Global Freight & Container Shipping Update – Week 45

Reference archive · 9 November 2026 ·

Blank Sailings Impacting Imports: Shippers face scheduling inconsistencies as global lines implement planned blank sailings across major East-West trades, restricting slot availability into major UK gateways.
French Strike Spillover Risks: Continued industrial action and port strikes across the Channel in France are threatening cross-Channel vessel movements and intermodal container connections.
Rail Network Maintenance: Ongoing engineering works on key freight rail corridors out of major container ports are causing sporadic intermodal bottlenecks for box clearances.
Vessel Turnaround Pressures: Terminals are managing tighter berthing windows as delayed vessels from extended routing cascade into UK ports.

Red Sea Diversion Costs: The prolonged routing around the Cape of Good Hope continues to inflate transit times and strain European import schedules from Asia.
EU ETS Full Cost Recovery: The expansion of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is fully enforced, adding measurable compliance and carbon costs per container on inbound trades.
European Hub Congestion: Selected transshipment hubs on the continent are experiencing localized yard congestion, compounding transit delays for onward feeder vessels.
Strict Environmental Compliance: Shippers are reminded to factor in tighter reporting requirements under ongoing European green shipping directives, impacting carrier operational surcharges.

Intra-Asia Rate Volatility: While peak festival-season spikes from China have started to cool slightly, baseline intra-Asia and China-India container freight rates remain significantly elevated compared to earlier in the year.
Port Schedule Reliability: Indian gateway ports are experiencing sporadic berthing delays due to bunching of vessels arriving off-schedule from disrupted long-haul routes.
Equipment Imbalances: Importers continue to navigate localized container equipment shortages at select inland container depots (ICDs) across the subcontinent.

Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Security Risks: Ongoing geopolitical conflict and regional tensions involving Iran continue to severely impact vessel operations, insurance premiums, and safety protocols in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Red Sea / Bab el-Mandeb Chokepoint: Houthi-related threats and unofficial transit regulations in the southern Red Sea corridor are forcing continuous diversions and elevating operational risk.
Spike in Marine Insurance Costs: War-risk surcharges and high insurance premiums for vessels operating in Middle Eastern waters continue to impact overall line operating costs.
Crew Welfare and Operational Strains: Stricter security protocols and crew safety concerns are leading to tighter schedule buffers and operational adjustments across Middle Eastern hubs.

Capacity Management via Blank Sailings: Major carriers are actively pulling capacity through coordinated blank sailings to stabilize rate levels on Asia-Europe and regional trades.
Equipment and Space Crunch: Space out of major Chinese mainports remains tight as equipment availability fluctuates due to irregular vessel turnaround caused by Cape of Good Hope diversions.
Intra-Asia Demand Adjustments: Equipment allocation for China-to-India loops faces continued competition as carriers optimize loops for maximum yields.