Due to U.S.-China trade tensions and the volatility in tariff policies, shipping carriers have been implementing significant changes to their sailing schedules on routes from Asia to North America. As a result, there has been a reduction in available capacity, with carriers actively blanking sailing and adjusting services to manage shifting demand and increasing uncertainty. Blank sailings have surged dramatically in the past few weeks as shipping lines adjust to declining exports from China. Significant capacity reductions in the trans-Pacific shipping market are expected to continue into May.

In contrast, trans-Atlantic routes have seen more stability, partly due to the recent 90-day tariff pause between the U.S. and the European Union.

With the current political climate in flux, carriers appear to be making only short-term decisions while awaiting more stable conditions before committing to long-term network changes.