Freight market update - 18 September 2025

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• Maersk has expanded its regional capacity in Asia by 52% over the past year.

• With this growth, Maersk now ranks just behind China’s state-owned COSCO, the leading carrier in the region.

• Alphaliner also highlighted that intra-Asia trade is highly competitive, with 69 active carriers managing 2.4 million TEU.

• The top 20 carriers control 87% of this market, while the remaining 13% is divided among all other operators.

• A new World Shipping Council (WSC) report revealed that 11.39% of shipments had safety-related deficiencies in 2024, up from 11% in 2023, according to ShippingWatch.

• The 2025 reshuffling of global carrier alliances has significantly influenced port performance across Europe, according to Sea-Intelligence.

• The Gemini Cooperation designated Malaysia’s Port of Tanjung Pelapas (PTP) as its primary transshipment hub.

• Premier Alliance suspended its PS5 service indefinitely, removing six vessels (avg. 4,800 TEU each) from the trade.

• Gemini Cooperation leads with 100% reliability.

• Ocean Alliance and MSC show strong improvements, with MSC up nearly 20% from June to July.

• Demand remains subdued with no major surge expected until Golden Week.

Read on for more in-depth updates.

Asia → North America

US/CA

Transpacific Trends and Market Updates

• Demand remains subdued with no major surge expected until Golden Week.
• Market activity is flat despite recent GRI applications, as shippers hold back bookings.
• Ongoing discussions on furniture tariffs for Chinese exports may further dampen demand.
• West Coast congestion remains stable.
• East Coast ports are seeing rising waiting times and longer rail dwell, indicating diverging regional performance.
• Rates increased in early September after GRIs, but carriers like MSC have already made slight downward adjustments.
• Persistent overcapacity raises doubts about whether these rate hikes will last through the month.
• Capacity expected to tighten mid-September, drop sharply in week 40, then rise ahead of Golden Week sailings.
• This reflects carriers’ strategy to balance utilisation against weak demand.
• Premier Alliance suspended its PS5 service indefinitely, removing six vessels (avg. 4,800 TEU each) from the trade.
• Gemini Cooperation leads with 100% reliability.
• Ocean Alliance and MSC show strong improvements, with MSC up nearly 20% from June to July.
• However, overall alliance reliability remains uneven.

Turkey → North America

• A new World Shipping Council (WSC) report revealed that 11.39% of shipments had safety-related deficiencies in 2024, up from 11% in 2023, according to ShippingWatch.
• The main issues flagged were mis-declared dangerous goods, improper packaging, and incorrect documentation.
• These deficiencies increase the risk of shipboard fires, while also threatening crew safety, vessel integrity, cargo security, and the marine environment.
• WSC President and CEO Joe Kramek stressed the urgency of improving safety.
• “Cargo safety starts with correct declaration and safe packing of goods. With over one in ten shipments showing deficiencies, the message is clear: gaps in cargo safety remain far too common. Cargo deficiencies put crews, ships, cargo, and the environment at risk,” he said.
• Despite industry progress, improperly declared and packaged cargo remains a persistent challenge.
• WSC historical data shows an upward trend in deficiencies: 8.64% in 2017 → 11.39% in 2024, a 2.75% increase over the period.
• The WSC is calling for broader global participation to strengthen cargo safety standards and reporting.
• Currently, inspection data is provided by just seven port states: the United States, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, Chile, Germany, and South Korea.
• To tackle the issue, the WSC is launching a comprehensive cargo safety initiative that will: enhance screening protocols, improve inspection procedures, and provide practical industry guidance.
• Kramek added: “By pairing accurate reporting with better screening, clear standards, and practical guidance, we can reduce risks and protect lives, cargo, and the marine environment.”

North America → Turkey

• Maersk has expanded its regional capacity in Asia by 52% over the past year.
• According to Alphaliner, this increase equals nearly 100,000 TEUs.
• With this growth, Maersk now ranks just behind China’s state-owned COSCO, the leading carrier in the region.
• The Gemini Cooperation, a partnership between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, has been a major factor behind this expansion.
• As reported by SeaTrade Maritime, the alliance has strengthened intra-Asia capacity through a “hub and spoke” model.
• This model relies on common hub ports and regional feeder services, enabling the carriers to expand services across multiple Asian ports.
• SeaTrade Maritime also emphasized that the move underlines the strategic importance of the intra-Asia market.
• “Intra-Asia trade, on a region-to-region scale, is currently the largest in the world,” said Andrew Chien, Director of LCL Development, Asia Pacific at Shipco Transport.
• He noted that intra-Asia volumes surpass both the Far East–Europe and Asia–North America trade lanes in terms of global containerized freight.
• Alphaliner also highlighted that intra-Asia trade is highly competitive, with 69 active carriers managing 2.4 million TEU.
• This figure marks a 13% increase compared to the previous year.
• The top 20 carriers control 87% of this market, while the remaining 13% is divided among all other operators.
• The 2025 reshuffling of global carrier alliances has significantly influenced port performance across Europe, according to Sea-Intelligence.
• Key impacts include shifts in throughput, vessel deployment, and competitiveness among major container ports.
• Hamburg emerged as the biggest winner, reporting a 9.3% increase in container volumes in H1 2025 versus the same period last year.
• The rise in large vessel calls has strengthened Hamburg’s role as a hub for mega-ship operations.
• Valencia gained traction with 78,000+ TEU added monthly, per Sea-Intelligence’s press release.
• Antwerp and Tangier lost ground as key services were rerouted, weakening their positions.
• Algeciras recorded a modest capacity rise, driven by smaller vessel calls.
• Piraeus handled fewer ships overall but shifted focus toward larger tonnage.
• Sea-Intelligence CEO Alan Murphy noted:
• “The Asia-Europe trade lane is consolidating market power into hubs like Hamburg and Valencia, at the expense of established gateways such as Antwerp and Tangier.”
• He added that Rotterdam remains unchallenged, cementing its position as Europe’s dominant gateway port.
• Similar alliance shifts reshaped Asia’s port dynamics:
• The Gemini Cooperation designated Malaysia’s Port of Tanjung Pelapas (PTP) as its primary transshipment hub.
• This diverted cargo flows away from Singapore and Shanghai.
• PTP posted 15.4% annual growth, the highest among the world’s top 30 container ports, per Alphaliner’s mid-year review.

