Carriers Step Up Golden Week Blank Sailings
Container shipping lines are accelerating capacity cuts in a bid to stabilise freight markets, as Golden Week factory closures in China approach and spot rates continue to slide across major…
Archive: Sea Freight
Transpacific rates slip as GRIs fizzle
Sea freight spot rates on the transpacific trade remain under pressure, as carriers attempt to arrest steep falls by combining general rate increases (GRIs) and blank sailings appears to be…
Golden Week Brings Carrier Capacity Strategy into Focus
Each October, China’s export volumes traditionally dip sharply around the Golden Week holiday, with container shipping lines typically blanking sailings to align supply with the reduced demand. And while this…
Transpacific Freight Balances Between Volatility and Stabilisation
Transpacific container shipping is showing signs of stabilisation after months of volatility, but the market remains unsettled by tariff pressures, shifting trade flows and persistent oversupply. Spot rates on Asia–US…
Container Shipping Faces A Decade of Oversupply
Global container shipping lines are bracing for a decade of structural oversupply, with new vessel deliveries far outpacing demand growth and additional capacity being released when traffic eventually returns to…
Trans-Pacific Shipping Slows as Tariff Deadlines Reshape Summer Demand
Ocean carriers are pulling back sharply on trans-Pacific services as US tariff deadlines loom, leaving the market facing a quieter-than-expected second half of the year. With most pre-tariff shipments from…
Asia-Europe Shipping Improves as Trans-Pacific Trade Slows
The outlook for container shipping between Asia and Europe has been looking more positive, with demand increasing and rates rising by almost 50% since the end of May. In contrast,…
SHIPS for America Act Adds Complexity to USTR’s China Tariff Plans
The re-introduction of the SHIPS for America Act is the latest in a growing list of regulatory developments adding complexity and cost to the business of importing goods into the…
Transpacific Sea Freight Pressured by Tariff Surge
A wave of front-loaded cargo from China to the US is overwhelming key Asian ports and sending transpacific container rates soaring. Triggered by a temporary 90-day tariff reduction, the rush…
Spot Rate Pressure Mounts as Asia-Europe Carriers Struggle to Balance Supply and Demand
Container shipping lines operating between Asia and Europe are grappling with a growing gap between capacity and demand, prompting aggressive attempts to reverse the continued erosion of spot market rates.…
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