 10th,  Bremerhaven 

What is the transit time between Hamburg Port and Port Newark?

Hamburg Port, which is the busiest container port of Germany, is the 15th biggest container port of the world as of 2013 statistics. 

Port of New York-New Jersey (Newark) is also one of the biggest east coast ports of the USA.

Most container vessels, that come from Europe discharge considerable amount of their cargo at Newark Port. As a result the transit time between Hamburg Port and Newark Port is a crucial piece of information for exporters and importers using this freight route.

Let me try to show you the transit time between Hamburg Port and Newark Port via different container liners.

What is the transit time between Hamburg Port and Newark Port via MSC?


MSC follows Hamburg Port, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Le Havre, New York and Newark Port route with its own container vessels. The transit time is around 15 days without transshipment.

MSC JUDITH sailing schedule can be found below:
  • 2014 November 13th, Newark
  • 2014 November 11th, New York 
  • 2014 November 2nd, Le Havre 
  • 2014 October 30th, Antwerp 
  • 2014 October 28th,  Bremerhaven 
  • 2014 October 27th, Hamburg

Guide to Import Demurrage and Detention Charges

Container transportation is a huge business.

Let me give you couple of statistics related to container carriage to better explain its boundaries.

According to World Shipping Council, 17.8 million containers are in circulation in international sea transportation as of 2008. 

Containers consist of 66% percent of all maritime transportation.

Big size container vessels could carry around 11,000 pcs of 20ft containers.

Finally world busiest seaport Shanghai Seaport handles 33,6 millions of TEU (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) cargo in year 2013.

There is only one way that you can manage so much container traffic at ports of loading and ports of discharge. 

Clearing containers from the port terminals as soon as they have been discharged from the vessels.

Shipping industry has developed some certain rules in order to secure a constant traffic of containers in and out of the sea ports.

Free time, demurrage and detention charges are the most important 3 rules, which can be grouped under these rules.

Today I would like to explain free time and related port charges such as demurrage and detention on this article.