Our weekly tracker provides a snapshot of blank sailings announced by each Alliance versus the total number of scheduled sailings.
The post-Golden Week market is entering a new phase, with capacity gradually returning but pricing pressure building unevenly across the major trades.
Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) stood at $4,351 per 40ft on 8 October, down 2% WoW, as rates eased across the Transpacific, Asia–Europe/Med and Transatlantic trades. Major pressure remains on Asia–Europe/Med, where the gradual return of services via Suez is adding effective capacity as carriers adjust to changing routing conditions.
Across the major East–West trades, 34 blank sailings are expected from week 42 (12–18 October) to week 46 (9–15 November) out of 713 planned sailings, representing a 5% cancellation rate, with 95% of scheduled sailings expected to operate. Disruptions are concentrated on Asia–North Europe/Med, accounting for 50% of cancellations, followed by the Transpacific eastbound at 32% and the Transatlantic at 18%.
For shippers, higher effective capacity and fewer cancellations could gradually ease supply pressure, although congestion and ongoing network adjustments may continue to constrain capacity and keep rates elevated on some trades.
In the next edition of Container Capacity Insight, we will continue to track changes in blank-sailing programmes, effective capacity, Suez routings and global port congestion as post-Golden Week operations settle.
Source: Drewry
