China to Sudan sea freight rates — September 2026
Rate update published 11 September 2026 · sailings from 16 September 2026. All rates are per container in USD and are subject to space and to confirmation at the time of booking.
Sudan is served through Port Sudan (SDPZU) on the Red Sea. Three September 2026 sailings are available in this update, each loading in Shanghai and each carrying 21 days of free time at destination — the longest free period in this update.
China to Sudan sea freight rates — September 2026
The table below lists the port of loading, destination port, service and routing, vessel and voyage, carrier, ETD and the 20GP / 40GP / 40HQ ocean freight in US dollars. In this update 40GP and 40HQ are quoted at the same level.
| Port of loading | Destination port | Service & routing | Vessel / voyage | Carrier | ETD | 20GP (USD) | 40GP (USD) | 40HQ (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destination | AM1 via Port Klang (PKG) | X-PRESS ODYSSEY 2637W | CU Lines (CUL) | 16 Sep 2026 | 5,500 | 8,600 | 8,600 |
| Shanghai (Yangshan) | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destination | RES via Hong Kong (HK) | HONG DA XIN 708 V.2638W | CU Lines (CUL) | 23 Sep 2026 | 5,500 | 8,200 | 8,200 |
| Shanghai (Waigaoqiao) | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destination | Extra loader via Port Klang (PKG) | GLOBAL 01 | Chartered extra loader | 30 Sep 2026 | 5,500 | 8,200 | 8,200 |
Plot of the dated quotations in the table above, on a date (x) and rate (y) axis. Where one period carries several quotations the points are averaged. Rates are indicative, exclude destination charges unless the row says otherwise, and are reconfirmed at booking.
Plot data (9 points)
| Date | Route / equipment | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-16 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 20GP | 5,500 |
| 2026-09-23 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 20GP | 5,500 |
| 2026-09-30 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 20GP | 5,500 |
| 2026-09-16 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40GP | 8,600 |
| 2026-09-23 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40GP | 8,200 |
| 2026-09-30 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40GP | 8,200 |
| 2026-09-16 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40HQ | 8,600 |
| 2026-09-23 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40HQ | 8,200 |
| 2026-09-30 | Port Sudan SDPZU 21 days free time at destin – 40HQ | 8,200 |
All figures are ocean freight per container in USD and exclude origin local charges, destination local charges, customs duty and any drop-off fee unless the notes below say otherwise. Free time at the destination port is shown under each destination. Rates are indicative and are reconfirmed when the booking is placed.
Service details and loading notes
- The AM1 and RES services and the CGX Gulf service are operated by CU Lines (CUL). AM1 and RES load in Shanghai; CGX loads in Nansha, Guangzhou.
- Port Sudan is the last Red Sea call on the AM1 rotation in this update, which is why the 21-day free time is the longest of the group.
- Freight levels on the China–Middle East, Red Sea and Indian subcontinent trades are currently running high. For this reason we are temporarily not signing new monthly settlement (credit) agreements with first-time customers; spot bookings paid on delivery or against invoice remain available.
Destination ports in Sudan
| Port | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Port Sudan (SDPZU) | Sudan's principal seaport on the Red Sea coast, roughly 800 km north-east of Khartoum. Entry point for cargo moving on to Khartoum and the Nile valley. |
Get a quotation for Sudan today
Send us your commodity, total weight and volume, the pickup city in China and the delivery address in Sudan. Our freight team will confirm the applicable service, cut-off and all-in cost, usually within one working day. You can reach us at sales007@goodhopefreight.com or on WhatsApp / WeChat +86 18938691638.
China to Sudan — freight rate and market updates (dated log, 2026)
Compiled 23 September 2026 from our booking-desk logs and from market quotations shared by carrier and consolidator desks. Ocean and rail rates are per container; air, express and DDP rates are per kilogram. Figures are indicative, are in USD unless stated otherwise, and must be re-confirmed when you book.
We logged 43 full-container quotations to Sudan during 2026. The most frequently quoted gateways were Port Sudan. The lowest container level recorded was USD 4,100 (2026-02-11) and the highest USD 8,600 (2026-08-25), which shows how wide the spread was between carriers and sailing windows.
