There’s only one month left for the Lunar New Year period. When most freight forwarders plan to export cargos as many as they possibly could, major container shipping companies also prepare for everyone the largest blank sailing schedules in history.

    Since December, major global container shipping companies continuously have announced withdrawal plans of the sailings before and after the year, which far exceeds the average number of voyages cancelled each year in the past seven years.

    Judging from the blank sailing plans learned from the major container shipping companies, this new record not only covers North American routes, but also major routes such as Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, India and Pakistan.

    Here’s several major container shipping companies’ announcements on blank sailing as below:

OOCL Asia-Europe Trade – Service Update

https://www.oocl.com/eng/aboutoocl/corporatemessages/2019/Pages/20Dec19.aspx

OOCL Trans-Pacific Trade – Service Update

https://www.oocl.com/eng/aboutoocl/corporatemessages/2019/Pages/11Dec2019.aspx

MSC 2020 CHINESE NEW YEAR BLANK SAILINGS PROGRAM – EAST WEST NETWORK

https://www.msc.com/mda/notices/2019-december/2020-chinese-new-year-blank-sailings-program-%E2%80%93-eas?lang=zh-cn

MAERSK Chinese New Year Blanking advisory for North Europe Services

https://www.maersk.com/news/articles/2019/12/16/chinese-new-year-blanking-advisory-for-north-europe-services

MAERSK Chinese New Year Blanking advisory for Mediterranean Services

https://www.maersk.com/news/articles/2019/12/16/chinese-new-year-blanking-advisory-for-mediterranean-services

HAPAG-LLOYD China Australia Taiwan Service (CAT) – Chinese New Year Blank Sailing

https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/zh/news-insights/news/2019/12/china-australia-taiwan-service--cat----chinese-new-year-blank-sa.html

APL Asia-Latin America Market: Falcon Express (FCX) Void Sailing

https://www.apl.com/news/2100/asia-latin-america-market-falcon-express-fcx-void-sailing

APL Asia-Middle East Service Update – Void Sailings in December (Update)

https://www.apl.com/news/2099/asia-middle-east-service-update-void-sailings-in-december-update-

APL Trans-Pacific Market: Void Sailings in Q4 (Update)

https://www.apl.com/news/2095/trans-pacific-market-void-sailings-in-q4-update-

APL Asia-Red Sea Service Update: Void Sailing in January (Update)

https://www.apl.com/news/2087/asia-red-sea-service-update-void-sailing-in-january-update-

COSCO 2020 Lunar New Year blank sailings - Middle East, Red Sea routes

http://lines.coscoshipping.com/home/News/detail/15768304011850182653/50000000000000231?id=50000000000000231