Terminal Updates

Vessels heading to North America via the North Atlantic Sea are expected to have a change in schedule due to severe weather conditions.

New York:

• The waiting time for all Gemini and non-Gemini vessels calling APMT is 6 hours.
• Waiting time at Maher Terminals LLC is also approximately 6 hours.
• Average gate turn times are 39 minutes for single transactions and 63 minutes for double transactions at APMT terminals.
• At Maher terminals, the average gate turn time is 43 minutes.
• The average import rail dwell time is 0.5 days at APMT.
• At Maher, the average import rail dwell time is 1.4 days.
• The last new crane on APMT’s East berth should be operational by the end of summer.
• APMT New York is currently facing high demand for gate appointments.
• The terminal may be unable to accommodate all requests, particularly on vessel cut-off days.

Norfolk:

• Waiting times are up to 18 hours for Gemini vessels and up to 24 hours for non-Gemini vessels.
• Average gate turn times are 29 / 41 minutes for single and double transactions, respectively, at Norfolk International Terminal.
• At Virginia International Gateway, average gate turn times are 34 / 52 minutes for single and double transactions.
• The average import dwell time is 3.6 days.
• Four new cranes will be delivered in September and commissioned in January 2026.
• North NIT is estimated to be operational in late September.

Charleston Terminal:

• Waiting time at Wando Welch Terminal is up to 6 hours for Gemini vessels and up to 12 hours for non-Gemini vessels.
• There is no waiting time at North Charleston Terminal.
• Average truck turn times are 20 minutes at Wando Welch, 15 minutes at North Charleston, and 17 minutes at Leatherman Terminal.
• The import dwell time is 6.7 days at Wando Welch and 5.7 days at North Charleston.

Savannah:

• The average vessel berth waiting time is up to 3.0 days for both class 1 and class 2 vessels at Garden City Terminal.
• Average gate turn times are 34 / 51 minutes for single and double transactions.
• Import dwell time is 7.9 days, while rail dwell time is 1.0 days.
• Berthing congestion is ongoing due to the Labor Day holiday and vessel bunching from severe weather delays.

Houston:

• Waiting times at Barbours Cut Terminal are up to 3 hours for Gemini vessels and up to 12 hours for non-Gemini vessels.
• Waiting times at Bayport Container Terminal are up to 3 hours.
• At Barbours Cut, average gate turn times are 35 minutes for single transactions and 54 minutes for double transactions.
• At Bayport, gate turn times are 37 minutes for single transactions and 58 minutes for double transactions.
• Loaded import dwell time is 3.6 days at Barbours Cut and 3.5 days at Bayport.
• Yard utilization at Barbours Cut remains high, with the Port of Houston adjusting receiving days and cut-off times on short notice.

Oakland:

• There is no waiting time for Gemini or non-Gemini vessels at Oakland International Container Terminal.
• Average import deliveries take up to 4 days.
• The average gate turn time is 90 minutes.
• Two cranes are out of service at Oakland International Container Terminal.

Seattle-Tacoma:

• There is no waiting time at Husky Tacoma or in Seattle.
• Import rail dwell time is 2.2 days at Husky and 3 days at Terminal 18.
• Average gate turn times are 36 minutes at T18, and 50 / 82 minutes for single and double transactions at Husky (F-Lot & Terminal combined).
• Husky will not offer Saturday or hoot gates in week 38.

Los Angeles/Long Beach:

• All terminal gates are operating as published and aligned with the Pier Pass program.
• At the Port of Los Angeles, local import dwell time is 3.0 days, on-dock rail dwell is 4.2 days, and import units on street average 4.5 days for 20 ft containers and 6.8 days for 40+ ft containers.
• At the Port of Long Beach, local import dwell times remain at 4–8 days.
• The average terminal gate turn time at Long Beach Container Terminal is 30–35 minutes depending on the shift.

Chassis Pools

All pools are operating as normal except:

1. Chicago – Constrained on 20’ chassis.
2. Dallas / Ft. Worth – Deficit on 40’ chassis.
3. Baltimore - Deficit on 40’ chassis.

Intermodal Operations

Truck power can be secured within 1-3 days for the majority of locations, including marine terminals, rail ramps, and depots.

Port Status

Final Thoughts

In light of the latest updates and trends, the market is currently in the course of showing robust performance and is equipped with ample capacity and resources. Individuals and businesses involved in import/export activities must stay well-informed about market dynamics and strategies to make informed decisions.

To ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience with your import/export operations, it is recommended to seek guidance from industry experts. Taking proactive measures and staying proactive in your approach will help you navigate the market effectively. We greatly appreciate your continued readership and encourage you to subscribe to our weekly market updates to stay abreast of the latest developments and insights.