FCL — full container load (sea freight)
Container rates actually quoted, grouped by month and gateway. Ranges show the lowest and the highest level we saw in that month.
| Month | Port of loading | Destination | Equipment | Ocean freight (USD) | Booking notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | Xingang (Tianjin) | Port Sudan | 40ft | USD 4,100 | 2 quotations |
| May 2026 | Nansha | Port Sudan | as quoted | USD 7,650 – USD 7,750 | 3 quotations · cut-off on the 30 · cut-off on the 30 |
| June 2026 | Nansha | Port Sudan | as quoted | USD 7,700 – USD 7,950 | 7 quotations · cut-off on the 4 · cut-off on the 4 |
| July 2026 | Nansha / Shekou / Qingdao | Port Sudan | as quoted | USD 8,350 – USD 9,100 | 10 quotations · 1 with space only · cut-off on the 10 · cut-off on the 10 |
| August 2026 | Nansha / Shekou / Tianjin | Port Sudan | as quoted | USD 8,300 – USD 9,100 | 18 quotations · cut-off on the 2 · cut-off on the 2 |
| August 2026 | Nansha | Port Sudan | 40ft | USD 8,600 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 26 · cut-off on the 26 |
Earlier quotations held in our log (2023–2025)
2023 FCL (1 entries), 2024 FCL (1 entries), 2025 FCL (30 entries). Ask our desk for the dated archive if you need to benchmark an earlier period.
Frequently asked questions — shipping from China
The answers below are drawn from the same quotation log as the tables above. Figures are indicative and are reconfirmed at booking.
How much does a 20GP container from Guangzhou (Nansha) or Shenzhen (Shekou) in China to Port Sudan cost?
In our quotation log for February to August 2026 the 20GP rate to Port Sudan ran from USD 5,200 – USD 6,100 per container across 37 quotations, loaded mainly at Nansha / Shekou. Ocean freight is quoted port-to-port and the figure moves with the weekly GRI, peak-season surcharges and equipment availability, so treat it as a benchmark rather than a fixed tariff and confirm it against your cargo ready date.
What is the 40ft / 40HQ rate from China to Port Sudan?
The 40ft and 40HQ quotations we logged to Port Sudan in February to August 2026 ranged from USD 4,100 – USD 9,100 per container across 41 quotations. A 40ft high cube carries roughly twice the volume of a 20GP for well under twice the freight, so once your cargo passes about 28 CBM the 40HQ is normally the cheaper unit per cubic metre.
How long does shipping from China to Sudan take?
Typical port-to-port sailing time from South China is 24 to 36 days; add three to seven days if the cargo loads in North China. Direct services beat transhipment routings by one to two weeks, and schedule reliability, blank sailings and port congestion all move the date. We confirm the actual ETD and ETA against your booking rather than quoting a standard transit time.
What is included in the freight rates shown on this page?
Ocean and rail figures are the port-to-port (or terminal-to-terminal) freight only. They exclude origin handling, export customs, THC and CFS, documentation, destination THC, import duty and final delivery, unless the row names a door-to-door or DDP service. Air figures are airport-to-airport per chargeable kilo and exclude pick-up and delivery. Every figure is indicative until it is confirmed against a specific vessel, flight or train and a cargo ready date.
Can I ship less than a container load (LCL) from China to Sudan?
Yes. LCL groupage is charged per revenue tonne (1 CBM or 1,000 kg, with volume weight taken if it is greater) plus fixed documentation and CFS charges, so it is usually the better option below roughly 15 CBM. Above that a 20GP starts to win on cost per cubic metre. Give us the volume, weight and cargo readiness and we will price both side by side for Sudan.
Do I have to pay import duty and VAT in Sudan?
Import duty, VAT/GST and any destination port charges are assessed by the customs authority in Sudan and are payable by the importer of record, not included in the freight rates on this page. Where we quote a DDP service the duty and tax are absorbed into the per-kilo or per-container price and shown separately on the invoice. We can arrange a landed-cost estimate before you ship if you tell us the HS code, the declared value and the delivery address.
How do I get an exact quote for shipping to Sudan?
Send the commodity, gross weight, volume, the pick-up city in China and the delivery address in Sudan to sales007@goodhopefreight.com. We reply with the applicable service, the named vessel, flight or train, the cut-off and an all-in cost, usually the same working day. If you are weighing up routes, tell us the ready date and we will price sea, rail and air side by side.
Rates, surcharges, cut-offs and equipment availability change daily. Send your commodity, gross weight, volume, the pickup city in China and the delivery address in Sudan and we will confirm the applicable service, sailing or flight and the all-in cost: sales007@goodhopefreight.com.
