While the period between Chinese New Year and the start of the summer peak season is traditionally considered a “slack period,” and despite a sharp decline in spot freight rates, container carriers are still actively seeking vessels, according to Alphaliner.
Alphaliner highlighted that, even with a steady influx of new vessels joining the global fleet, tonnage supply remains constrained. As a result, the proportion of commercially idle container capacity has remained consistently low, staying below 1% of the total fleet.
As of mid-March, Alphaliner reported 71 vessels were commercially idle, with a combined capacity of 220,279 TEU. This marked only a modest decrease of 12,000 TEU compared to late February—practically negligible in relative terms. In percentage terms, this represents just 0.7% of the world’s total fleet of 31 million TEU.
Geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflict near the Red Sea have further added uncertainty to the shipping sector. For the time being, many carriers are opting for alternative routes, such as those around the Cape of Good Hope. This diversion of vessels accounts for over 1.40 million TEU of “extra” capacity, owing to the longer steaming distances.
Meanwhile, the amount of tonnage in drydock for repairs, maintenance, or retrofitting has remained relatively stable. It saw only a slight increase of 25,000 TEU compared to two weeks ago, bringing the total to 169 vessels with a combined capacity of 783,649 TEU, which represents 2.5% of the total global liner fleet.
Alphaliner’s AXSInsights tool provides up-to-date tracking of vessels in active service, those commercially idle, and those currently in shipyards or under repair, offering valuable insights for the industry.
