News / Bleak outlook for box trades as demand weakens prior to Golden Week

Asia © Bartuchna |

Export bookings leading up to China’s Golden Week holiday, starting 29 September, are reported to be ‘disappointing’, and the outlook thereafter is especially bleak, obliging carriers to take radical blanking action.

As a consequence of the void sailings from China, Europe and the US, container terminals and North Europe’s feeder and barge operators can expect a very lean time ahead.

MSC said today it was blanking no less than 11 sailings from Asia to North Europe and five Asia-Mediterranean voyages between weeks ...