Demand remains high across global shipping lanes, with carriers managing capacity through blank sailings. Disruption at London Gateway Port also continues to impact UK landside operations and delivery schedules.
High Demand and Capacity Management Continue to Shape the Market
Demand remains high for Asia–UK services, and carriers are continuing to actively manage capacity using blank sailings throughout July. As a result, capacity remains insufficient to fully meet current volumes, maintaining pressure on freight rates.
Some vessels are running behind schedule into Europe and the UK due to ongoing seasonal demand and congestion at transhipment ports such as Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) and Singapore. Encouragingly, equipment availability has now stabilised, with earlier shortages, particularly of 40ft containers in East China, no longer being reported.
While some delays remain, it is worth noting that service reliability has improved significantly compared to six months ago, with more consistent scheduling and fewer unexpected disruptions across key trade lanes.
Ongoing Delays at London Gateway Port
Disruption at London Gateway Port remains ongoing, with the situation continuing to fluctuate. Delays and poor service levels are still impacting landside operations, affecting both collections and deliveries.
Yard density remains high, and the Vehicle Booking System (VBS) continues to be under pressure, with limited availability of collection slots restricting daily operations. Extended driver wait times are still being reported when returning empty containers and collecting laden ones.
These issues are affecting all operators at the port. We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to do everything we can to minimise disruption to your shipments.
Weather Disruption Slows Efforts to Ease Bangladesh Port Delays
Bangladesh Port continues to face operational delays, with average berth and cargo handling delays of 3 to 4 days. While efforts to ease congestion are ongoing, progress has been set back by adverse weather conditions in the past week. Heavy rainfall has disrupted cargo movement in and out of the port, adding further pressure to an already congested environment.
We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue working to minimise the risk of missed connections or terminal space constraints.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your shipment, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 01376 533039 or email [email protected].
