As the 11th holiday is approaching, shipping companies will intensify efforts to reduce capacity and cancel more voyages? (with suspension summary)

Sea-Intelligence said: “Blank sailing has long been the preferred way for shipping companies to balance supply and demand, or what we call tactical air sailing. With the arrival of Golden Week (starting on October 1), shipping companies have Opportunity to cancel more sailings than ever before to support rates by cutting capacity.”

The company noted that for most of 2020 and 2021, shipping lines have struggled to maintain capacity that matches demand. Freight volumes have surged, ports are overcrowded and ships are stuck outside, forcing carriers to meet their weekly services on time, forcing blank sailings.

However, over the past few months, demand growth has stalled, ships have been underutilized and freight rates have continued to drop significantly. As Golden Week rolls around, it presents an opportunity for carriers to cancel more sailings than ever before and potentially be under less pressure from shippers.

Sea-Intelligence said this is also what they see, the deployment of carrier capacity in the coming weeks.On transpacific routes, capacity reductions are expected to be 22%-28% of weekly deployed capacity in the weeks following Golden Week, compared to 15%-17% in the same period in 2019, the average data from 2014 to 2018 is 9%-11%.

The figures for Asia-Europe routes are also higher, with capacity reductions of just under 20% in the weeks following Golden Week, although the same as in 2019, but higher than the 2014-2018 average. However, the Asia-Mediterranean route is the only route of the four that saw capacity reductions in line with 2014-2019.

Last week, Drewry also said it tracked a significant year-on-year drop in capacity deployed on the Asia-Europe and Asia-West America routes on October 22.

▎Summary of recent shipping schedule adjustments and voyage cancellation notices from MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and other shipping companies

September 21,MSCDue to the expected slowdown in demand during and after the Golden Week holiday, it is planned toCancellation of sailings on the following Asia-Europe routes:

On September 19, MSC notified the following adjustments to the sailing plan from Asia to the US East Coast and Gulf Coast:

MSC has issued an update notice on the sailing schedule for the Asia to Europe route. As demand is expected to slow during and after the Golden Week holiday, MSC plansCancellation of the following sailings:

September 22,Maersk issues notice of blank sailing from Asia to America and West, the details of the cancelled voyage are as follows:

Regarding the cancelled voyage, Maersk said,The cargo from Shanghai/Ningbo/Yantian will be transported by TP6 MSC DITTE/MSC ARIANE, TPX RIO CADIZ, and the cargo from Nansha/Shekou will be transported by the next TP2 voyage.

On September 20, Maersk issued a notice of change of shipping schedule from Asia to North America. The affected voyages and adjustments are as follows:

Earlier, Maersk releasedAsia to North America voyage reset and cancellationNotice. In order to better adjust its Asia-North America network service plan and cope with demand fluctuations, it will reset or cancel (blank) the voyages listed below:

• The departure port is Shekou Port, and the ETD is the TP2 eastbound voyage MSC EMANUELA/240N on October 6, which will be cancelled due to delay. Pre-ordered goods will be transported by TP2 MAERSK EINDHOVEN 241N and will be delayed by two days.

• The departure port is Ningbo Port, and the ETD is the TP3 eastbound voyage MDV MSC TBN 1/241N on October 14, which will be cancelled due to delay.The scheduled cargo will be transported by TPX MAERSK VIRGINIA 241N and TP2 MAERSK EINDHOVEN 241N, stopping in Shanghai.

• The departure port is Vung Tau Port, and the ETD is the TP6 eastbound voyage MAERSK EUREKA/240N on October 6, which will be cancelled due to delay.The scheduled cargo will be transported by TP2 MAERSK EINDHOVEN 241N, docked at Xiamen Port.

Maersk issued a notice related to the upcoming Chinese Golden Week holiday, in order to balance the network and deal with the expected drop in demand, Maersk plans toCancellation of two sailings from Asia to East Africa:

According to CMA CGM's sailing schedule, the Ocean Alliance Asia-Europe route FAL7 service will implement blank sailings in the 40th and 42nd weeks.

(click to enlarge the picture)

In addition, the following is a summary of the 39th to 44th week of stop sailing and jumping from China to North America, Europe and the Mediterranean according to the statistics of the shipping schedule (swipe up and down to view, click to enlarge):

Huadong Region

Shanghai

Ningbo

South China

Pearl River Delta

Shenzhen Yantian

shekou

Guangzhou Nansha

Hongkong

Xiamen

North China

Qingdao

Taiwan

Kaohsiung

*The above data comes from the public account Easy Shipping Schedule