The number of canceled sailings on Transpacific, Transatlantic, and Asia-North Europe & Mediterranean routes has surged in March and April, reaching a total of 198—significantly higher than the 135 cancellations during the same period in 2024, according to Drewry.
Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight weekly online service showed the rise in cancellations has been particularly notable on the Asia-West Coast North America and Transatlantic routes.
Typically, carriers on the Asia-West Coast North America route cancel a large number of sailings in February due to the Chinese New Year, with cancellations tapering off in the months that follow. However, this year, cancellations have remained high, with more than 40 sailings being cancelled per month in both March and April.
In Drewry’s view, one contributing factor is uncertainty surrounding new U.S. tariffs, which may be making U.S. importers hesitant to ship goods from Asia. With the possibility of new tariffs coming into effect once shipments arrive in North America, importers may be delaying or scaling back their shipments. After a strong surge in volumes during January and February, which included some “front-loading,” carriers likely anticipated a slowdown in year-on-year import growth and adjusted their schedules by blanking sailings.
Additionally, the uptick in cancellations could be a strategic move by carriers. With negotiations underway for new service contracts set to begin on May 1, some carriers might be cancelling sailings to create the illusion of tight capacity, thereby justifying increases in contract rates.
This combination of factors has resulted in the growing trend of sailing cancellations, leaving industry stakeholders to closely monitor the situation and its implications for the coming months.
