Ocean Freight Timeliness: Transit Time Trends from China

Flexport Ocean Timeliness Indicator

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June 15, 2026

Flexport Ocean Timeliness Indicator

Ocean Freight, Trade Lane Data

Transit time remained flat at 34 days from China to the U.S. West Coast; increased from 50 days to 53 days from China to the U.S. East Coast; and increased from 52 days to 53 days from China to North Europe.

Week to June 15, 2026

Transit time remained flat at 34 days from China to the U.S. West Coast; increased from 50 days to 53 days from China to the U.S. East Coast; and increased from 52 days to 53 days from China to North Europe.

The Methodology:

The Flexport Ocean Timeliness Indicator (OTI) utilizes data from Flexport’s ocean shipping operations for an expansive view of the cargo’s journey. Updated on a weekly basis, the Flexport OTI shows the transit time from the cargo ready date at the exporters’ factory or warehouse to the containers’ departure from the destination ocean port. The ocean shipping world tends to run along “trade lanes.” The three biggest east-west trade lanes carry goods from Asia to the U.S. West Coast, Asia to the U.S. East Coast, and from Asia to Northern Europe. The OTI captures the timeliness of each. As there are many transit time nuances from port to port and service to service, to show accurate trends, the OTI uses the following logic:

Excludes premium services. Displayed transit times are based on a trailing two-week median. Major origin and destination ports are used as a proxy for the overall trade lane to create clear trends. Other origin or destination ports will have additional transit time considerations based on ocean carrier services. Asia to U.S. West Coast trade lane uses the China ports of Shanghai and Ningbo and the U.S. West Coast ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Asia to U.S. East Coast trade lane uses the China ports of Shanghai and Ningbo and the U.S. East Coast ports of New York/New Jersey and Norfolk. Asia to North Europe trade lane uses the China ports of Shanghai and Ningbo and the North Europe port of Rotterdam.

Disclaimer:

The contents of this report are made available for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for any legal, business, or financial decisions. Flexport does not guarantee, represent, or warrant any of the contents of this report because they are based on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, about which there can be no assurance due to various anticipated and unanticipated events that may occur. This report has been prepared to the best of our knowledge and research; however, the information presented herein may not reflect the most current regulatory or industry developments. Neither Flexport nor its advisors or affiliates shall be liable for any losses that arise in any way due to the reliance on the contents contained in this report.

June 15, 2026

TL;DR

• Schedule reliability data tells you how often a service arrives on time, not how your own shipment will fare.
• Use it to compare services and to set realistic lead-time expectations.
• Combine published reliability with a buffer you control, rather than relying on the average alone.

Using schedule reliability data well

Data point	How to use it
On-time percentage	Compare services on the same trade lane and period
Average delay	Set a realistic buffer rather than planning to the scheduled transit
Trend over time	See whether a service is improving or deteriorating before you commit
Lane and service scope	Confirm the figure covers your actual routing, not a broader average
Announced versus actual	Check how the metric defines on-time before comparing providers

Read it as a range: an on-time percentage describes how often a service met its schedule across many sailings. Individual shipments still vary, so pair reliability data with a buffer and regular tracking.

Frequently asked questions

What does a schedule reliability indicator measure?

It measures how often a service arrived within its scheduled window across many sailings on a trade lane. It is a service comparison tool, not a prediction for one shipment.

How should I use on-time performance data when planning?

Use it to compare services and to set a realistic buffer above the scheduled transit time. Plan to the realistic range rather than the best case.

Does high schedule reliability mean my shipment will arrive on time?

No. It describes the frequency of on-time arrivals across a population of sailings. Your individual shipment still carries variation.