Asia Freight Market Overview: Capacity Gaps

Based on the latest schedule analysis, total market capacity is sitting at approximately 53,500 TEU, noting this has already been impacted by recent vessel adjustments, particularly downsizing across select services.

While overall capacity remains relatively balanced, there are clear signs of tightening in certain weeks driven by blank sailings and schedule gaps.

Notably:

• MSC have reduced effective capacity through vessel downsizing and inconsistent weekly coverage
• ONE / CMA CGM shared services show gaps in Week 15–16, creating short-term reductions in available sailings
• COSCO / OOCL services (A3N loop) remain the most consistent, maintaining weekly frequency with minimal disruption
• Some South China port calls (e.g. Yantian / Xiamen) show less reliable coverage across certain weeks

⚠️ What This Means for Your Shipments

While the market is not currently constrained overall, these schedule gaps are creating targeted pressure points:

• Week 15–16: Reduced sailings across multiple services → tighter space conditions expected
• MSC services: Increased risk of rollovers due to lower effective capacity
• South China origins: Potential delays or re-routing requirements depending on service selection

In simple terms… space is available, but it is becoming more selective depending on timing and carrier.

📍 Our Recommendation

To avoid disruption and maintain transit reliability, we recommend:

• Booking early, particularly for shipments targeting mid-April departures
• Considering premium / more stable services where timing is critical
• Remaining flexible on routing, especially ex South China ports

🤝 How We’re Supporting You

At Across the Ocean Shipping, we continue to:

• Prioritise reliable carriers such as COSCO / CMA / OOCL
• Monitor blank sailings and weekly capacity shifts
• Provide alternative routing options to mitigate any disruption