Carriers are deploying record capacity on Asia-North Europe routes as shippers rush to move cargo before the Chinese New Year shutdown.
Ocean carriers on the Asia-North Europe trade are deploying record capacity this month as shippers rush to move cargo before Chinese factories close for the Chinese New Year, according to a report by London's S&P Global.
Xeneta data indicates that 1.15 million TEU of capacity is being offered in January, with only 25,000 TEU removed through blank sailings. Planned capacity is expected to ease to just over one million TEU in February.
Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, noted that demand is seasonally strong and could be further fueled by market uncertainty. Sea-Intelligence reported a weekly capacity of 421,825 TEU, representing a 49 percent increase compared to the 2015-19 pre-COVID baseline.
Analysts suggest that shippers are frontloading volumes to Europe to mitigate extended transit times and secure inventory before the holiday slowdown.
Hapag-Lloyd stated that demand is following seasonal patterns, with bookings anticipated to soften from late January as factories close. Michael Aldwell of Kuehne + Nagel added that extended transit times have prolonged the peak season as shippers adjust their supply chain plans.
Spot rates have surged in response to the increased demand, with Asia-North Europe prices reaching US$2,700 per FEU this week, more than double the levels seen in early October. Container Trades Statistics reported nearly eight percent growth in Asia-North Europe volumes during the first ten months of 2025, as US tariffs on Beijing redirected cargo to Europe.
