New data from Sea-Intelligence’s Blank Sailings Tracker shows that blanked capacity across major East-West trade lanes is growing significantly faster than overall fleet capacity.
The comparison covers 2026-1H figures against 2019-1H. On the Asia-North America East Coast lane, scheduled capacity rose 46 per cent, while blanked capacity jumped 215 per cent.
The Asia-Mediterranean lane saw a 56 per cent capacity expansion against a 159 per cent rise in withdrawals. On Asia-North Europe, a 20 per cent capacity increase was offset by an 83 per cent surge in withdrawn space, and the Asia-North America West Coast lane recorded 16 per cent capacity growth against a 62 per cent rise in blanked capacity.
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The data indicates that fleet expansion and actual available space are no longer moving in tandem. Carriers have continued to inject new capacity into the market, but have increased blanked capacity at rates up to 4.6 times higher over the same period.
This suggests newly delivered tonnage is being managed through tactical blank sailings rather than passed on as proportionate additional space, giving lines tighter control over supply and, by extension, freight rates.
The shift carries direct implications for shippers. Pre-pandemic supply models, which assumed a more predictable link between fleet growth and available space, no longer hold.
With withdrawal rates running at 10-14 per cent of capacity, shippers are being pushed to recalibrate minimum inventory thresholds and revise allocation strategies to operate in a structurally tighter market.
For more information:
Sea-Intelligence – https://www.sea-intelligence.com/
