Shipping route

Shipping from South Korea to Qatar — Freight Cost & Transit Times

A standard 40ft container from Busan to Hamad Port costs approximately US$2,400 (range $2,112–$2,760) with a total sea transit of 24 days and typical door-to-door lead time of 31–35 days including port handling and customs clearance. Qatar applies 5% customs duty and 0% VAT on imported goods.

40ft container
$2,400
20ft container
$1,560
Sea transit
24 days
Door-to-door
31–35 days

Freight & duty summary

ItemValue
40ft container (low–high)$2,112 – $2,760
20ft container (low–high)$1,373 – $1,794
Origin portsBusan
Destination portsHamad Port, Doha Port
Major carriersHMM, Maersk, ONE
Customs duty5%
VATNone
FTA benefitStandard MFN rates apply

Indicative General Cargo rates; refreshed monthly by Tradloc's trade desk.

Departure port comparison — South Korea to Qatar

Departure port40ft (USD)20ft (USD)Sea transit (days)
Busan$2,400$1,56024

Rates differ by loading port because of terminal handling and inland positioning costs in South Korea.

Freight cost comparison — most requested lanes into Qatar

Indicative 40ft container freight into Qatar across the lanes importers request most often. The South Korea lane is highlighted, so you can see instantly whether switching origin would materially change your ocean freight line item. Figures are the mid-point of each lane's assessed range and exclude duty, VAT and destination clearance.

What moves on the South Korea → Qatar lane

South Korea is a petrochemical and high-grade steel origin, with almost all Gulf-bound boxes routed through Busan.

Direct Far East–Middle East strings from Busan, frequently combined with a China port rotation.

Qatar's import mix is weighted towards construction, infrastructure and food security stock, almost all of it arriving through Hamad Port.

Commodities commonly imported from South Korea

Arrival ports in Qatar

Other origins shipping to Qatar

Other destinations from South Korea

Run the numbers for this lane

Frequently asked questions

Explore more on Tradloc

Ready to run the numbers?

Run the freight estimator for South Korea → Qatar.

Get a freight offer