Carriers are continuing to manage capacity carefully through November, with demand set to rise steadily in December as the industry gears up for Chinese New Year.
Capacity Management Continues
Carriers continue to manage supply closely, with blank sailings still in place throughout November and additional cancellations likely into December. Rate increases have been announced for November, and it remains to be seen how these will settle as they transition into the market.
Looking ahead, demand is expected to build steadily through December in the run-up to Chinese New Year in February 2026. With Easter falling early next year, there will be no post–Chinese New Year window for shipments needing to arrive before Easter, so the final weeks of December are likely to be particularly busy.
Overall, schedule reliability remains good, although ongoing blank sailings may result in some short-notice adjustments. We will continue to monitor capacity and schedules closely and share any updates that may affect your shipments.
Red Sea / Suez Canal Update
The recently announced ceasefire in the Middle East has raised questions about the possibility of a return to normal transit through the Red Sea corridor and the Suez Canal.
However, carriers are not expecting to redirect container vessels back through the route in the short term. A key hurdle remains the threat posed by Houthis in Yemen, who continue to have the capability to target commercial shipping. Despite their statements on limiting attacks, shipping lines have indicated they will wait for sustained evidence of stability before reverting to the shorter Suez–Red Sea corridor.
Customers should therefore expect continued routing via the Cape of Good Hope, along with carefully managed capacity, to remain part of the landscape for the foreseeable future.
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].
