Blank Sailings

Carriers set for major blanking programme

Hong Kong consultancy Linerlytica suggests that the carriers are struggling to achieve the General Rate Increases (GRIs) that they have supposedly imposed amongst the increase in capacity and persistent low demand, which will lead to greater capacity management according to one expert.

Long term shipping commentator and industry insider John McCown in his latest report suggests that the impact on capacity caused by the congestion as a result of the pandemic allowed carriers to take advantage of...

https://container-news.com/carriers-set-for-major-blanking-programme/

Running out of time to bring capacity down, reports Sea-Intelligence

Danish maritime data analysts of Sea-Intelligence looked at the post-Golden week capacity deployment on Transpacific and Asia-Europe in the 42nd week of the year and saw significant overcapacity on both trades.

Absent any serious demand growth, the analysts expected that the carriers would announce a host of blank sailings to counteract this supply-side growth, but four weeks on, hardly any new blank sailings have been announced, and capacity growth for the remainder of 2023 is still quite...

https://container-news.com/running-out-of-time-to-bring-capacity-down-reports-sea-intelligence/

Blank sailings boost NCFI

The composite Ningbo Containerized Freight Index (NCFI) quoted 622.2 points in Week 41, which improved 4.8% from the previous week and has remained on an upward trend for two back-to-back weeks.

More specifically, spot rates for container exports from Ningbo-Zhoushan surged as shipping lines made blank sailings to reduce capacity during the National Day Golden Week.

On the 21 trade routes to which the individual NCFIs are applied, the indices increased on 15 and decreased on the remaining six....

https://container-news.com/blank-sailings-boost-ncfi/

Container lines add blank sailings to match supply with lower demand in Golden Week

With the upcoming Golden Week holiday in Asia in early October, as factories close, and container demand to and from Asia declines, shipping lines respond by blanking sailings to match supply with the lower demand, according to latest Sea-Intelligence report.

“However, when we first looked at the blanked capacity at the 2023 Golden Week two weeks ago in issue 629 of the Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight, the carriers had not planned anything near to what was necessary to meet the blanked...

https://container-news.com/container-lines-add-blank-sailings-to-match-supply-with-lower-demand-in-golden-week/

More blanked sailings expected in October

Vespucci Maritime CEO Jars Jensen predicts that a wave of blank sailings could be announced in October, as China’s exports are set to fall due to the one-week National Day holiday starting 1 October.

Until now, poor capacity discipline has prevented rates from surging amid the usual peak season in the third quarter.

Writing for the Baltic Exchange’s monthly report about the container shipping market, Jensen said, “With the Asian export trades showing weakness now, the concern would be for the...

https://container-news.com/more-blanked-sailings-expected-in-october/

Sea-Intelligence analysis: Shortage of blanks in Golden week

Sea-Intelligence reports that we are currently 5 weeks away from the Chinese National Holiday known as Golden Week, and carriers may turn to blank sailings to manage supply as a result of a significant drop in demand.

“Source: Sea-Intelligence.com, Sunday Spotlight, issue 629”

“However, no significant capacity reductions have been reported by carriers this year,” stated Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence.

Looking at the current combined Transpacific capacity reductions for the 4-week Golden Week...

https://container-news.com/sea-intelligence-analysis-shortage-of-blanks-in-golden-week/

Blanked sailings now the norm

Blanked Asia-Europe sailings have become expected in liner operators’ routines, according to Alphaliner’s latest report today (16 August).

Record newbuilding deliveries have made operators reduce sailings to manage capacity and THE Alliance has the largest percentage of skipped schedules.

THE Alliance has blanked just over 10 of its sailings, translating to nearly 20% of sailings that have been skipped. In comparison, the OCEAN Alliance has skipped 10 of its 90-odd voyages, amounting to a...

https://container-news.com/blanked-sailings-now-the-norm/

Sea-Intelligence analysis: Clear ramp-up in Transpacific blank sailings

Sea Intelligence said the main challenge with measuring the market’s supply/demand strength is that demand data is “notoriously lagged”.

Hence, in terms of the market strength, the best real-time gauge is the capacity side, where blank sailings are a key element, noted the Danish maritime data analysis firm.

The following figure shows the ramp up in Asia-North America West Coast (NAWC) blank sailings for June-August. Sea-Intelligence clarified thatthe figure shows the blank sailings for the...

https://container-news.com/clear-ramp-up-in-transpacific-blank-sailings/

Maersk vessel to omit Napier due to weather conditions

Maersk announced that due to the ongoing impact of current weather conditions and high swells on shipping movements at Napier port in Australia, the Liberia-flagged, 6,900 TEU container ship SFL Maui 323S/325N will omit Napier on Southern Star service.

Maersk said it took this decision to “mitigate any further disruption to scheduling and to avoid a potential slide on the service.”

The Danish ocean carrier noted that the following contingency routing has been secured for affected bookings:

  • Napier...

https://container-news.com/maersk-vessel-to-omit-napier-due-to-weather-conditions/

Maersk vessel omits Auckland due to weather conditions

Maersk announced that due to adverse weather conditions which are expected to delay Polaris service vessel Nicolai Maersk en route to Melbourne, the vessel will omit the port of Auckland.

The Danish carrier said it took this decision to minimise any further Polaris schedule disruption and to allow for schedule recovery.

The contingency plan for affected cargo will be as follows:

Exports currently booked for Nicolai Maersk 327E and loading/transshipping at Melbourne for Auckland will load Maersk...

https://container-news.com/maersk-vessel-omits-auckland-due-to-weather-conditions/

+ More
Join Our Newsletter
Enter your email to receive a weekly round-up of shipping news.
icon
By subscribing, you agree with our privacy policy and our terms of service.