Red Sea routing: how transit times settled this autumn
Cape routing is now the norm on Asia to Europe lanes. Here is what transit times and schedule reliability look like this season.
Most carriers on Asia to North Europe lanes now route via the Cape of Good Hope as standard. Transit from Shanghai to Rotterdam has settled at 38 to 42 days, around 10 days longer than the Suez route.
What it means for your plan
Build an extra two weeks into peak season orders and book allocations earlier than usual. Schedule reliability has recovered to around 55%, so buffer stock matters more than speed.
