Demand is rising ahead of Chinese New Year. With limited space expected in the coming weeks, early booking is advised.
As expected, demand has increased significantly in recent weeks, with volumes on the Asia–Europe trade lane rising through December. Customers are bringing goods forward and shipping earlier than usual to make sure stock is in place ahead of the start of 2026.
Looking ahead, demand is expected to remain firm through the rest of December and strengthen further into January as we approach 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. This means the final weeks of December and January are likely to be particularly busy.
Pre-Chinese New Year cargo is already being booked well in advance, which is tightening available space earlier than we would normally expect. Customers are therefore advised to book as early as possible to secure space.
At present, no blank sailings have been announced. That said, carriers may still look to manage space by introducing ad-hoc blank sailings or reducing capacity to keep vessel utilisation high.
Overall, schedule reliability remains good, but with demand increasing, short-notice changes remain possible. We will continue to monitor volumes and capacity closely and will share any updates that may affect your shipments.
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].
