49 Blank Sailings Expected Across Major Ocean Trade Routes Through September
Businesses with ocean shipments planned over the coming weeks may face tighter space, schedule changes, or longer lead times if cargo is moved to a later sailing.
Drewry is forecasting 49 blank sailings across the world’s major East–West ocean trade routes between August 24 and September 27, 2026, with most of the cancellations expected on the eastbound transpacific.
The cancellations represent about 6% of scheduled sailings over the five-week period and could tighten available capacity for shippers moving goods from Asia to North America.
According to Drewry, 60% of the announced cancellations are expected on the eastbound transpacific, compared with 21% on Asia–North Europe and Mediterranean routes and 19% on transatlantic routes.
Around 94% of scheduled sailings are still expected to operate.
The cancellations come as transpacific freight rates are also moving higher. Drewry’s World Container Index rose 4% to US$4,526 per 40-foot container on August 20, driven by higher rates on the transpacific trade routes.
Spot rates from Shanghai to New York and Los Angeles both increased 9% over the week, reaching US$9,507 and US$6,802 per 40-foot container, respectively.
Drewry says transpacific demand remains resilient, while carriers continue to manage supply through blank sailings and capacity reductions.
The 49 blank sailings are part of broader capacity adjustments on transpacific routes. In August, capacity from Asia to the U.S. East Coast declined 9% month over month, while capacity to the U.S. West Coast fell 0.4%.
Drewry says these reductions have further tightened space availability and expects freight rates to remain stable in the coming week due to tighter capacity. Seven blank sailings have been announced for the next week alone.
The wider East–West container market remains unsettled. Port congestion across parts of Asia and Europe, geopolitical and operational disruptions, and changing routing strategies continue to affect schedule reliability.
Cole International provides trade consulting and freight forwarding services to help Canadian businesses manage ocean shipments and changing carrier schedules.
Reach out to one of our trade professionals for help planning your ocean freight and navigating changes to upcoming sailings.