Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
International
Sea Freight

To blank sail or not to blank sail

01 Jul 2022 - by Staff reporter
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

The drop in cargo volumes on main trade lanes such as east-west Pacific freight, brought on by inflationary pressures in America, has resulted in leading lines ramping up blank sailings to 71% in the second week of May.

US ports intelligence platform, project44, has said in its Ocean Carrier Report for June that the 2M Alliance of MSC and Maersk, global shipping’s top two carriers by capacity, has aggressively cut back services to absorb the sharp decrease in demand.

Simultaneously, voided sailings have enabled a realignment of supply chain efficiencies, especially compared to the port-side delays experienced in the year’s first quarter on the three main trade lanes: Asia-Europe, Transpacific, and Transatlantic.

As far as congestion is concerned, blank sailings had brought about some improvement, project44 reported.

In addition, transhipped cargo has also caught up thanks to the decrease in deepwater cargo, recording a 26.5% dip in rollovers from a peak of 53% at the beginning of the year.

Outside the 2M Alliance, Evergreen is at the opposite end of the spike in the blank-sailing spectrum, announcing that only 12% of its booked sailings will be voided.

The Taiwanese carrier – a member of Ocean Alliance along with CMA-CGM, Cosco Group, and OOCL – leads the fray, attempting to increase market share by sticking to sailing schedules.

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Industry operations centre to track FMD in real time

Logistics

Red meat industry sets up virtual tracking and mapping of foot-and-mouth disease to stem continued spread.

10 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Crew evacuate blazing box ship

Sea Freight

Four crew members are still missing and two were seriously injured after the on-board explosion.

10 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Pilchards vs poultry – can the MDM crisis be avoided?

Imports and Exports

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has indicated that it’s investigating localising the ban.

10 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Bulk Handler believes it has what it takes to expand further

Logistics
Skills & Training
Technology

The company has design and manufacturing facilities in Italy, Germany and Australia.

10 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Surcharges coming through as sea freight volatility continues

Sea Freight

In Europe, port congestion remains a critical issue with many carriers avoiding Rotterdam.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Green economy exposure threatens SA exports

Imports and Exports
Logistics
Sustainability

422 000 local jobs currently depend on exports to jurisdictions with active or incoming CBAMs.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

KZN ports: now for the good news

Logistics
Sea Freight

Transnet signed a R285 million agreement with Grindrod Eyamakhosi Joint Venture to develop a new Richards Bay container handling facility.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Shipwreckers unite industry, raise R75 000 for charity

Logistics

“This wasn’t just a party; it was a purpose-driven celebration.” – Post-event statement.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Exports to Lesotho face new regulation rollout from July

Africa
Imports and Exports
Logistics

Previously it seemed agents were hoping Asycuda would cause RSL to pull the plug on TIN.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Vessel abandonment cases surge 33%

Sea Freight

Hundreds of seafarers were left unpaid and without food, water or access to ports – often for months at a time.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Salvage team heads to abandoned Alaska cargo ship

Sea Freight

A second tug with advanced firefighting capabilities is being mobilised to attend the scene of the fire.

09 Jun 2025
0 Comments

CMA CGM launches electric river barge

Sea Freight
Technology

The shipping line has pioneered with Nike as its first customer to use the 100% electric vessel.

06 Jun 2025
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Botswana 20 June 2025

Border Beat

Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
Cross-border payments remain a hurdle – Masondo
30 May 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Seafreight Export Controller (To Be based In-house)

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
19 Jun
New

Key Account Manager

Lee Botti & Associates
Johannesburg
18 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us