As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, shipping companies continue to actively reduce supply announcements in order to keep capacity in line with demand amid extremely weak demand forecasts. (International freight forwarder information focus on     Eman Logistics)

Maison and ZIM are suspended for 3 weeks during the Spring Festival

Recently, Maison Shipping and ZIM Line issued the Spring Festival shipping schedule adjustment notice. Matson CLX+ service will be suspended for three weeks during the Chinese New Year period (January 22, 29 and February 5), while Star ZEX service will be suspended for three weeks during the Chinese New Year period (January 21, 28 and February 4).

Maison 2023 Chinese New Year shipping schedule

ZIM Line ZEX is grounded for 3 weeks

Demand has fallen, exacerbating the gap between supply and demand. In addition, the arrival of the Spring Festival holiday is likely to cause shipments to continue to decrease and shipping companies to stop sailing. Recently have shipping American line plan of freight forwarder friends pay more attention to, do shipment plan in advance.

Massive outage! This Asia-Europe route has one ship of 11 in operation!

According to Alphaliner, a large number of ships have been grounded as demand continues to weaken. Mass suspensions from Asia to northern Europe have led some shipping companies to run "ghost ship" routes on trade routes.

A Far East-Northern Europe AE1/Shogun route operated by the 2M alliance has only one 14,036TEU MSC ALEXANDRA in operation, out of a fleet of 11 ships.

The route service is usually completed in 11 weeks with a fleet of 11 vessels ranging in size from 13,000 to 20,000 TeUs. Stop at Ningbo, Xiamen and Yantian to Europe Tanjong Pellepas, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, etc.

However, the last voyage from Ningbo dates back to November 30, while there were zero flights from China in December. MSC ALEXANDRA is due to arrive at Felixstowe, an unplanned port addition, later this week.

The AE1/Shogun route will not have a full fleet any time soon, as Maersk and MSC decided late last year to cancel the first two voyages in 2023 due to forecast low cargo demand.

The MAERSK CAMBRIDGE will now be the only ship to depart from China in January, as it had already decided earlier in December to cancel three voyages after the Lunar New Year holiday. The 15413TEU ship is scheduled to depart Ningbo on January 18.

After a year of steady decline, spot sea freight rates from Shanghai to northern Europe finally stopped falling and rose in the last week of 2022, according to the latest data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

Although freight rates have begun to show signs of stabilization, but do not rule out falling back. Many container shipping companies for the holidays and the off-season plan, has begun to grab goods and dump boxes, not ruled out in the late January 2023 freight rates again waves, then we need to observe whether the container shipping companies to improve cabin control efforts to stabilize freight rates, or bargain to grab goods...

Article sources: Alphaliner, shipping company notice, maintenance network, etc