Multiple shipping lines announce blank sailings on Asia to Europe routes. Plus carriers delay arrivals of vessels to the UK to ease port congestion, leading to instability in arrival times.

Although the overall market situation has stabilised compared to a few months ago, blank sailings are now presenting fresh challenges for supply chains. Vessel cancellations have risen sharply on routes from Asia to Europe and the UK. Continued delays in vessel arrivals from Asia to the Port of Felixstowe remain a major issue, forcing carriers to take measures to manage port congestion.

ETA Changes at the Port of Felixstowe

Ongoing delays in vessel arrivals from Asia have been causing bottlenecks at European ports, particularly in the UK for weeks. The simultaneous arrival of multiple ships, or “ship bunching,” has exacerbated congestion at Felixstowe. In response, carriers have opted to push out vessel arrival times, in some instances, by 2 to 3 weeks to reduce this congestion. These changes are impacting Estimated Time of Arrivals (ETAs), creating short-term instability and worsening schedule reliability. We are hopeful that this is a temporary strategy that will shift once congestion issues at Felixstowe improve.

Further Blank Sailings in China

Carriers have scheduled additional blank sailings for the next five weeks, compounding previous announcements. Shipping lines are reducing capacity on Asia-Europe routes to manage the effects of lowered demand. This is partly due to retailers placing early orders to avoid delays on routes around the Cape of Good Hope, leading to a reduction in pre-Christmas shipping volumes. This strategy is aimed at aligning capacity with demand in an attempt to stabilise freight rates.

With carriers continuing to withdraw capacity, the delays currently being experienced in shipping cargo to Europe are likely to worsen, further extending transit times around Africa from Asia to the UK.

Keeping You Informed

The ongoing global supply chain challenges, from extended transit times to port delays, continue to create uncertainty around shipment arrival times on Asia-Europe routes. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed with the latest, most reliable updates as soon as they become available.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your shipment, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 01376 533039.