Drewry : Cancelled Sailings Tracker - 19 Dec

As 2025 comes to a close, container shipping is ending the year much as it began: volatile, tightly managed and shaped by shifting market forces

The Red Sea and Suez Canal remains a key watchpoint, although carriers continue to stress that no firm timelines are in place. 

As 2025 comes to a close, container shipping is ending the year much as it began: volatile, tightly managed and shaped by shifting market forces rather than clear demand growth.

Capacity management remains central in the near term. Over the next five weeks—week 52-2025 (22–28 December) to week 04-2026 (19–25 January), carriers have announced 53 cancelled sailings out of 704 scheduled sailings, representing around 8% of planned departures. The majority of blank sailings are concentrated on the Transatlantic westbound (45%), followed by the Transpacific eastbound (38%) and Asia–Europe/Med (17%), while 92% of sailings remain scheduled.

75 cancellations in December alone

December alone has seen 75 cancellations, effectively lifting available capacity by about 2% MoM, with a further 35 blank sailings announced for early January, pointing to an additional 7% increase in capacity.

In this context, Drewry’s On-Time Performance (OTP) shows a 1% improvement in November compared to October (from 48% to 49%). Starting with this issue, schedule reliability coverage has been expanded to include the Transatlantic and South Asia–North Europe & Med trades, in addition to Asia–Europe & Med and Transpacific.

Red Sea : a key watchpoint

Looking beyond schedules, attention is increasingly turning to early-2026 uncertainties. The potential return of vessels to the Red Sea and Suez Canal remains a key watchpoint, although carriers continue to stress that no firm timelines are in place.

  Broader geopolitical developments 

Even a phased resumption would release effective capacity into the market and could place renewed pressure on already congested European ports. Broader geopolitical developments, including tentative discussion around a possible Ukraine–Russia peace agreement, will also continue to influence sentiment and longer-term trade expectations.

Meanwhile, Drewry’s World Container Index rose 12% WoW to $2,182 per 40ft container as of 18 December, with Asia–Europe/Med rates up 9%, Transpacific rates rising 19%, and Transatlantic pricing broadly stable.

For shippers, flexibility and close monitoring remain essential as the industry moves into 2026, where capacity growth and uncertainty are likely to persist. 

The Drewry World Container Index (WCI)

On the other hand the Drewry World Container Index (WCI) rose 12% to $2,182 per 40ft container, marking the third consecutive weekly increase, mainly due to rate hikes on Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes.
Following the previous week’s decline that pushed spot rates to their second lowest level since January 2025, rates on the Transpacific headhaul recovered this week. Spot rates from Shanghai to New York climbed 19% to $3,293 per 40ft container, while those to Los Angeles rose 18% to $2,474. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, 10 blank sailings have been announced for the next week on the Transpacific trade lane.

Spot rates on the Shanghai–Genoa route

Spot rates on the Shanghai–Genoa route saw a double-digit surge, rising 10% to $3,314 per 40ft container, while those on the Shanghai–Rotterdam expanded 8% to $2,539. Spot rates on the Asia–Europe trade route have successfully maintained stable or rising rate levels for three consecutive weeks. This strength is driven by a shift in seasonal patterns. Over the last three years, Drewry has recorded a double-digit MoM demand growth in December, establishing strong year-end volumes as the ‘new normal’. As carriers are already recording early bookings ahead of the impending Lunar New Year in February 2026, Drewry expects further slight rate increases next week.

Related : Drewry : Suez Canal recovery squeezing LR freight rates amid ballooning fleet
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