- 198 Sailings Cancelled in March–April, Up 47% from 2024.
- Carriers Ramp Up Cancellations on Key Trade Routes.
- Asia–US West Coast and Transatlantic Routes Hit by Wave of Blankings.
The volume of cancelations on key trade lanes Transpacific, Transatlantic, and Asia-North Europe & Mediterranean jumped higher to 198 in March and April 2025. This is a big increase from the 135 cancellations at the same time in 2024, reports Drewry.
Asia–West Coast North America Experiences Rare Blankings
Based on Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight weekly service, both the Asia–West Coast North America and the Transatlantic trade lanes registered the most drastic rises in blanked sailings.
Most February sailings from the Asia–West Coast trade lane are generally cancelled for Chinese New Year, but this time carriers continued blanking more than 40 per month in both March and April — a novelty compared to former years.
Uncertainty Over US Tariffs Fuels Caution
One of the key reasons for this ongoing tide of cancellations is increasing uncertainty over fresh US tariffs. Importers are reluctant to send goods from Asia to the US without knowing what tariffs will be charged when their cargo reaches the country. This has resulted in a short-term dip in shipping activity, after robust volumes in January and February that involved considerable front-loading to pre-empt possible policy shifts. Consequently, carriers might have been expecting demand to fall and reacted by blanking additional sailings.
Carrier Strategy: Constricting Supply to Raise Rates
There’s also a strategic aspect involved. With contract talks continuing for May 1 service commencement, some carriers might be deliberately blanking sailings to make it seem like capacity is tighter perhaps to back up higher rate bids.
Even on the Transatlantic route, where fewer contracts are booked annually during this period of time, double the number of cancellations have occurred in this time frame compared to the same period in 2024. This indicates that doubt about US tariffs and projected volume reductions are influencing this route as well.
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Source: Drewry
